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Has anyone tried out the meat CSA in Ontario from Stoddart family farms?

http://stoddart.myshopify.com/products/deposit-on-main-season-meat-csa-share

Its 495$ for a mixture of Chicken, Beef, Lamb & Pork. You get 10lbs a month at $8.25/pound for the 60 pounds of meat.

*The beef and lamb are grass-fed. The chicken and pork will be our usual offering of pasture-raised meats. *Each delivery is freshly processed at a licensed provincial abattoir and frozen. All orders include a range of meat, some months may be more beef and pork, other months there may be more lamb and poultry. Each order will be comprised of a mix of ground, stew, chops, roasts, sausage and steaks and sometimes bacon or ham. Our pasture-raised beef is dry aged for a 21-day period.

Sounds like a pretty good deal if those sausages dont have breading in them, what do you guys think???

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4 Answers

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I bought a Stoddart Family Farms' 2011 winter meat CSA share, and an egg share.

I'm quite happy with the quality of the meat. I'm VERY happy with the quality of their duck eggs.

The meat cuts vary a fair bit each month. This month, I received:

  • Ground beef
  • T-bone steak
  • 2 pork chops
  • Round steak
  • Stewing beef
  • Ground pork
  • Ground lamb
  • Butt roast
  • Braising short-ribs
  • 2 tiny lamb chops

Here's a photo of what I received last month, and this month.

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Did those sausages have filling? Breadcrumbs etc? Do you find it worth the money or better off going to the organic butcher on Queen and bulking up there? – CR May 2 2011 at 20:42
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I don't know. I haven't tried their meat, but I had seen the website in my search for pasture-raised beef, and considered it.

You'd maybe want to do the math on it. I prefer to purchase larger quantities at once and stock the freezers in one shot rather than wait week by week. 10 lbs of meat a month isn't a lot, at least not in this house. This past weekend alone we cooked a 19 lb turkey (we had guests, so used more than the 4 of us would consume in 2 days, for sure) and have eaten two packages of sausages (red deer and wild boar from the market, absolutely without fillers), a package of bacon, and started a smoked ham.

For comparison, I bought half a steer for about $600 which will last most of the year. I got half a pig for about $300 which won't last long enough. In both cases, the price was about $3.20/lb based on the hanging weight and includes organ meat and bones. We get lamb from the market ($9-$11 a lb depending on the cuts) and chicken, turkey and eggs delivered from a local farmer. The chicken and turkey is $2.25 a lb, and I can't say for sure that it is entirely pasture-raised.

Don't know if that's helpful. For me though, feeding a family of 4 and hosting larger family gatherings, I prefer to load up and then manage my stock of meat throughout the year. I supplement with individual cuts bought at the farmer's market if necessary. Perhaps for one person, or if you have limited freezer space it would be adequate.

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I live with 2 room mates but the food would be just for me, and its a regular size fridge/freezer combo. – CR May 2 2011 at 18:26
Yeah, I totally understand. But I don't think the qty of meat would be enough for just me. Unfortunately, a chest freezer is essential. Where are you located? You could check out the Eastern Ontario Local Food Coop or get to know the farmers at your local farmer's market. I hear you on the sausages...I was really really peeved on a recent store trip to find only one brand of sausages without bread in it. In some cases bread crumbs were the first ingredient! – KD May 3 2011 at 3:30
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Sounds like a nice service, but I think you're paying a premium for convenience. Here in Nova Scotia, I buy GF beef sides at $4.00/lb cut and wrapped (mix of ground, cuts, and roasts + free fat for tallow) and pastured chickens for about $3.00 / lb. Pastured pork is $3.50 to $5.00/lb, and lamb is $8.00+.

Nova Scotia is a small province with few producers, so should theoretically be more expensive than what you can get in ON. It requires a little more leg work, but the process of getting to know individual farmers has been great. It also allows you the flexibility of switching sources of any particular meat if the product or service doesn't meet expectations.

If price isn't a factor, then it sounds like a great CSA.

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I bought their winter share and love the meat (boneless lamb leg leftovers in the fridge for tonight's dinner). Unfortunately, 10 lbs per month doesn't go very far in this household, and pending unemployment means that $8.25/lb is no longer an option. Oh well, back to the supermarkets.

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