[TheKingdom2000]

My parents are looking for a local butcher that supplies grass fed, antibiotic free, hormone restricted meats.

They live in South Vancouver, so somewhere close to there would be ideal, but they would be willing to travel somewhere else if it's reasonable. They also work on no3 in Richmond.

Thanks.

EDIT: As long as the butcher has hormone free and antibiotic free meats/poultry that will do. Sorry for the confusion.
Famous foods and Windsor Quality Meats are the top, simply due to proximity, Thanks!!

[godwin]

I dont think you will find beef that is totally grass fed. They still need corn to bulk up one stage or the other.

What you want won't be cheap be expect to pay at least 2x what XL foods (eg Superstore / Thrifty's etc) prices.
Try:
Hopcott in Maple Ridge
Wheelhouse on Hastings
Armando's on Granville Island

[2 n r]

I don't remember the details but there's a website that you can order grass fed beef from and it's local. I'll see if I can find it again and will post it later if I do or u can try googling it
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[westopher]

They have totally grass fed beef at windsor meats. Canadian farms use corn very rarely compared to our southern counterparts. Try the potato fed P.E.I. beef for a special occasion. Its pricey, but amazing. Never go to granville island for beef unless you are rich. The product is great at jacksons and armandos down there, but you pay 1.5-1.75 times more than somewhere else that has the same product. Windsor has been the best I've found so far for quality/price balance, but their selection isn't quite as big as some others around. Its on king ed and main, so it might be a small trek, but its worth it.

[murd0c]

Hopcott is one of the best around if you can venture out that far. They will cut the meat right infront of you if they don't have it out. Mad Butcher in Abbotsford is great as well.

[godwin]

Another option is Australian beef (which are grass type fed since they don't have corn or much grain in Aussieland).. those can be had at Stong's on Dunbar.

[godwin]

Problem with Hopcott is OP wants 100% grass fed.. Hopcott (and most producers in all honesty) use grain one form / stage. All producers only tell how the cows are finished (ie last series of meals while they are bulked up) are grass or grain/corn. Grass means they are grazed, grain means they are feedlot cows (akin to battery hens)... and some in between: grass / grain silage.

Hopcott is one of the best around if you can venture out that far. They will cut the meat right infront of you if they don't have it out. Mad Butcher in Abbotsford is great as well.

[godwin]

Windsor's meat is fed with grass and barley.. last I check, barley is a grain not a grass too.

They have totally grass fed beef at windsor meats. Canadian farms use corn very rarely compared to our southern counterparts. Try the potato fed P.E.I. beef for a special occasion. Its pricey, but amazing. Never go to granville island for beef unless you are rich. The product is great at jacksons and armandos down there, but you pay 1.5-1.75 times more than somewhere else that has the same product. Windsor has been the best I've found so far for quality/price balance, but their selection isn't quite as big as some others around. Its on king ed and main, so it might be a small trek, but its worth it.

[westopher]

I guess I'm wrong. I didn't know that, although last I checked barley isn't corn. Do you know of any places locally that are transparent about what the beef is actually fed? That practice seems fairly misleading. Apparently according to a quick google a place called "The Butcher" in point grey has what the OP is looking for.

[Sushi604]

I dont think you will find beef that is totally grass fed. They still need corn to bulk up one stage or the other.

What you want won't be cheap be expect to pay at least 2x what XL foods (eg Superstore / Thrifty's etc) prices.
Try:
Hopcott in Maple Ridge
Wheelhouse on Hastings
Armando's on Granville Island

Famous Foods is my go to place for grass fed or organic beef.

I disagree, PEI grassfed beef is done with potatoes. No corn there.

[godwin]

No but Barley is still a grain not grass. which OP wants.

Canada's cold winters just dont get grass growing in the winter. Since hay is less nutritious than grass, farmers need to bulk up the animals with some type of grain in the winter, in the end they have 18 months to slaughter. I think the farmer moved away from corn because of the price fluctuations since 2000 more than the touchy feely bits.

IF you want grass fed, you really have to find a place that can sustain herd foraging all year round.. Canada is just not it. Try Brazil and Australia.

