Where do you buy meat?

[TheFREEinMe]

I've gotten pretty good at knowing my prices for canned goods, health & beauty etc. but I was wondering if any of you know where the best priced meats are? Any input/advise would be really appreciated.

[carmelon]

I would love to know too! I almost choked when I saw Chicken Breasts on sale at SOF for $6.99 a lb. Are you kidding me? Why would they advertise that price?

[terryberry]

I buy most of my meat and fish at Costco. SOF fas been having some great 3 day sales lately so I have stocked up on pork tenderloin, ribs and basa filletts.

[Kelkens]

I try to buy when Superstore marks down meat 30% but I won't be buying any more fish at SS as the halibut went bad. It was marked down and I froze it immediately but it still went bad.

I like Costco meat but we don't go there often..usually I buy when it is on sale. Safeway sells frozen chicken breasts on sale about every six weeks. I have noticed even the sale price is going up.

[danam314]

I get my chicken breast from M&M Meats. $15.99 for 9-12 breasts.
Burgers I get from Safeway fresh from the butcher guy (kinda pricey but WELL worth it!)
Fresh cut Steaks I get from Save On Foods (I find the best quality there)
Chicken thighs/legs I get from Superstore in the club packs.

[HD00141]

i get my chicken breast @ SOF when it goes on sale i stock up it was on sale last week $19.78 per box of 3kg for the rest of chicken parts i check out sales Sobeys had a great sale 2wks ago on Chicken legs with backs attached for $1.49/lb and they were huge!! My red meat (beef) I buy in bulk from farms i have tired out a couple and also compare prices before i go ahead with the order i usually get 1/2a cow and it lasts my hubby and me 6-9mths it runs around $500-$600 my hubby is a big red meat eater and i love the taste of farm fresh if ud like some companies name i can add it to the thread of ones that u can order and they deliever to ur doorstep free of charge

[Momto2Ks]

My red meat (beef) I buy in bulk from farms i have tired out a couple and also compare prices before i go ahead with the order i usually get 1/2a cow and it lasts my hubby and me 6-9mths it runs around $500-$600 my hubby is a big red meat eater and i love the taste of farm fresh if ud like some companies name i can add it to the thread of ones that u can order and they deliever to ur doorstep free of charge

I would like a little more information on this farm please. Thanks!

[TheFREEinMe]

WOW! Thanks so much everyone. It helps to know what the really good prices are. I'm going to compile a list so I know when to stock up. And yes, some more information about the meat farm would be great. I'm making my best effort to get the grocery bill down even lower. I really would like to stay home at least another year with my youngest (she's 2). It breaks my heart to even think about going back to work .

[mnewstead]

I buy the bags of chicken breasts from RCSS they are around $20 and i get a bunch. Works out well for me and my boyfriend and it lasts a long time.

[HD00141]

Not sure how to post all the information I do have all the email address of companies that I have contacted ( I ususally touch base with all of them and compare prices when im getting ready to do a big order below are their email address I will also try to post some of the pricing they have given me):

Tim and Maighread Axe [[email protected]]-EAT FOOD FOR LIFE CANADA

Sherry Horvath [[email protected]]-SUNSHINE ORGANIC FARMS(ive tried them in the past they do have very good quality meats)

Dave and Louise [[email protected]]-PINE TERRA FARMS

kaleta_b <[email protected]>

Pura Vida Farm Ltd. [[email protected]]

Iain Aitken [[email protected]]

thnx

[HD00141]

From TIME AND MAIGHREAD AXE:

"


Thank you for your e-mail. We're delighted to hear from you and we would be delighted to fill your next order. How did you hear about us? Sorry to have taken so long to get back to you; it is an extremely busy time of year for us on the farm.

To answer your questions:

Pricing of a Side of Beef: We offer a half (approximately 220 lbs.) of organically-grown grassfed beef through EAT Food for Life Canada (www.EATFoodforLife.ca), at $6.78/lb, which is a 20% savings over the individual cut pricing. All of the costs are included in the pricing and you receive your beef cut, wrapped and deeply frozen. The proportions are approximately 25% steaks, 35% roasts, and 40% ground. You can find more details about what cuts you can expect from the EAT Food for Life Canada website under the Packages tab.

We also offer sides of beef through our farm, Terra Caritatis Patris, where you purchase the same beautiful beef at a cost per pound based on the hanging weight at the butcher. This option often appeals to those who are quite familiar with the process and provides them with the flexibility of working directly with the butcher to request specific cuts and styles of cuts. In addition to the cost per pound, you would also be responsible for paying the processing and cutting and wrapping fees directly to the butcher. If this interests you Harleen, just let us know and we can give you a complete approximate breakout cost.

Another option we off is a monthly variety package of meats:

THE MEATS MARKET - CSA Monthly Subcriptions: This is an option that we are really excited about. Your family's decision to participate through a subscription for monthly packages of a variety of delicious nutrient-dense meats most directly affects the production and provision of real food. It places you squarely in the centre as a co-producer along with the small family farm members. Your order provides you with a twelve, eighteen or twenty-four pound package each month (in either six or twelve month subscriptions) of seasonably available meats. Currently we are offering beef and pork. Poultry (chicken & turkey) and lamb are targeted as well additionally in the fall.

