Residuals from the meat industry’s work stoppage are showing on the shelves of empty grocery stores across the country. Now shoppers are saying that the meat shortage moved from imminent to a present reality.
At Costco the maximum purchase of meat is three items per shopper, while Wegman’s enforces a two-meat limit. Stop & Shop reported that their supplies have not slowed.
“Many of our major suppliers are also supporting the food service industry and as that demand has decreased, they’ve been able to increase production for our stores,” the company said in a released statement. Yet and still, they have a two-meat max for customers.
At the same time, marketers are reporting huge increases in the prices of meat. With groceries increasing by 2.6 percent, the highest since 1974, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Added to higher costs, the US Department of Agriculture reported a 25 percent drop in meat production and a 15 percent decrease in pork production.
The visible disruption of meat and the stockpiling of items has caused carnivores to look for meat in other places. Fortunately, for small farmers such as a coterie of Black farmers, the fall of commercial meat packers and chicken farms means the increase in demand. As farmer’s prep for the increase of orders, customers are creating savvy ways to buy.
Cetta Bernhardt, who owns Harvest Farms, a small farm in Monticello, Florida, selling produce, put out a call for others to join her in purchasing a cow to be butchered with the pieces divvied up. “We’re doing everything we can to make sure that there’s a food supply for you.”
Below are 28 farms from are Black Farmer’s Index that sell locally, raised beef, poultry, chicken, lamb and quail. Located in several states across the US and one in US Virgin Islands, they offer a variety of free range to halal and forest-raised methods.
Alabama
Hawkins Homestead Farm | Kinsey, AL| Specializes in organic poultry, eggs, and veggies | Website + Facebook | Email: info@hawkinshomesteadfarm.com | Tel. 334-595-5128
California
Sweeting Ranch | Loyalton, CA | Farms vegetables and raises cattle, lamb and chickens for eggs | Facebook | Email: sweetingranch@att.net | Tel. 530-927-7625
Georgia
Bread and Butter Farm to Table | Monroe, GA | Raises and sells chickens and fresh eggs; Grows and sells vegetables, herbs and fruit on their farm share for pick up at the following locations: 1. The farm in Monroe; 2. Georgia State University in Atlanta; or 3. Lilburn – 1400 Killian Hill Road, SW | Website + Instagram
Dollison Farm | Poulan, GA (South Georgia) | Provides fresh produce and swine; Partners to produce Warrior Creek Premium Meats | Website + Facebook + Instagram
Greenway Farms of Georgia | Roberta, GA | Offers meats and canned goods directly to consumers at their on-farm, Greenway Farms Market; as well as local farmers markets and via pre order delivery | Facebook | Tel. 678-231-7257
High Hog Farm | Grayson, GA | Sells herbs, fruits, vegetables, poultry and pork | Facebook + Instagram
Hunter Farms, Inc. | Jakin, GA | Agriculture cooperative raising grass-fed cattle | Facebook | Tel. +1 229-793-2671
Local Lands | Dublin, GA | Uses only organic materials, seeds, fertilizer to provide all natural and conscious sources of meat and produce | Website + Facebook | Email: local_lands@yahoo.com
Mosley Farms Pastured Pork | Savannah, GA | Raises all natural pasture pork, and no antibiotics | Facebook + Instagram | Tel. 912-425-5893
Phoenix Gardens | Lawrenceville, GA | Grows and sells a wide range of vegetables, herbs and fruits; Raises hens for fresh eggs; Sells chickens | Website + Facebook | Tel. 70-513-1563
Swanson Family Farm | Woodbury, NJ | Cattle farming; sells high quality beef, lamb, goat and pork | Website + Facebook + Instagram | Tel. 404-358-8132
Urban Grange Farm | Hephzibah, GA | Provides quality pork, chicken, eggs and produce grown using organic methods | Website + Facebook | Tel. 706-223-0494
Your Faith Farms | Fairburn, GA | Raises grass-fed beef, lamb, and goat. | Website + Facebook | Email: yourfaithfarms@gmail.com | Tel. 404-207-0544
Grass-fed cows grazing on Moody Farms in Soso, Mississippi.
