Where do I best find local farmed, relatively humane sources of meat in Los Angeles?

November 18, 2005 11:27 AM

Where do I best find local farmed, relatively humane sources of meat in Los Angeles?

I'm considering adding meat to my diet, but I'd like to avoid factory farming. While I can see labels such as "free-range" in most markets, some research seems to indicate that this means basically nothing (the actual requirement, as far as I can tell, is that the farm open the door to the outside for a nonspecified amount of time, and if no animals choose to go outside, then so be it. Apparently many farms use this definition to increase their prices without really changing much)

Where can I get me a turkey this thanksgiving that was coddled in the arms of children and fairies, sprinkled with pixie dust in fields of blue flowers, lulled to sleep by a magical string quartet every night, and hopefully not had its beak cut off with a hot razor so that it doesnt eat other turkeys?

posted by anonymoose to food & drink (3 comments total)

I tend to shop by brand name for these things, because you're right -- terms like "organic" and "free range" can get confusing.

I had a Diestel turkey last year and have one on order for this year, because it was wonderful last year. Their site has a list of local merchants, including a lot of Whole Foods.

In general: Niman Ranch is good for pork and beef. Pretty much anything you buy at Whole Foods will be checked for both organic and humane practices (at least in my experience).
posted by occhiblu at 11:31 AM on November 18, 2005

There are a couple of good poultry vendors at Farmers Market -- that might be a good place to start. (And speaking of Farmers Market, if you want to eventually add red meat back into your diet too, I definitely recommend Huntington Meats there as well.)
posted by scody at 11:34 AM on November 18, 2005

No matter where you live in the US, the answer to the question "Where do I best find local farmed, relatively humane sources of meat [or vegetables]?" can almost certainly be found at LocalHarvest.org.

You'll have a hard time finding turkeys now though, as most farms pre-sell and sell out a month or more in advance.
posted by ewagoner at 11:57 AM on November 18, 2005