It is not misleading, the weather just don't allow it. It is just like saying you are having tomatos available in BC in the winter, you won't think they are non greenhouse would you?

I guess I'm wrong. I didn't know that, although last I checked barley isn't corn. Do you know of any places locally that are transparent about what the beef is actually fed? That practice seems fairly misleading.

[godwin]

The OP wants grass fed (which barley, corn and potato are not part of the that family). Go ask Famous foods, and ask if any time their beef has been fed grain (not only corn)..Tell them you know the what grass finished means, the answer will be a yes, they were fed grains. Grass fed means grass finished. NOT NECESSARILY 100% GRASS FROM BIRTH!!

Cows ruminates.. Potatoes are not such a great plant for ruminating! Just because they are fed potatoes, doesn't mean they don't have grass!

The organic label is worse than synthetic for motor oils. It is based on the principle that how the animal tastes like depends on its meals near death.. eg bears who eat berries will produce meat that has a berry taste. To be organic beef, the cows just need to live on a certified organic farm and be given a choice to go outside if they want to... If it is -20C outside and it is a heated barn, do you really think a herd will go out to forage? Even organic beef can be grass finished or grain finished.

Famous Foods is my go to place for grass fed or organic beef.

I disagree, PEI grassfed beef is done with potatoes. No corn there.

[Sushi604]

True... but unless I'm mistaken, the OP's probably trying to convert to a paleo diet and wants to ensure that the beef they buy is not grain fed.

mx703, are your parents trying to go all out paleo?

[finbar]

Jackson's (http://www.google.ca/#output=search&sclient=psy-ab&q=jackson%27s+meats&oq=jacksons+me&gs_l=hp.1.0.0i10j0j0i10j0.2231.14277.0.16401.11.10 .0.1.1.0.132.860.7j3.10.0...0.0...1c.1.11.psy-ab.0TlZL0GbbOc&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.45921128,d.cGE&fp=37a5351a9af0cab3&biw=1255&bih=664)

[godwin]

If it is for paleo diet. I think venison from NZ is probably the safest meat that is not grain fed from birth till butcher.

North America grazing animals (not just sheep but cows etc) have a significant risk of brain wasting disease from the wild deer and elk population.. NZ and Australia are two countries that didn't have that introduced to their herd populations or in the wild.

Trimpac will carry that at a decent price.

True... but unless I'm mistaken, the OP's probably trying to convert to a paleo diet and wants to ensure that the beef they buy is not grain fed.

mx703, are your parents trying to go all out paleo?

[MindBomber]

No but Barley is still a grain not grass. which OP wants.

Canada's cold winters just dont get grass growing in the winter. Since hay is less nutritious than grass, farmers need to bulk up the animals with some type of grain in the winter, in the end they have 18 months to slaughter. I think the farmer moved away from corn because of the price fluctuations since 2000 more than the touchy feely bits.

IF you want grass fed, you really have to find a place that can sustain herd foraging all year round.. Canada is just not it. Try Brazil and Australia.

It is not misleading, the weather just don't allow it. It is just like saying you are having tomatos available in BC in the winter, you won't think they are non greenhouse would you?

It's totally possible to sustain a herd on forage year round, I know a number of ranchers in the Cariboo and Chilcotin who do.

Windsor's meat is fed with grass and barley.. last I check, barley is a grain not a grass too.

barley hay is a grass.

[meowjinboo]

i dont know about grassfed but the meat manager at costco sold me on hormone and antibiotic free beef. paid 70 dollars for about 7-8 steaks.

[Vansterdam]

+1 for windsors

[Special K]

What are the benefits of grass fed cows vs. corn or grain fed?

Taste? Health? Environment? Cow's feelings?

Sorry if I sound ignorant.
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[tiger_handheld]

word at work has been

JD Farms - http://www.jdfarms.ca/
Heritage Meats - http://www.heritagemeatsgourmet.com/

I think they are in Langley/Cloverdale

[radioman]

Famous Foods +1

I have hook ups :fullofwin:

[Soundy]

Problem with Hopcott is OP wants 100% grass fed..
So far OP hasn't responded to confirm that...

