Where to buy local meat in Southern CA?

[kirstenb]

We are looking to start eating more locally grown organic meat- we preferably would want to buy it in bulk directly from where it is raised. I haven't had a whole lot of luck finding places online. I live in San Diego County but wouldn't mind going to places in surrounding counties. Does anyone here know of any places? TIA!

[Ironica]

Lindner Bison shows up at LA-area Farmer's markets, and takes remote orders. They are local (enough to drive to the market in Hollywood anyway), grass-fed, uncertified organic, and Kathy (one of the owners) is the one who runs the market booth. They also hand out some nice recipes! They do bulk orders, like 40 lbs. mixed cuts, at a slight discount.

I think the website is lindnerbison.com, but too lazy to check with google.

[ZoeyZoo]

There is one I found once but they cater to restaurants like Ruths Chris. The prices are extreme (like $20/pound for ground beef).

I know it's not really local but there are a number of farms in CA, OR, etc. that will ship. I know you're frustration since the meat quality in general in SD county is so poor generally.

[grisandole]

I'm looking, too! The bison place looks good, but it's almost two hours away...probably worth the drive, though.

[kirstenb]

Thanks for the replies! The Lindner Bison place looks good, I will have to give them a call this weekend. It seems everything is up in Northern CA- I just wish there were more options down here!

[sparklett]

You do have a few options.

Talk to your local 4-H Club or see if there is an FFA program at one of the local high schools. Sometimes the members raise beef that is sold and slaughtered. When I lived on the central coast my family would partner with a few other families to buy a steer and pay to have it processed, divided, and stored.

You can also contact your local Slow Food chapter and see if they have any sources. (www.slowfood.com).

Check our www.localharvest.org- they have listings of local farm products.

Also check out the California agritourism database. http://www.calagtour.org/. You can search by county.

There is a bison farm out near Julian, but I don't know what it's called or if they sell to the public.

[kirstenb]

Sparklett, thanks for all the great ideas and links! The agritourism link is awesome- I love seeing all the options where I can buy local produce!

[rhiandmoi]

Originally Posted by sparklett

You do have a few options.

Talk to your local 4-H Club or see if there is an FFA program at one of the local high schools. Sometimes the members raise beef that is sold and slaughtered. When I lived on the central coast my family would partner with a few other families to buy a steer and pay to have it processed, divided, and stored.

It is too late for this year, but a good way to meet the kids is to attend the livestock shows during the county fair. These kids often will do the same project year after year, and then their sibs do it, and on. You can establish a relationship with the families and know that you're getting high quality meat and helping a young person learn valuable skills.

[Ironica]

Also, eatwild.com has a nice directory of grassfed, pastured producers. Unfortunately, it looks like Lindner Bison is the southernmost listing in California!

[kirstenb]

Originally Posted by rhiandmoi

It is too late for this year, but a good way to meet the kids is to attend the livestock shows during the county fair. These kids often will do the same project year after year, and then their sibs do it, and on. You can establish a relationship with the families and know that you're getting high quality meat and helping a young person learn valuable skills.

This is a great idea, thanks! I never would have thought about doing that. I will have to make a note to do that next summer.

Ironica, I did find eatwild.com- just made me wish I was up in Northern CA! They have a ton of options up there.

[sparklett]

Originally Posted by kirstenb

This is a great idea, thanks! I never would have thought about doing that. I will have to make a note to do that next summer.

Ironica, I did find eatwild.com- just made me wish I was up in Northern CA! They have a ton of options up there.

I grew up on the Central Coast. Back in the good ol' days the local Stater Bros. supermarket would attend the Mid-State Fair and buy up as many 4-H and FFA steers as possible and sell them at the market. Next to the packaged beef would be photo of the steer and it's owner and the ribbon it was awarded at the fair. It was so cool- you REALLY knew where your food came from.

We also bought steers and pork from the students at Cal Poly Sal Luis Obispo.

Oh, and one other thought- my grandparents had lots of land and would lease parts of the land to people who wanted to graze a steer. People would buy their steer and let it graze for a season, and then eat it! I don't know if that's even an option in your area...you'd first have to procure a steer, and then find someone willing to graze it.

[mammom]

Hi Kirsten,

You might check with Weston A Price Foundation. Here's a link to the CA chapters: http://www.westonaprice.org/localchapters/index.html#ca

Good luck!

[Rikki Jean]

Originally Posted by ZoeyZoo

There is one I found once but they cater to restaurants like Ruths Chris. The prices are extreme (like $20/pound for ground beef).

I know it's not really local but there are a number of farms in CA, OR, etc. that will ship. I know you're frustration since the meat quality in general in SD county is so poor generally.

$20/lb!?! That's crazy!

Linder is the only thing that I've been able to find that is w/in a reasonable distance. All of the other farms seem to be considerably further north.

You might want to look into an Azure Standard buying group in your area. We buy a lot of our beef from Azure every month, and we've been happy with it. It's grown in Oregon, so it's not so local, but you have to work with what you can get.

[kbchavez]

I lived in OC a few years ago, and still get emails from Marsha Youde, the WAPF chapter leader there. I don't remember the name of the rancher I used to get beef from, but if he's still in operation, she'll know (and also about other possible sources). Her email is, [e-mail]. Good Luck!

[janasmama]

Range Land Beef travels to farmer's market in So Cal. They grow their beef down south in the winter and up north in the summer. The prices are good...I don't think they are organic but the meat is grass fed and they are just a couple of guys who graduated from the Cal Poly Ag Dept. I know one of the owners personally and I often can't eat any other meat but theirs.

[La Limena]

I am not sure exactly how they raise the meat or anything, but there is local meat (beef and pork) available at Cal Poly Pomona (in Pomona). They have a farm store which I have visited for produce and they also have a nursery for plants. I used to live in Diamond Bar which is right next door and my sister is an alum. The students there study meat science and raise cows and pigs and their meat is available for purchase. I suppose you could call/email/or tour the facility to determine if you find their practices/standards acceptable. http://www.csupomona.edu/~farmstore/ Click on the meat link.

[sparklett]

I was in the animal science program at Cal Poly about 10 years ago. We did use antibiotics at the time, but I'm not sure if they still do that.

[tifpaul]

There's a new store in La Jolla that I have read about in the magazine, Edible San Diego, called . . . Homegrown Meats. I'm sure it's pricy, however. Maybe not $20 per pound for ground beef though!

You might want to look for the magazine too, because I think their summer or fall issue profiled Homegrown Meats and talked about their suppliers too.

http://www.homegrownmeats.com/about_us.html