The internet has coined the phrase, “factory farm”, but make no mistake. According to the USDA those types of farms does exist, by the acronyms CAFO(concentrated animal feeding operation) and AFO(animal feeding operation). When it comes to large scale processing, these animals in most cases never see the light of day or graze in their natural habitat. The fact of the matter is, they don’t even call these animals by what they actually are. To an industrial operation, a hog is minimized to the term protein. These large operations are so precarious with regard to wastewater and sewage run off, they have to be regulated by the EPA. Please understand that a factory farm/CAFO/AFO, is a stark contrast to rural small scale community farming; which is what we have in SW and NW PA. So unless you purchase locally sourced meats, you have no knowledge of what you feed your family or where it comes from.
Local community farms in general, supply meats to a region less than 100 miles from their physical location. That said, our local farmers aren’t involved/considered with export numbers and will never be noticed as such. The bottom line is, the support of the local community is what will make or break a local farmer. Also, here’s why your local farmer will never be able to compete with big names and big money. Your local farmer concentrates on several aspects prior to $$. Besides integrity and good stewardship, our local farmers “raise” for quality, and in many cases, slow & grow heritage breed animals. Meaning, your local farmer is more concerned with the natural order of an animals life and sustainability over the $. For our local rural farmers, it’s a labor of love without end. So ask yourself, is that something you and your family can support? Or do you get more enjoyment out of “unknown origin”, or excited over the term “cheap”? What will you settle for and what’s worth fighting for? Those answers are your own, but we’ll do our best to provide you with information in order for you to make a conscious decision.
One of the most primitive rights we have as humans is the consumption of food, so what’s wrong with, locally sourced and good quality?
Take care of your health by eating clean and green. We think your food choices are worth nurturing, that’s why we’re here! 😉
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