If that's not the case, +1 for Hopcott's (http://www.hopcottmeats.ca/)- they're just a few minutes from me, go there all the time. Whatever they're feeding their cows, it makes for some taaaaaaaaaasssssty eatin'!

[godwin]

JD is a turkey farm.. they don't have beef, unless they have been keeping cows along with turkeys in the barn at their back lot!

word at work has been

JD Farms - JD Farms Specialty Turkey Store and Bistro (http://www.jdfarms.ca/)
Heritage Meats - Heritage Meats Gourmet - Home (http://www.heritagemeatsgourmet.com/)

I think they are in Langley/Cloverdale

[godwin]

Just taste and I would even argue you probably can't get statistical significance in a double blind taste test. Genetically they are the same, you can't tell grass, grain or corn fed by sending a sample for sequencing..

Basically it is time vs cost thing. corn / grain can bulk up cattle so they can be sold to market ASAP, as the food have higher nutritional content. Nearly all commercial cow lots sell them at 18 months. Ranchers have standing contracts with suppliers to supply x number of cows at y number of weight minimum and by z date; they get an advance for that.

When the oil crisis hit after 2003, there is the demand for corn for e85. Corn became expensive from the mid west, so people switch to grain... the last few years there had been drought, so grain became expensive too.

Now the whole paleo diet thing is people want to have meals as close to caveman as possible, since cavemen were not agrarian.. people on paleo diet, want beef that don't have grain in it (which is ironic if you think about it, since the beef cattle as we have, didn't exist back in those days either).

My contention is unless you raise your own cow, getting cow from any mass market method cannot guarantee it has not been grain fed at any point in the cattle's life. "Fed" only covers the last few months of finishing before slaughter. Unlike Aussie beef which is tracked by RFID and you can pull the file on each and every cattle sold and fed; Conservatives like the Republicans like small gov; they didn't want the animal tracking law.. well besides the fact that vCJD will be traced to the source and since Ab is the conservative strong hold, we all know it is wrong to bite the hand that feeds you.

What are the benefits of grass fed cows vs. corn or grain fed?



Sorry if I sound ignorant.
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[unit]

might not be what OP is looking for but my fav butcher is seafair gourmet meats in richmond.
they are a full service butcher and you always feel comfortable askign them to do things for you, such as cutting bones, grinding meat, or specially ordering stuff.

i dont recall them having grass fed beef but they do have hormone free chicken and some other things. as well as a good freezer section with less common stuff that for the most part is made in house.

[TheKingdom2000]

True... but unless I'm mistaken, the OP's probably trying to convert to a paleo diet and wants to ensure that the beef they buy is not grain fed.

mx703, are your parents trying to go all out paleo?

Hey guys, sorry I made this thread before exams and exams hit and I honestly totally forgot about this thread until my dad just reminded me that I was supposed to find him a butcher.

Anyway, they aren't going paleo. I don't even know what that is.
He read about butchers being around the same price as the big box stores and that they would have hormone and antibiotic free meats/poultry. So he wanted to see if that was a viable option since hormone and antibiotic free meats should be safer in the long run. It doesn't have to be 100% grass fed. I think he is more concerned about the hormones and antibiotics.

And thanks for the responses!!

[Nechako87]

Maybe try and find someone who raises cattle? I have a connection in Calgary and get 100% grass-fed, hormone free Alberta AAA (albeit un-inspected as I get it straight from the farm) beef. I purchase in quarter, half, or whole cow (usually end up splitting it with a few others).

[TheKingdom2000]

Maybe try and find someone who raises cattle? I have a connection in Calgary and get 100% grass-fed, hormone free Alberta AAA (albeit un-inspected as I get it straight from the farm) beef. I purchase in quarter, half, or whole cow (usually end up splitting it with a few others).

Sorry if this is a stupid question or not, but is that legal? And how much does it usually cost?

[MindBomber]

Sorry if this is a stupid question or not, but is that legal? And how much does it usually cost?

No, not really. Animals should be slaughtered/butchered in inspected facilities.

Personally, I wouldn't worry. I have a number of friends and family members who purchase animals at livestock auctions, and proceed to slaughter/butcher them themselves at home. It's totally possible to purchase inspected meat straight from the farm too, though. The price hovers around $4.50/5.50/lb, depending on cut, and so on. Check the Craigslist Farm & Garden section (it's not as strange as it sounds).

