About My Quest

Happy pigs in mud, cows in clover. This is the way we like to think of farm animals. Unfortunately this is most often not the case. My love of animals and conviction that eating meat is part of the ideal healthy human diet has led me to seek out meat that is:

Humanely raised and treated
Free range
Grass fed
Hormone and Antibiotic free
Pesticide free
Affordable

Although certified organic food is wonderful because you are assured that the producers strictly satisfy the above criteria the cost of these products is generally very high and not affordable for everyone.
'Organic' is a ridiculous term because it simply means that it consists of natural elements. Many food producers are predominantly 'organic' by the definition set out by reputable certifiers however for a range of reasons they do not bother with the expense of becoming certified.
Many farmers produce food that fits the list above and I plan to find them. I encourage you to band together with friends, family and colleagues to buy in bulk direct from these farmers.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Two more beef farm visits


After nine hours of driving today I have two more farms to add to my list of recommended CICO suppliers. I must remember that country people wave at you when driving. I felt like such a city slicker when my initial reaction was that something was wrong and I felt rude that I missed my opportunity to wave back.

ALEX & CHRISTINE'S FARM
First stop Alex and Christine's farm in Alberton West. Christine cooked an amazing lunch but I assure you that this has not clouded my judgement. Alex and Christine have 5 children and at last count 16 grand children so it is in their best interests to produce healthy natural meat for the family.

See the happy and content cows in my pictures here.

Alex and Christine satisfy the all of the CICO criteria. They hand pull weeds from their property and are very proud of eliminating the thistle infestation that they inherited when they bought the farm. The cows are fat and healthy and like all the CICO cows are grass fed.

To purchase meat from Alex and Christine please call Alex on 0431 158 638. They will have a webpage shortly. They will only sell half and whole sides presently but they can do this for a good price and can customise your order to suit the number of people sharing the pack or make steaks to your required thickness.

FAMILY FARMED MEATS
The next farm is Family Farmed Meats in Fulham near Sale. Belinda's family have been on their land for 5 generations. They are particularly passionate about natural chemical free meat production because they sadly lost their father to cancer recently.

Belinda is obviously knowledgeable about cattle and feeds only grass, hay and controlled lucerne. She has a business savvy and has taken the family business to new heights with a great website, publicising the fact that the meat is free range, grass fed and chemical free and supplying meat directly to public through delivery and farmer's markets.

You can visit the website www.familyfarmedmeats.com for information on ordering and farmer's markets. Belinda is looking to expand to lamb and also does pre-cooked meals. I only have a couple of photos as it was getting late in the day and the light was fading but Belinda has lovely photos on her website for a better idea.

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