Bread & Butter Guide
No, Really, Where Can We Find the Beef? A lean guide to local meat BY EMMA MCCLATCHEY
Y
ou don’t have to give up your favorite fleshy entrees in order to eat ethically—but it won’t be as easy as swinging by Walmart for a $6 pound of ground beef, either. Cutting out the middlemen in the food supply chain takes some legwork on the part of farmers and consumers, but has numerous potential environmental, economic and health benefits. Step one is knowing who and where your local producers are and arranging a meat-cute. Browse this list of tips, farms and CSAs (short for Community Supported Agriculture, a way of pre-ordering produce directly from producers), and meat shops as a starter pack to a guilt-free meat diet in eastern Iowa.
Avoid waste. Food waste represents around 8 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. The single best way to reduce your carbon footprint—not to mention save money—is to eat the food you buy. Track your meat intake, save up for a bigger freezer, host an impromptu dinner party, donate food—whatever keeps it
out of the landfill.
TIPS
FARMS
Hit the farmers market or take a drive. Meet
These farmers have easy-to-navigate websites
your meat farmer where they’re at. Most
for folks new to buying meat direct from the
welcome visitors to the farm, and are happy
farm. For a much more exhaustive directory of
to explain their practices and prices. Build a
Iowa farms, visit practicalfarmers.org
relationship with the person who raised your Thanksgiving turkey.
Crooked Gap Farm (Knoxville) crookedgapfarm.wordpress.com
Top: Cattle at Erinn Spevacek’s farm in northeast Iowa City. Above: Jamie Bierman of Twisted Oaks Meats wears a shirt that reads “grass fed.” Zoe Pharo / Little Village
Freeze! Buying in bulk or joining a meat CSA
Farmers: Ethan and Rebecca Book
can save you money and shopping trips, but
The meat: Woodlot-pastured pork, grass-fed
only if you eat what you buy. Label and store
beef and lamb, rabbit, poultry
your meat properly, and consider investing in a
Offers a customizable “you choose” meat CSA.
deep freezer.
Delivers to Knoxville and Des Moines
Ask restaurants where they get their meat,
Heartland Fresh Family Farm (South
Farmers: Wendy Johnson and Johnny Rafkin
especially those that claim to be farm-to-table.
Donnellson)
The meat: pastured chicken, organic-raised
You may feel like a Portlandia hipster, but it can
heartlandfreshfamilyfarm.com
pork, grass-fed lamb
encourage transparency on the part of local
Farmers: Leslie and Mark Hulsebus
Offers a meat and eggs CSA, with monthly pick-
businesses and let them know customers care
The meat: Pastured beef, free-range poultry
up at the farm
about their suppliers.
Delivers across Iowa and the Midwest
Don’t be afraid to try something new. If a seller
Humble Hands Harvest (Decorah)
midwestbestbeef.com
you trust recommends a cut or product not on
humblehandsharvest.com
Farmers: David and Annette Hill
your list, consider expanding your palate. Ask
Farmers: Hannah Breckbill, Emily Fagan and
The meat: Grass-fed and grain-finished Angus
questions, search out new recipes and offer
Emily Spangler
beef, pasture-raised Berkshire pork
feedback. Who knows? Venison, beef tongue or
The meat: Pastured pork, grass-fed certified
Offers a monthly, customizable beef CSA for
ground ostrich (all lean!) may become your new
organic lamb
pick-up in Dubuque, Cedar Rapids and Iowa City.
craving.
Offers a vegetable CSA with meat add-on
Available at the Iowa City and Dubuque farmers
Available at the Decorah Farmers Market.
markets
Jóia Food Farm (Charles City) Joiafoodfarm.com
Midwest Best Beef (Holy Cross)
34 October 2021 LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LV299
