Behind the scenes…..
….many, though probably not most, consumers of grass fed beef know the right questions to ask a farmer to be sure they’re getting the “real thing”. The problem is most consumers don’t know their farmer, which is why we think buying “local” is just as important as buying “grass fed”.
Simply put: a good deal of what passes for grass fed is really finished on grain, and that destroys all the benefits of a pure, natural product.
But the farmer is only half the story. The butcher has just as much to do with the quality and purity of the meat you buy. That’s why we surveyed a number of butchers before deciding on Blue Ridge Meats in Front Royal. They come closer to all the rules of not only producing the finest meat….and they do it in the most humane, stress free way we know of.
Doug and Lois Aylestock and the people at Blue Ridge are as much a part of our team as our farm manager Duane Ard and our herdsman Church Humpheys.
For a look at grass fed beef from the inside out we thought we’d post this article from the Weston Price Foundation. Warning: it may tell some more than they want to know but here are the things you ought to know when you purchase grass fed beef!
http://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/cutting-the-cold-hard-fat/
2 Comments
Richard Maurer
Dave,
I’m surprised you have featured Blue Ridge as a role model in butchering, given all the mistakes they’ve made with your meat, not to mention the disaster we had with them in the past (pre 2009 when we stopped using them), without compensation for their screw-ups. Fauquire Finest is head and shoulder’s above them in accuracy, cut quality, and compensation for mistakes.
Fauquier is certified Humane, is Blue Ridge? Fauquier has visual barriers in and around the pens to help mitigate stress, does Blue Ridge? Fauquier spreads grit to prevent hoof slippage. I could go on.
We also “lost” meat at Blue Ridge without any explanation.
All the best,
Rich
David
Sorry Rich, my experience is not as you say. While they have made mistakes, most of them were through my poor communication. And I have had some problem with every butcher we’ve used including Fauquier’s Finest…again mostly through my own misunderstanding. Beyond that, I hear of bad experiences with every butcher in the area.
Blue Ridge does have a visual barrier around the killing chute, which is out of site of the holding pens. I’ve found they always handle our animals with care…sometimes waiting 5 to 10 minutes while the cow decides whether to move ahead.
Just as with farmers, I think it’s important to develop a personal relationship with your butcher. Inevitably that leads to better understanding and better communication. I know many operations that trailer (is that a verb?) a long way and past many butchers to use Blue Ridge Butchers in Front Royal.
Finally, in 15 years or more, we have never once had a complaint about any Thistle Hill meat. Despite a few bumps along the way, their quality has never been in doubt and I value the relationship.
Sorry I didn’t respond more quickly but, as you know, we’re kind of distracted here. Regards.