Locally raised organic meats?? Or even stores that carry grass fed organic meat?? Brandon/Tampa/ area (Sarasota: home, buying) - Tampa Bay - Florida (FL) -Tampa - St. Petersburg - Clearwater - City-Data Forum

sheshopsalot · 08-16-2010, 03:48 PM

Opened my last package of regular ground beef and the smell of ammonia burned my eyes and nose, looked it up and sure enough, ALL regular ground beef has it now..... on top of the pink sludge and they still call it 100% beef ?!?!?

So I am on a mission to feed my family better. Would prefer a local farmer in the Valrico/Brandon area who could supply chicken, beef, pork.

But willing to drive and buy it anywhere in east side of Hillsborough or Polk County.

My last option is to buy it online - the shipping is a killer, especially with our high temps here. I'd have to buy big box of it not to pay for 2nd day air.

FYI, Publix Greenwise brand is NO Antibiotics or growth hormones BUT it is not organic fed and not grass fed.

The Whole Foods store is a long drive from me, almost an hour and their prices may compare to having it shipped from online to my door.

What are other organic meat buyers doing??????

gypsychic · 08-16-2010, 04:47 PM

Maybe you can find something on this website:

Eat Wild

lavender · 08-16-2010, 05:57 PM

Florida is not a very organic state sadly. I wish we had a policy where stores, restaurants and the like only purchased goods within a say 200 mile area - but everyone wants strawberries year round and steak from cattle raised on the other side of the planet and dont get me going on fish from the south China sea! Life could be healthier and cheaper if we didn't want so much exotic stuff and ate in seasonal fashion. I'm not a tree hugger (I drive an SUV - can't afford to trade it in right now!) but see the sense in many green issues.

gypsychic · 08-16-2010, 06:18 PM

That's why I am glad I live here in Sarasota - we have LOTS of local/organic food options!

sheshopsalot · 08-16-2010, 07:27 PM

gypsychic - Thank you so much!!

I found Organic Black Angus & Prime Wagyu Beef, and Organic Pork!!!!

I'm already in a veggies and fruit buying co-op, unfortunately it is not organic. Hopefully I can get them into the meat. If not I'll look on here or Craigs List to start one.

Buying meat by the whole pig or half a beef just makes sense - the prices are really not that much more than store prices. I'll have to drive to the farm to get it, but wow - it does not get any fresher than that!!

Anyone interested?

stevecybo · 08-16-2010, 07:39 PM

BullBoxer31 farms is in Ocala but they do deliveries once or twice a month to Tampa. You meet them at their drop location. Home Page

gypsychic · 08-16-2010, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sheshopsalot

gypsychic - Thank you so much!!

I found Organic Black Angus & Prime Wagyu Beef, and Organic Pork!!!!

I'm already in a veggies and fruit buying co-op, unfortunately it is not organic. Hopefully I can get them into the meat. If not I'll look on here or Craigs List to start one.

Buying meat by the whole pig or half a beef just makes sense - the prices are really not that much more than store prices. I'll have to drive to the farm to get it, but wow - it does not get any fresher than that!!

Anyone interested?

You're welcome! I'm glad you found what you were looking for. I wish I could buy beef this way, there are ranches in my area but unfortunately we don't have the freezer room for even the 1/8 side.

With all the wonderful farmer's markets, farms and ranches we have herein Sarasota Bradenton, one thing we DON'T have is a really good "local city market" type place that sells only locally grown meats, produce, etc. (I am not talking Whole Foods and the like) I think if someone would do this it would go over big.

sheshopsalot · 08-16-2010, 08:34 PM

I know it;s too far for you, but we go to Plant City's Farmers Market and buy where the restaurants and fruit stands buy. It's not all local, but a lot is.

I am in a group of 12 families. We each pitch in 15$ every other week. We take turns going to the market and pciking up as much as we can buy.

We go home and sort it into labels laundry baskets and members come pick it up. This works really great for us. Sometimes those baskets are so heavy I can hardly lift them!!

Now, if we could just go organic - I would be in heaven.

sheshopsalot · 08-16-2010, 08:35 PM

Stevecybo,

THANKS !!! that looks like a really interesting company and they have such a great variety.

If you shops from them, what do you recommend?

kyle19125 · 08-17-2010, 05:12 AM

Whole Foods is not expensive when compared to other sources. I do understand not wanting to drive an hour to get there however. Local Harvest is an excellent source for locating locally produced food available via internet, farmers markets and even restaurants that serve locally produced/organic items. On that website I found Sunset Ranch, a small family farm producing Grass Fed Beef, just east of Brandon in the Dover area. Here's their link: About Us - Sunset Ranch (http://sunsetranchfl.com/about-us/ - broken link)