The packages are broken down into three main categories, steaks, roasts, and ground, and the percentage of each as well as the actual subscription cost for each option is available on the website under the THE MEATS MARKET tab.

A custom package is also available at a minimum amount of ten pounds per month which gives you the option of picking exactly which meats and what cuts you would prefer as well as the actual amount that works best for your family.

Just a Note: Our next monthly delivery to Edmonton is this coming Thursday, July 29th.

Pick-up Locations: We currently have two host locations in Edmonton; one in south Edmonton near the corner of Rabbit Hill Road on 23rd Avenue, and the other in north Edmonton just north of the Yellowhead, near Victoria Trail. Typically, the farmers deliver the packages to the south location first, from 2 - 3:30 p.m. and to the north location from 4:30 - 6 p.m.

Payment Options: We accept cash, cheque, and PayPal. The website is set up for PayPal; there is a small fee for using this service, however.

we hope we have answered all your questions. Please let us know if there is anything else; we'll be happy to answer any additional questions.

All our best wishes,

[HD00141]

FROM PINE TERRA FARMS:
Yes we will deliver to the downtown area at no extra charge. A side of beef is $4.08/lb and you get approx. 200 lbs of beef depending on the size of animal.

I hope this helps you. If you have further questions please call Louise at 780-967-3012 and she will be happy to assist you.

Thank you for your interest in our beef and look forward to hearing from you.

Have a great day,
Nadine

[HD00141]

FROM KALETA_B TELUS.NET:
Sides of beef are $2.79 a pound.
It is hard to tell the losage, it depends on how big the bones are and how much fat is on the side of beef.

No we do not deliver, yes you can pick it up at our store located at 11401 50th street NW

we would also ask for 2 weeks notice and we will cut it any way you would like.


please contact our store at 780-471-0057 to place your order.

[HD00141]

FROM PURA VIDA FARM:
Thank you for your inquiry. A side of beef will cost $4.50/lb. finished weight. You pay for the weight that goes in your freezer. Depending on the size of animal you choose, there will be approximately 230 - 280 lbs. of beef in a side. We can deliver to Edmonton or perhaps meet you part way?
If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me via email or on my cell at 403-330-8877.
Sincerely,
Anne Wikkerink
Pura Vida Farm Ltd.
pvbeef.com
403-330-8877

[HD00141]

FROM IAIN AITKEN:
For those of you who have not bought beef as carcass cuts before, I will try to explain the procedure by which we calculate price. When a beef animal is slaughtered, 40% or more of its live weight is discarded as non-edible waste. The carcass that is left is weighed to establish what is known as its "hanging weight". The reason for charging on a hanging weight is because an animal with a hanging carcass weight of 600 lbs prior to final cutting still contains between 30-35% by weight of bone, fat and trim; the actual edible beef off this carcass will be closer to 400-420lbs. The final weight of beef you take home from your animal depends, to an extent, on your cutting specifications. The butcher’s basic cut out will provide you with steaks, roasts and 85% lean ground (hamburger) but you also have the option of ordering some minute steaks or stew meat. YB Quality Meat can also further process some of your beef into a range of sausages, jerky, pastrami or stir fry beef for an additional cost. We are currently negotiating with our processor to offer some additional cutting options that customers have requested and I will have this finalized before we send out order forms in July. Customers are welcome to take home some short ribs, dog bones, soup bones and organ meats if they can use them. We consider these latter items extras and they are not included in the estimated weight of take home beef shown below.
Our beef quarters usually have an average hanging weight of 150 lbs; the beef you will take home will be roughly 100 lbs depending on cuts chosen. The average hanging weight of halves is around 300 lbs; take home weight of beef is roughly 200 lbs depending on cuts chosen. The average hanging weight of whole beefs is around 600 lbs; take home weight of beef is roughly 400 lbs depending on cuts chosen. We find that a quarter beef often keeps a couple, or a couple with young children supplied with beef for a year. Some families eat more beef, some eat less but a quarter is a good estimate for most couples buying in bulk for the first time.
We are holding our beef prices at last years levels - $3.00 per lb (hanging weight)on quarters and $2.95 per lb (hanging weight) on halves or whole beefs. These prices include the cutting and brown paper wrapping service by the butcher. Clear plastic vacuum wrapping is available as an option at an additional cost of 5 cents/lb hanging weight. This only adds around $7.50 per quarter to your bill and many customers prefer it. In my experience the beef keeps equally well in either form of packaging but the vacuum wrap allows you to see the meat before you open the pack.


We also intend to offer a few “beef boxes” this year for customers with limited freezer space or smaller consumption needs. The beef boxes contain basically half the beef off a quarter – you will get 50lbs of vacuum wrapped beef (20lbs lean ground beef, 15lbs mixed steaks and 15lbs of roasts with the option to substitute some roasts for stew meat) The price of the boxes will be $235 which is a little more expensive than our beef quarters to cover the extra handling involved.

<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]-->
<!--[endif]-->
Please let us know at your earliest convenience if you are considering buying beef from us in 2010…We take orders on a first come – first served basis and the only way to ensure you get beef is to respond as soon as possible and give an indication of the quantity you might require. There is no binding commitment to purchase on your part however, until you send back a completed order form/cutting instruction sheet by the end of July deadline. Letting us know your requirements now however guarantees you supply and allows us to manage our inventory so that we know when to stop accepting new orders.