With food safety becoming more and more of a concern, many people are getting to know their farmer in order to know the source of their food. Farmers are delivering their fresh, local and unprocessed products to consumers in the Philadelphia area. Now you can even get to know your local farm animal by buying a share in a local Pennsylvania grass-fed cow.
Philadelphia CowShare is a new way to buy high quality, local, grass-fed beef in bulk by splitting the purchase of a cow with other people. The company selects cows from local farms near Philadelphia in Lancaster, Chester, Delaware, and Mercer counties. They visit each farm and talk with the farmer to guarantee the cows are grass-fed and free of growth hormones and antibiotics. The farm is also required to follow sustainable, organic farming practices, but do not require the USDA organic certification.
Grass-fed meat is preferred by many health conscious people because it is lower in both overall fat and saturated fat compared to grain-fed beef. It also lower in calories and contains higher amounts of healthy Omega-3 fats.
In addition, according to Sustainable Table, meat from cattle raised on pastures has up to four times more vitamin A and vitamin E than meat from feedlots, and is much higher in Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA), a nutrient associated with lowering the risk of cancer, obesity, diabetes and immune disorders.
Many people prefer pastured, grass-fed beef because the animals are treated more humanely than cows raised in factory feedlots who are confined and fed corn and other grains. Cattle were not designed to eat grains and this unnatural diet fed to them in factory farms largely contributes to disease necessitating constant administration of antibiotics. Pastured cows are allowed to roam free in the fresh air and sunshine and graze or eat hay or grass silage.
Almost all the beef found in supermarkets is raised in confinement and treated with growth hormones and antibiotics because it is more profitable. Grass-fed beef is more expensive but is clearly worth the price difference.
At Philadelphia CowShare you can purchase a whole, half, quarter or eighth of a cow. An eighth of a cow will provide 40 pounds of beef and cost about $410, while a whole cow provides 320 pounds for about $2,240. The beef is butchered in steaks, roasts, ground beef, and burgers, and includes soup bones and organ meats. Cuts are packaged separately and will keep frozen for up to 12 months.
For more information visit www.PhillyCowShare.com.
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