Why You Should Be Buying Meat Directly from Local Farmers

Most people probably think of farmers’ markets when they want to buy the freshest, best tasting fruits and veggies, but farmers’ markets can also be an excellent place to find the freshest, best tasting meat and poultry as well. There are many compelling reasons to buy meat directly from local farmers, including:

1. Ensuring that what you are buying is actually a product of the USA.

Did you know that meat at the grocery store with a “Product of USA” sticker may come from livestock raised in other countries? Under the current law, “Product of USA” labels can be used on any products that were processed in the United States, but this does not mean that the animals had to be grown here. Mandatory country of origin labeling for meat was also repealed in 2016 to placate foreign interests. Due to pressure from organizations like the American Grassfed Association, the USDA has now moved to restrict the use of “Product of USA” label to products from native animals only, but this will not go into effect until 2026. (For more on this issue, see this post on the National Ag Law Center website.) When you buy from a local farmer, you know exactly where the animals are being raised, and you don’t have to question misleading labels.

2. Paying the farmer, instead of corporate shareholders.

Farmers and ranchers only receive about 14.3 cents for every dollar that Americans spend on food. Where does the majority of the money go? Marketing, processing, wholesaling, distribution, and retailing account for about 80 cents out of every dollar. Most of these functions are performed by large corporations, including those known as “the big four”. The American meatpacking industry is dominated by just four multinational corporations: Tyson, Cargill, JBS, and National Beef, two of which are entirely foreign owned. When you buy from a local farmer, you are using your food dollars to take some power back from these oligarchs and restore it to the farmer.

3. Getting all of your questions answered.

What sort of diet were the animals fed? Did they have access to pasture? Were antibiotics administered to the animals? Has a color stabilizer been added to the meat? All of these are very good questions, and there is no one better to answer them than the farmer that was responsible for caring for the livestock throughout their lives and saw them through the butchering process. When you buy from a local farmer, it’s much easier to do your part as an informed consumer and support those who share your values.

4. Keeping your money in the local economy.

Money spent with local farmers tends to stay in the local economy, as farmers source their inputs from businesses in their communities. Rural economies have been struggling in recent decades, as large farms have eliminated suppliers in favor of vertical integration. We know that it can seem like it’s a lot more expensive to buy meat directly from farmers, but keep in mind that small and medium farmers do not have the same purchasing power as the corporations that control our food system, and therefore pay a higher price for the feed, etc. used to produce the meat. When you buy from a local farmer, you support an entire network of local businesses and families.

5. Reducing the number of miles that your food travels.

On average, food in the United States travels about 1,500 miles before it reaches the person who consumes it. All of this transportation generates a lot of carbon dioxide, which is harmful to the environment. When you buy from a local farmer, you can reduce the carbon footprint of your food by as much as 17%, and you can also support farmers that utilize sustainable practices to help sequester carbon from the atmosphere.

Do you need help locating a local farmer to buy meat or poultry from? The Adirondack Harvest map is a great resource if you are in our region! For folks a little further away, the USDA Local Food Directories and the American Farmland Trust website are good places to start. Do you think that you can’t afford to buy meat and poultry locally? Read one of our other blog posts, How to Eat Locally on a Budget, for some ideas to make local food more affordable.