Yesterday was my first experience cooking my own local, free-range chicken. Oh, I’ve had them before, that’s why I have them now. What an experience. Freshly butchered, this bird was tender and full of flavor.  And, as luck has it, we have 9 more sitting in our freezer w/ the opportunity for more.We add the chickens to our stock of local  North Idaho ground beef, yak meat, turkeys, and our own butchered pig, along with fresh eggs we pick up weekly from the family of one of my daughters classmates.  

What a peace of mind to have this meat available daily to us. The biggie for most people is that we are paying less than store price. The biggie for me is that it comes from our community. Meaning, I know where it comes from and I know who I am supporting. If I want to know exactly what the animals were fed, I ask.  I know that we are not eating tainted meat and that we are doing our share in trying in minimizing fuel costs  in shipping food.

And, honestly folks, just ask anyone who partakes in locally grown meats and dairy… the food just tastes better. Don’t take my word for it. There are many opportunities in any community. Through farmers markets, local butchers, family farms. A great way to find these farms and ranches is to look on the internet. Many belong to organizations. Some, however, you may not find like our chickens we get from a rural Mennonite Community up the Montana Yak. That was word of mouth. But they are out there, trust me!!

We started slow. Just like putting together our little farm. Some came through word of mouth, some the farmers market, others I found online. But all of them are local. I hope that eventually we will raise and butcher most of the meats. If not, I’m happy to keep doing as we are and finding new opportunities. Happy Eating!!

Below I’ve added some links to help you get started. These sites are pretty comprehensive and will get you on the right track. Many of your own states have their own cooperatives and organizations.  It’s real simple, if you made your way here, you’ll find what you’re looking for! 

Eat Wild http://www.eatwild.com/products/idex.html  — A comprehensive source for grass-fed meat, eggs and poultry, and dairy products in the United States and Canada.

Local Harvest http://www.localharvest.com — A comprehensive site for finding local farms nationwide, farmers markets, and members of CSA or Community Supported Agriculture subscriptions.

International Yak Association http://www.iyak.org — Yak members nationally (ranches), yak information, recipes, for sale.

Local Amish Farms http://www.localamishfarms.com — LocalAmishFarms.com offers information about locally grown, locally raised, locally made items available for you and your family in the Southeastern PA area.