(no subject)

[snakeyesboy.livejournal.com]

I checked out Harvest co op in Cambridge today.  I hate to say it but I was pretty underwhelmed.  I'll clarify by saying that among other things, I really value small co ops for items such as cage free hormone free organic eggs, hormone free organic dairy, and my #1 important thing, grass fed beef.  Harvest had some of those but not a wide selection, and no grass fed beef that I could find.  They did have something labeled 100% vegetarian fed beef but that is not really what I am after.  Where else can I find grass fed beef in the area?

Comments

[yagagriswold.livejournal.com]

Chestnut Farm CSA.

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

Doesn't Chestnut Farms also sell at the Arlington Farmer's Market? It seems to me that they used to.

[zard.livejournal.com]

Yes! They sell until 6:30pm at the Wednesday Farmer's Market which is in the parking lot on Rt. 60 near the center. Just look for white tents. Kim at Chestnut Farms has been wonderful to me and to friends.

http://www.chestnutfarms.org/

And I blog my meat shares (and my veggie shares at the Food Project). Shameless link:

http://farmshare-csa.blogspot.com/

[zard.livejournal.com]

Also, if you participate in the CSA, and you get there early enough on your pickup day, Chestnut Farms sells eggs produced by dozens of chickens that live in an open school bus and graze in an open plot. They are lovely eggs, very dense...you eat one and it feels like you've had two. They have an open house in Hardwick, MA in October, I believe, when you can go pet the animals and chat with the family.

[chenoameg.livejournal.com]

You can order pastured beef fro River Rock Farm and get it delivered.

www.riverrockfarm.com

[wallacestreet.livejournal.com]

River Rock is also at the Davis Square Farmers' Market on Wednesdays. I'll add that Chestnut Farms meat pretty much rocks. Try the lamb sausage (and the ground beef, and the steaks, well you get the point). We weren't super overwhelmed by the flavor of the chicken, but then again we didn't take the time to brine it so...

[chenoameg.livejournal.com]

Oh, and check out the organic local milk from Shaw's farm, available at the Kickass Dairy bar.

[mattdm.livejournal.com]

Seconded. And note that the non-organic milk there comes from cows from the same farm.

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

Lionette's in the South End. Expensive as fuck, but they have it.
http://www.lionettesmarket.com

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

Well, grass fed beef ain't cheap anywhere.

[m00n.livejournal.com]

Seconded. And definitely one of those things that, like oil and bluefin tuna, probably should be expensive to encourage people to consume it in moderation.

Also seconding the recommendation for Lionette's. That place is awesome. All of the pork they sell there comes from the same pig that they buy on Monday and sell parts of throughout the week. They have a very close relationship with their farmers.

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

Savenor's (on Kirkland Street in Cambridge) often sells grass-fed beef, but call ahead to make sure they've got it: 617-576-MEAT.

[perspicuity.livejournal.com]

overall, is there what you would call a "wide selection" on those items in general?

or said another way, how many sources of that stuff exists?

i'm guessing not a wide amount.

so they carry what they carry, which seems fair enough.

#

[snakeyesboy.livejournal.com]

I've been to tiny little co ops that will carry 8-10 different brands of hormone free, organic, cage free eggs...so I know it can be done.

[clevernonsense.livejournal.com]

well yes, because most of those labels are unregulated and usually false, so it can be done :P

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

In metropolitan Boston?

Or in an area where there are a lot more farms handy by?

[snakeyesboy.livejournal.com]

In the SF Bay Area so we are probably talking apples and oranges here, but I still think Harvest can do better.

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

Yes, you're talking apples and oranges. Not that we can grow any oranges in Massachusetts, of course.

Why not talk to the manager at Harvest about your concerns? You can email him (Marc Cutler, operations manager) at mcutler@harvest.coop, or try to catch him in one of the stores: 617-661-1580 is the Cambridge store, and 617-524-1667 is the Jamaica Plain store.

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

Sorry, that email is mcutler@harvestcoop.com. D'oh!

[wallacestreet.livejournal.com]

Cage free (non-organic) eggs from a local farm at Dave's Fresh Pasta. Other cage-free local eggs (maybe organic) at the Dairy bar. Probably some overpriced stuff at Pemberton too.

[pekmez.livejournal.com]

The eggs at Dairy bar are not organic either. Both are from what I believe are medium sized operations within 75 miles or so of Boston, though Coll's Farm is in NH closer to the 75 mile mark (that's the one at Dairy Bar) and Chip-in Farm is in Bedford not far from the end of the biek path.
Cage free eggs from a small farm are also available at Codman Farm in Lincoln, if you fancy another ncie bike or commuter rail trip to pick them up. Chestnut Farm are tastier IME but you have to be a meat CSA shareholder and get there early to get your hands on them.

Foodmaster carries the Pete & Gerry's brand of organic eggs, which I believe come from Maine.

[pekmez.livejournal.com]

(Chip-in Farm is what Dave's Fresh Pasta sells. oh, and those are XL...
dairy bar's Coll's farm's eggs are L)

[obie119.livejournal.com]

Just behind Harvest, on Mondays is the Central Square farmers market - Austin Brothers Farm sells all sorts of grass fed beef and other meats. if you get there early they'll have eggs.

It seems that "co-op" means different things to different people. Harvest is what it is, I guess. I love their bulk section - the best in greater Boston that I know.

Nice eggs are also available from Chip-In farms in Bedford - you can call them and ask where they're being sold these days. I know they're at Dave's Fresh pasta near Davis Square. Also, if you want a field trip, Drumlin Farm has the best eggs in existence. They have VERY happy chickens. Call ahead though because they're not always laying.

Davis Square Farmers Market had eggs until this week - something ate the chickens! :( That's life in the farming world.

Why yes, I use lots of eggs.

[angerona.livejournal.com]

Chip-In farm eggs are also sold at Russos in Watertown (great produce place).

[annalauwa.livejournal.com]

no one has mentioned whole foods. but they do have grass-fed beef; at least at the fresh pond store.

[turil.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the coop went way downhill in the past 15 years. They used to be awesome and so very community-based. Now they are pretending to be a Whole Paycheck combined with a Star Market. Why? Who knows...

[fappyheet.livejournal.com]

I think we're improving--the LJ community made it through 20 posts so far and haven't smacked down the OP's desire for specific and wholesome food.

If you're willing to try non-beef, range-raised bison is also an option in MA...

[djdreilinger.livejournal.com]

Market Basket carries cage-free organic eggs... though I can't say I've ever looked for grass-fed beef there.