Organic Poultry & Organic Meats

Organic Poultry & Organic Meats: Simply Better for Your!

As more of us become aware of some of the factory farm methods used in raising our meat and poultry supplies, organic looks better all the time. The image of free-ranging chickens, cattle and pigs is a lot more appetizing than seeing them crowded in barns or pens, hardly able to move.

The farmers choosing to raise organic meats are taking a risk; it costs a lot more to raise animals this way, and the products must be priced accordingly. The public who want organic meats have to be able to afford to buy them or everyone loses.

One of the biggest advantages of eating organic meats and poultry is the lack of antibiotic and growth hormone use in the animals. This translates into less antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. The animals are generally treated better, are exposed to fewer toxins and fed the foods they are designed to eat.

The outbreaks of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, also known as mad cow disease, made grass-fed beef more popular. Even though the human form, Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease is rare, the risks created a growing consciousness in the minds of many people.

Organically raised livestock have less fat because they are allowed to move around and be themselves. Because of their varied diet, the meat is also more flavorful.

Another benefit for choosing organic meats is you know the animals have been treated humanely. They have been allowed to live their lives the way nature intended, getting plenty of food and exercise.

They have been allowed to interact with others of their kind the way they were meant to, not by being crowded in a pen. Up until the day they go to the butcher, these animals have enjoyed feeling the sun, the rain and knowing they were cared for.

While many sources of organic meats are localized, there are a few larger businesses that make their foods available through mail order or through special markets around the country. Organic Prairie is a group of several farms that raise beef, pork, chicken and turkey for the organic market.

Coleman Natural and Coleman Organic provide beef, chicken and pork that have had no antibiotics, hormones or preservatives. Some organic meat companies can even be found by searching through Amazon.com.

If you are looking for organic meats and poultry, check your local farmers’ market. More of these markets are featuring farms that grow their own organic chickens, beef, pork and lamb. Most of these farms will also sell you half or a quarter of a beef or half a hog that you can get cut up to your specifications at a butcher shop.

Some areas may have Community Share Farms where individuals can buy shares in the season’s harvest. Some of these farms include organic meats. Buy local first, if you can to get the freshest meats possible.
Other organic meats you may be able to find include rabbit, quail, turkeys and ducks.

If you can’t find them locally, check online. Most meats sold online are flash frozen to preserve their quality and ensure safe shipping.