With everyone jonesing to source their own foods, from home gardens to farm-to-table restaurants, we love seeing spots like organic and pastured butcher shop, Lindy & Grundy, pop up in town. A modern take on the old-fashioned butcher shop, Lindy & Grundy offers a throw-back experience we love that is humane, sustainable and convenient.
Owners Amelia and Erika are passionate about education. By avoiding factory-raised animals and embracing ranches with humane practices, we all benefit: many of the practices best for animals actually create the most healthy foods for humans too. (Read a little more about it here.) Lindy & Grundy’s innovative shop showcases the best organic and pastured, or grass-fed, meats available sourced from well-reputed ranches who raise animals healthily and humanely. These ladies are more than happy to educate those of us who need a little catching up on the basics of shopping for and cooking our own fresh meats. With classes like their yearly Thanksgiving Turkey Demo, Lindy & Grundy is helping folks who want to cook whole foods in a responsible way to make it happen in their own homes. Here are five questions to consider before you hit up Lindy & Grundy or a sustainable butcher near you…
Where did it come from?
Don’t be afraid to ask what farms the meat comes from! Any good, reliable butcher should know the names of the farms and the provenance of the meat that they are selling.
Is it organic?
If the butcher is buying directly from small local farms, chances are it may not be certified organic, but that doesn’t means the animals are not being raised 100% organically! Lots of small farms are indeed organic. Just because they are not certified organic does mean they don’t follow all protocol for organically raising animals. Ask the butcher for a list of the farms and feel free to call or email the farms to hear about their practices.
Is it grass fed?
Know the difference between grass fed and grass finished. 100% grass-fed beef has been “finished” on grass, meaning these 100% pasture-raised animals have lived their whole lives on pasture, eating just grass.
What cut do you want?
Call ahead and have a plan! When shopping with small artisanal butchers, keep in mind that we don’t always have every single cut at all times. So call ahead a day or so, and place a special order!
What's your budget?
Shop with a budget in mind! Consider this: You’re feeding ten people – it’s much more economical to get a bigger, braising cut such as a chuck roast or pork butt or even whole chickens, rather than ten rib eyes or pork chops! Ask your butcher to help you with portions and pricing on a budget.