Illinois
Goodman Edwards Farms | Chicago, IL | Raises and sells farm-to-table duck | Facebook | Facebook + Instagram + Twitter + Youtube | Email: goodmanedwardsfarms@gmail.com
Kentucky
Slak Market Farm | Lexington, KY | Ethically raises cattle, sheep, chickens and goats in a grass pasture for halal organic meat, raw milk, fresh eggs and other dairy products; provides a youth summer camp farm | Website + Dairy Website + Facebook + Instagram
Louisiana
Flying Eagle Ranch | Keithville, LA | Raises cattle, chickens, hogs; cuts and bundles hay | Instagram 1 + Instagram 2 + Instagram 3 + Instagram 4 | Tel. 318-925-2342
New York
Rocky Acres Community Farm | Tompkins County, NY | Focuses on education and the sustainable production of local meat, eggs and vegetables | Website
Meat storage tip: Meat can last between four to eight months in a deep freezer.
North Carolina
Briarwood Cattle Farm | Red Springs, NC | Raises cattle and sells beef; raises grass fed beef the traditional way; pasteurized chickens; fresh eggs. Our beef/chicken/pork is all vacuumed packed for longer freezer life; and delivers to your front door in North Carolina | Youtube + Facebook + Twitter | Email: briarwoodcattlefarm@gmail.com | Tel. 910-359-1980
Golden Organic Farms | Pinetop, NC | Offers a more sustainable and healthier choice of fruit, vegetable and meat products that are locally grown and harvested here in North Carolina | Instagram + Facebook| Tel. 252-373-3694
Off the Grid in Color | Salisbury, NC | Raises chickens and pigs to sell meat for pick up and local delivery | Website + Delivery Form + Facebook + Instagram | Email: offgridincolor@gmail.com | Tel. 773-220-4551
Swayback Branch Boer Farm | Littleton, NC | Raises and sells pork, chickens, eggs and other meats | Facebook | Email: swaybackbranch@verizon.net | Tel. 202-689-5938
Mississippi
John H. Moody Farm | Soso, MS | Raises cattle as a meat wholesaler and online seller | Website + Facebook | Tel. 1 800-578-1341
Tyrone Foote Beef Cattle Farm | 1348 County Road 121, New Albany, MS | Raises cattle and sells beef
Pat Crenshaw at her cattle farm in Slick, Oklahoma. Photo credit USDA by Preston Keres.
South Carolina
Peculiar Pig Farm | Summerville, SC | Raises and sells pigs and pork products such as sausage | Facebook | Tel. +1 843-513-0351
Missouri
Diamond G Polled Herefords | Salem, MO | Raises and sells cattle | Facebook
Shire’s Gate | Owensville, MO | Raises cattle and hens for beef and eggs | Website
Texas
GriffinGalsGoods & Farm | Giddings, TX | raises and sells cattle; grows and sells organic produce crops to the public and schools | Email: jgwb5.brown@yahoo.com | Tel. 512-578-6110
Seventy-Four Ranch | Raises and sells beef cattle (Hereford and Angus) | Pilot Point, TX | Facebook | Email: clrobinsoncattle@gmail.com | Tel. 214-457-2742
Urban Dallas Farm And Rabbitry | Dallas, TX | Grows fruits and vegetables in community garden; raises chickens, ducks, rabbits and quails to sell for meat and eggs | Instagram
Virginia
Acres of Destiny | Dinwiddie, VA | Specializes in seasonal produce, poultry, pig, mini donkey, emu, alpaca, livestock, guardian dogs, eggs, herbs. | Website | Tel. 443-866-1345
Sylvanaqua Farms | Earlysville, VA | Raises and sells forest-raised pork and grass-fed Beef; raises and sells pasture-raised chickens; offers eggs from heritage breed and golden comet hens; deliver door-to-door 3 times a week: Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday for now. We’ll alternate delivery locations on each run and practice Indigenous Democracy in Food & Agriculture | Website + Instagram | Tel. 434-973-6673
Thaxton Farm | South Boston, VA | Grows and sells vegetables: raises chickens and swine for fresh eggs and natural pork; offers seasoned firewood bundles | Facebook | Tel. 434-579-1748
USVI
Sejah Farm | St. Croix USVI | Grazes sheep and goats; produces vegetables; and, raises chicken for eggs and poultry production | Website + Facebook | Email: sejahfarm@unitedstates.vi | Tel. 340-277-6046
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It’s great to hear that beef prices are getting raised the most since the ’70s. My sister is buying some land soon in order to get some cattle. She wants to raise cattle properly so she needs to learn how to keep them happy and healthy.