Where Can I Buy Grass-Fed Beef? Your Guide to Finding Quality Grass-Finished Meat

Grass-fed beef has become increasingly popular in recent years, and for good reason. Beef from cows raised on pasture provides numerous health and environmental benefits compared to conventional, grain-fed beef. As consciousness around food quality and sustainability grows, more people want access to humanely raised, nutritious meat.

If you’re looking to incorporate grass-fed beef into your diet, you may be wondering where can I buy it? Thankfully, you have several excellent options for purchasing high-quality, 100% grass-finished beef online or in stores near you

What Is Grass-Fed Beef?

Before diving into where to buy it, let’s quickly overview what exactly grass-fed beef is.

Grass-fed beef comes from cows that have spent their entire lives on open pastures, eating grass and other forages. This contrasts with conventional beef production where cows are often confined to crowded feedlots and fed an unnatural grain-based diet to fatten them up quickly.

True grass-fed beef is raised on pasture from birth to harvest. The cattle’s diet consists of grasses, legumes, and other plants they naturally graze on. Grass-fed cows are not given grains, animal byproducts, or other feed additives. They live outdoors with space to roam and exhibit natural behaviors.

Grass-fed beef is always grass-finished beef. This means the cattle eat grass right up until processing time. They are never transitioned to a grain diet.

Benefits of Grass-Fed Beef

Opting for grass-fed over grain-fed beef offers many advantages:

• Nutrition: Grass-fed beef contains higher levels of antioxidants like vitamin E, beta-carotene, and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). It provides a healthier ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids. Grass-fed beef is also higher in some minerals like calcium, magnesium, and potassium.

• Animal Welfare: Cows evolved to live on grasslands. Raising them in feedlots over stressed immune systems and increases illness risk. Grass-feeding allows cattle to graze freely and exhibit natural behaviors.

• Sustainability: Pasture-based systems promote soil health through cow manure distribution and rotating grazing patterns. They eliminate the resource-intensive process of growing grain to feed cattle.

• Taste: The lush, diverse diet cows enjoy on pasture makes for more flavorful beef. Grass-fed meat has a distinctively rich, complex taste.

Where to Buy Grass-Fed Beef

If you want to enjoy the health, ethical, and environmental benefits of grass-fed beef, where should you look to buy it? You have several excellent options for purchasing quality grass-finished meat.

Online Direct From Farms

One of the best ways to source grass-fed beef is to buy directly from a pasture-based farm. Purchasing online and having beef shipped directly to your door is convenient. It also allows you to get to know the producers raising the cattle.

Here are some top grass-fed beef farms that ship nationwide:

• Primal Pastures: This family farm in Southern California has been raising pastured poultry and livestock since 2012. All their animals are certified organic and 100% grass-fed and grass-finished. Primal Pastures offers beef ground, steaks, roasts, organs, bones, and more.

• White Oak Pastures: A multigenerational farm in Bluffton, Georgia, White Oak Pastures practices regenerative grazing using composted manures and on-farm processing. Their cattle are grassfed and grass-finished, never given hormones or antibiotics. They sell individual cuts as well as bulk boxes.

• Beam Family Farm: Operating since 1850, Beam Family Farms in Kansas produces 100% grass-fed and grass-finished beef from Gelbvieh cattle. They offer quarter, half, and whole cow packages as well as bulk ground beef options.

Ordering directly from grass-fed cattle farms gives you access to high-quality beef while supporting smaller-scale, sustainable producers. Make sure to look for third-party verification like American Grassfed Association certification when buying directly.

Butcher Shops and Farmers Markets

Beyond online ordering, visiting local butcher shops and farmers markets is a great way to source grass-fed beef. Search for butcher shops in your area that work with nearby grassfed cattle farms to offer fresh cuts. Farmers markets are also excellent for finding local producers of 100% grass-fed meats.

Purchasing from local suppliers allows you to learn more about how the animals are raised. You can feel good knowing your dollars go back into supporting regional food systems. Grass-fed beef sold locally is also often more affordable since it doesn’t incur added shipping costs.

Natural Grocery Stores

Increasingly, natural and specialty grocery stores are stocking grass-fed beef options. Retailers like Whole Foods, Sprouts, and Earth Fare sell high-end, humanely raised meats. Major chains like Walmart, Costco, and Target have also started offering grass-fed beef due to rising popularity.

When buying grass-fed beef from large grocery stores, be vigilant in checking labels and claims. Terms like “pasture-raised” and “grass-finished” are not legally defined or regulated. Make sure packaging confirms cattle were raised on open pasture their whole lives eating only grass and forages.

It’s also ideal to choose certified grass-fed options, like beef certified by Food Alliance or the American Grassfed Association, when buying from retailers. This ensures purity of standards.

If your regular grocer doesn’t carry verified grass-fed beef, request they do. Increased consumer demand will drive more widespread availability.

Grass-Fed Beef Subscription Boxes

For easy, convenient access to quality grass-fed meats, consider a subscription box service. Companies like ButcherBox and Crowd Cow deliver an assortment of 100% grass-fed beef and other meats to your door on a schedule.

Most boxes let you customize what cuts of beef you receive. Opting for a subscription takes the guesswork out of sourcing ethical proteins each month. It’s an affordable way to buy grass-fed beef in bulk from farms across the U.S.

Key Tips for Purchasing Grass-Fed Beef

When searching where to buy grass-fed beef, keep these tips in mind:

• Confirm the “Grassfed” Claim: Don’t take labeling at face value. Verify beef is 100% grass-fed and grass-finished from birth to harvest.

• Look for Trusted Certifications: American Grassfed, Animal Welfare Approved, and Food Alliance certifications ensure purity of standards.

• Know Your Source: Buying directly from the farm lets you research how cattle are raised. For stores, find out where they source from.

• Check for Antibiotics and Hormones: True grass-fed beef comes from cows never given these growth promoters.

• Consider Bulk Buying: Larger quantities from farms and subscriptions offer savings. Splitting a side of beef with friends is an affordable option.

• Store Properly: Keep grass-fed beef well-wrapped and frozen for max freshness and shelf life.

Enjoy the Benefits of Grass-Fed Beef

Grass-fed beef offers a powerhouse of nutrition, delicious taste, and peace of mind knowing cattle lived happily on pasture. With so many excellent farms shipping beef nationwide, markets selling local meat, and grocers stocking it in their cases, you have ample options for purchasing quality grass-finished meat.

Do your homework to find trustworthy sources of 100% grass-fed beef. Building it into your family’s diet provides amazing health advantages over conventional beef. The deep, complex flavor grass-fed beef delivers also makes meals more satisfying.

By supporting ethical and regenerative cattle ranchers, you vote for a better, more sustainable food system with every purchase. Seek out and enjoy grass-fed beef raised with integrity, and your body and the planet will thank you.