Discussions

What do people look for when buying local meat?  
 
Is price more important than quality? or how it was raised? Do you want to go and see the animals & how they are raised? Or do you trust the seller?  
 
Do you expect to pay the same price as the grocery store sales? Of course it's not the same quality.  
 
Is Organic important to you? Or is being raised ethically, humanely and naturally enough?

I can't honestly tell you what most meat costs in a grocery store. In saying that, price is important to me. I don't usually compare with grocery stores, usually compare to what I paid last time. I buy whole chickens from the Hutterites, have 1 or 2 farmers I buy half or whole pigs from, and we have our own beef. Also, where the meat is processed is huge to me. I had meat done at one place, and it was by fair the worst meat I have ever gotten. There are now only 2 places I will use to process meat. Organic is not important to me, I guess I assume most livestock farmers are like us, our animals are treated well, are given antibiotics only when needed, and are fed what we feel is quality food. Obviously because of where I buy chickens I don't need free range, I pay a good price and the bird tastes great.  
At the end of the day, I want my meat to taste good and I want to pay a fair price for it. However each person has a different definition of fair price.

For the most part anything farm fresh will taste amazing compared to store bought. For us we can’t afford high priced meat as it’s not in our budget but I sure wish we could. I would love to afford organic but it would be too much

As a meat producer I realize there are many variables for the consumer to consider, as mentioned above there is the type and finish you want on your meat, and one thing I consider important has to do with the processing of the carcass. I believe that local processors understand proper aging of beef, and is important in getting the best of the beef you buy.  
When I look at beef prices in the store I'm just floored by the prices, I believe that beef can be affordable to people, but it involves people being able to work with other people are wanting to get beef at a more reasonable cost. I know that even a quarter of beef has a big price tag on it, when a quarter or half is cut and wrapped you will have a certain number of cuts that can be divided equally, and the total price can also be divided equally.  
Check with local meat shops, they should be able to answer most of your questions.  
 
Edited by don brown, 2017-10-17 08:42:18

We buy all our meat at Henry's up on the 270. It's AMAZING meat!  
 
We have two reasons:  
 
support local  
the flavour is second to none  
 
We once had to buy at the grocery store because we were after Henry's hours. It was TERRIBLE meat, full of fat, gristle and flavourless.  
 
#neveragain

is this Henry fellow, and how do we get in touch with him?

Nimmie said "is this Henry fellow, and how do we get in touch with him? "

https://www.yellowpages.ca/bus/Manitoba/Brandon/Henry-Meats/3307468.html  
 
I see he has a facebook page - Henry Meats Home and Henry Meats - Butcher Shop

When all your meat was local? When EVERY town had a butcher shop?

MrDobalina said "When all your meat was local? When EVERY town had a butcher shop? "

we still go to Oak River Quick Freeze for our meat.

Just my opinion, I still believe that if a person wants local beef we have numerous places to purchase it. There still are a few producers that fatten cattle who will sell an animal for processing, and if one looks around you can find grass fed, organic or grain fed animals, and most of this beef is no hormone beef. The problem for meat shops or butcher shops is that they must be able to move the complete animal to consumers because all meats have a shelf life, even if frozen. There still are abbitiores around this southwest corner of the province, that carry out processing an animal to your specifications, and there are local meat shops or butcher shops that do sell individual cuts of local meat.  
As for taste an texture of meat, that is a personal preference, and everone in the industry does strive to produce the best consumer product.

I second the meat at Henry Meats. Excellent quality, good prices and a nice variety.

Are the animals used at Henry’s meat humanely raised and processed.? Thanks