Here's a few examples.
Inspected:
Free Range Beef (http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/van/grd/3753997920.html)
Local Farm Raised Pork & Beef (http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/rds/grd/3826122096.html)
Grass fed beef (http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/van/grd/3812607026.html)
Beef, Goat, Pork (http://abbotsford.en.craigslist.ca/grd/3819454972.html)
Uninspected:
Local Grass Fed Beef (http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/van/grd/3810210806.html)
Reserve Your Veal Tender Organic Beef NOW!! (http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/rds/grd/3793862095.html)
Beef (http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/pml/grd/3805963786.html)
Freezer Beef Naturally raised (http://abbotsford.en.craigslist.ca/grd/3709620814.html)

[sh0n]

No, not really. Animals should be slaughtered/butchered in inspected facilities.

Personally, I wouldn't worry. I have a number of friends and family members who purchase animals at livestock auctions, and proceed to slaughter/butcher them themselves at home. It's totally possible to purchase inspected meat straight from the farm too, though. The price hovers around $4.50/5.50/lb, depending on cut, and so on. Check the Craigslist Farm & Garden section (it's not as strange as it sounds).

Here's a few examples.
Inspected:
Free Range Beef (http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/van/grd/3753997920.html)
Local Farm Raised Pork & Beef (http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/rds/grd/3826122096.html)
Grass fed beef (http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/van/grd/3812607026.html)
Beef, Goat, Pork (http://abbotsford.en.craigslist.ca/grd/3819454972.html)
Uninspected:
Local Grass Fed Beef (http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/van/grd/3810210806.html)
Reserve Your Veal Tender Organic Beef NOW!! (http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/rds/grd/3793862095.html)
Beef (http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/pml/grd/3805963786.html)
Freezer Beef Naturally raised (http://abbotsford.en.craigslist.ca/grd/3709620814.html)

Has anyone tried this to order quarter, half.

Any recommendation to reputable farms?

[MindBomber]

Has anyone tried this to order quarter, half.

Any recommendation to reputable farms?

Quite honestly, seeking recommendations is a difficult way to approach this.

You see, these aren't commercial beef producers so they have small customer bases. These farms are simply small acreages allowing cattle to graze as a small additional income source, and to qualify for tax exemptions, and somewhat as a hobby. In Langley and Abbotsford the lands carrying capacity is around 1-1.5/acre, 2/acre in a pasture with great drainage and additional forage, so you'll rarely see someone raising above 10 cows. That should work out to an average of 20-30-40 customers, total. The odds an RS'er is a customer of any farm is pretty slim, I would think.

You're buying from the farmer, though, so you'll be able to meet the person raising the cow, see the pasture conditions, see the cows they're currently raising, and in my humble opinion, that goes well beyond any recommendation to a typical butcher shop, so you're coming out well ahead even if you don't have a recommendation to a specific farm.

[Nechako87]

Sorry if this is a stupid question or not, but is that legal? And how much does it usually cost?

The farm that I get my meat of has all their meat inspected. I choose not to get it inspected because:

a) This is not a commercial sale
b) There is not really any harm, the other half of the cow is inspected (as it is sold commercially), and there are no issues.

I get cheap AAA meat, and have zero issues about its sources. Medium rare burgers are delicious!

[Nechako87]

You're buying from the farmer, though, so you'll be able to meet the person raising the cow, see the pasture conditions, see the cows they're currently raising, and in my humble opinion, that goes well beyond any recommendation to a typical butcher shop, so you're coming out well ahead even if you don't have a recommendation to a specific farm.

If I wanted to, I could pick the cow I consume. Doesn't help that they name each cow that gets processed....

Sorta reminds me of this: (can't find it in english)

Die Simpsons im Schlachthaus - YouTube

[godwin]

For those who don't want to go directly to a farm (or CL or want to go to a store) try Blue Goose they are in NV Blue Goose Pure Foods (http://www.bluegoosepurefoods.com/)

But do watch out.. Beef prices just hit historic highs. If you want to make bulk purchases might want to wait till fall.