Grazing Acres is the Place for Me

I have fond memories of the long drive my family made once a year to pick up 100 pounds of beef each year.  That was in the 1980’s and I’m pretty sure the world was still in black and white then. Somewhere along the way my family stopped doing that yearly hunt and gather and I’m not sure why.  We switched to buying our ground beef at the grocery store like everyone else. Factory ground beef is inexpensive and is overpackaged, in my opinion. You are supposed to be able to recycle the thick plastic tray it comes in but I don’t think many people know or do that.  You still have to throw “away” the plastic on top of the package, so even if you do recycle the tray, there is waste. I decided about a year ago that I wanted to feed my family better ground beef and looked to Google to tell me what I needed. I did a little research, got distracted, and then forgot about it.  I thought about it again recently and came across a few farmers in my area that sell to the public. A few were priced well but their cows are 100% grass-fed and I was worried it could taste “gamey.” I came upon Grazing Acres and I sent them an email asking what they feed their cows and how the final product was packaged.  I prefer the taste of meat that comes from a cow that has a steady diet of junk food only. Just kidding! They told me that their cows are allowed to graze all they like and their diet is supplemented with fresh fruits and vegetables. They told me the meat is packaged by the pound in a thin plastic bag. Food really shouldn’t be packaged in plastic at all but since I’m not going to bring a bunch of mason jars direct to the butcher, I don’t have many options.  Grazing Acres offers healthy meat at a crazy good price. We took our two younger children to pick up our first order of beef. Frank (6 years old, not his real name) and Magdalene (11 years old, not her real name) stepped out of the car and were instantly horrified by smell of the farm. “Oh it smells, it smells!” They complained. They were loud and tried covering their noses with their shirts. At first I was embarrassed by their behavior but when Steve (farmer at Grazing Acres) came and laughed and said “first time at a farm I see,” I couldn’t help but laugh at them too.  I still have to throw "away" the plastic bag it comes in but it is less waste than the packaging from the store. You should check out local farms for their healthier meat and minimal packaging. It’s worth the trip just to see your kids freak out over the farm smell.