Whether you're a barbecue aficionado or just enjoy a nice steak now and then, finding the best quality meat can be difficult. Depending on the grocery store or butcher shop, the selections can be hit or miss. However, if there's a small farm that also does the processing in your area, it's worth it to seek it out. To better understand why, here's what you need to know. 

What Are the Advantages of Farm Direct Beef and Meat Processing?

1. Reliable Quality

When beef is mass-produced, many factories hold cows in tightly cramped conditions, which can be harmful. Additionally, they are often given hormones or antibiotics to prevent them from getting sick and promote faster growth. Local farms, on the other hand, operate on a smaller scale, so they can fine-tune what the cattle eat and how they're raised. They can work more closely with the animals to ensure their health and overall conditions.

2. Product Knowledge

Many shoppers don't know where the packaged meat they buy from the supermarket comes from. When beef is purchased directly from a local farmer, that uncertainty is gone, and you have more control over the farming practices you wish to support. Often, local farmers use healthy products and ethical and sustainable practices to provide consumers with peace of mind about their health and impact on the environment.

3. Local Support

Beef from large factory farms is often sold to larger grocery chains. Unfortunately, these profits don't generally directly support their local economy. However, when purchasing food from local butchers and farmers, you help keep the money within your community, smaller family-run farms in business, and people in the region employed. 

If you're looking for a reliable source of farm-direct beef, turn to Arrowhead Beef. Founded in 2010, this Chipley, FL, co-operative of small farms is one of only 11 in the United States that oversees both the ranches and the meat processing. Not only do they offer high-quality meat, but they also have rare breeds available, such as Parthenais, Limousin, and Wagyu beef. With a USDA-certified meat processing facility, you can trust their products. You can learn more about their ethos and offerings on their website, but if you have any questions, call (850) 270-8804.