Tips for Buying Grass Fed Meat in Lancaster, MA

In the quest for healthier food, grass fed meat in Lancaster, MA is rapidly gaining attention. This is because there are more studies now than ever before detailing that how food is produced can have a huge impact on the health of the consumer. This is true for meat, fruits, vegetables, and even drinks and spices. However, actually buying the food that you know is best for you can sometimes be a challenge. There are many things to think about such as what the various labels mean on the food, how the farms are ran, and how to get food in your area. With a little bit of research you can learn quite a lot of tips and tricks to use about purchasing food. You can learn more about grass-fed meat by clicking here.

Know Your Labels

Some common labels found on meat products include grass-fed, pastured, grain-finished, and free-range. Each of these sound impressive and each have slightly different meanings. Not all of these terms have a legal definition from the U. S. Department of Agriculture, or USDA. Grass-fed is legally defined as ruminant animals whose diet consists of hay, grass, and forage for their entire lives. A ruminant animal is one that survives on grass. This means that pork cannot be grass-fed because pigs need a more varying diet. Pastured does not have a legal USDA definition, but generally means that the animals are raised outside and given grains or other food items. This label can be found on animals such as chickens and pigs which need more than grass to survive. Grain-finished is a term usually found on meat from larger suppliers who find it more cost effective to slaughter animals in batches. For the last bit of the herd's life, they will be fed grains to help them gain size. Free-range is usually defined for poultry and not for beef, but in general it is used to mean animals have the ability to walk around. Grass-fed and pastured are considered free-range, but not all free-range animals are grass-fed and pastured.

Know Your Farmer

The absolute best way to know that you are getting quality grass fed meat Lancaster MA is to know your farmer and see the farm. This is not always possible, however, so many people find a supplier they trust, such as a local butcher, who knows the farmer. You can do some research into local farms and were they sell their meat online or by asking around. One good place to see what your local options are is to go to a farmers' market and visit with the vendors. This will give you a good chance to get to know the farms in your area, as well as find products that you might not have thought of.

Buying grass fed meat in Lancaster, MA for your family can seem intimidating at first; however, the more you know about how the animals were raised, the easier your task can seem. The first thing that you want to know is the differences between the labels that are often applied to meat and how you can avoid the tricks of the trade when it comes to advertising. The second thing, and arguably the most important, is to know your farmer. If you know the practices of your farmer then it is easier to trust the labels and the meat.

Weston Barnes is a write and an avid reader. When he's not writing about business, marketing, health, pets, or relationships, he's immersed in his latest book.