Local Farm to Buy Meat

We use Wallace Farms. They have excellent tasting meat and very high standards. We have had no problems with any of the meat we have bought there, as far as taste or quality. There is no CSA to join or fees, they sell frozen meat at drop-off locations in the area (you order ahead of time and bring a check) on Saturdays, and they just built a warehouse in Naperville so they will have more routine pick-ups.

There is a little store at Heritage Prairie Market just outside of Aurora that sells some select meats in their freezer from surrounding farms. They usually have pork ribs, some lamb, etc. (We love their honey and will sometimes pick up a little meat when we are in for that.)

There are several more options in the area that are CSAs, like MooGrass Farms, which also sells raw pastured milk and butter. I have not used them myself, so not sure about price comparison/quality.

Try www.eatwild.com for more information on local farms, and
the middle column of the page here:
http://www.foundationforrealnutrition.org/

M.
(My food blog: www.chickiepea.wordpress.com)

I recommend blackangusdirect.com. It is a farm in Sycamore. They also go to many farmers markets. Most farmers markets have a meat farmer come at least a couple times a month. Geneva has a Green Market on Thursdays and 2 different farmers come there with meat. No matter what it is more expensive but if you can swing it, it's definitely worth it.

Good Luck!

Burgin Farms is great and you don't have to do a CSA! Just buy what you want for that day or week! Love that!! But on Saturdays, he's at Heritage Prairie Farms in Elburn. It's an organic farm with a farmers market on Saturdays! It's from 9-1 I think. There are other healthy and organic items there too. The little store is cute and country like with fresh organic veggies, there is sometimes an organic dog bone maker, yogurt maker, even organic olive oil and great balsamic in so many delicious flavors I lost count! Regular stop for me!

You may want to check this out: http://www.farmfreshfoodstuffs.com/

It's probably about the same $$ as Whole Foods, but if you call the owners & ask about bulk pricing, they may give a discount.

When it comes to meat, Whole Foods is not much more expensive than anyplace else such as Trader Joe's. There is a meat CSA, called Walnut Acres Family Farm. You buy a share and then they have a drop off in Naperville where you pick up your meat - I think it's once a month. Although they do let their meat range, and it is hormone and antibiotic free, they feed them a small amount of corn and the corn is NOT organic. (I sent them an e-mail and asked). I want organic meat, but just hormone and antibiotic free. That's a good start, but if it's not organic, your chicken or cows could be eating food laden with pesticides or GMO corn. I eat organic chicken, organic sausage and hot dogs, wild caught fish and grass-fed, free range beef. I priced out Walnut Acres and they are slightly cheaper, but I'd rather have organic - that's the most important to me.

I decided when I went fully organic that I would just eat less meat since it is so expensive. So far, it's worked. I'm also doing the Green Earth Institute CSA for veggies in Naperville.

Epiphany Farms Enterprise Inc. (EFE) is a freshly new, “Farm to Fork Concept,” that practices sustainable, beyond organic, environmentally friendly techniques.
Location:
23676 800N Rd.
Downs, IL, 61736
Phone:
###-###-####
http://www.epiphanyfarms.com
http://epiphanyfarmsenterprise.blogspot.com

I plan on ordering my meat from this place next time I need it (I still have a lot from last time I got a 1/4 cow from a different farm). My friend ordered from them and was thrilled with the quality.

I am a volunteer at the Sugar Grove farmers market and we have a local farmer who sells meat. It is Burgin Farms from Maple Park. He has beef, pork, chicken and ground turkey. Also, bacon, eggs, hot dogs, ground beef, and bratwurst. His meat is great and he has a very large following. The market is on Saturday, from 8 a.m. til noon and is held at the Sugar Grove Village Hall on Route 30 and Municipal Drive. There is also great local produce, an additional fresh egg vendor and other great vendors. you can also check out the market on facebook.

I have always bought meat by the half a cow and whole hog for the year. We get ours from an organic farm in Eureka, IL and it's wonderful. The prices are very reasonable and you are only driving down there about once a year...there are 3 of us. They also have chickens and eggs. You pick up the meat from the butcher...cut and packaged the way you want it...deep frozen. It will make it for the drive back up here no problem. We have a 25 cubic chest freezer and it's big enough with some extra room every year. Great for sales. Let me know if you want to look into this. It's cheaper than chicagoland as I looked into all the prices of going this route as well and saving on gas. Oh, and by the way, the taste is amazing! You can even get the organic curing for the ham and italian sausage which I guess it takes time and is hard to get that certification for the butcher too.

H.