Have you ever wondered about the origins of the meat you buy at the grocery store? It can be difficult to precisely trace your country of origin. Buying local meat directly from producers has several advantages. It is fresher , tastes better and has better nutritional value ! Here are 13 reasons why you should buy local meats when they are available:
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Freshness – Meat from farm-raised animals that have never traveled far before being sold or slaughtered. The meat therefore stays fresher for longer.
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Better Health – Animals fed natural grass and grains are not given hormones, antibiotics or other chemicals to stimulate growth, as are animals raised indoors. Animals raised for slaughter are often given antibiotics to keep them healthy until they reach their final destination (usually a feedlot). However, if these animals were allowed to graze naturally, they would be stronger and healthier.
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Better Eating Quality – Although some people disagree, fresh meat that hasn't been processed often tastes much better!
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Premium Ingredients – When you buy locally raised meat, you're putting the best ingredients into your meals. You can be sure that locally raised meats contain no preservatives or artificial flavors.
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Respect for the environment – Raising fewer, healthier animals helps maintain a sustainable balance between humans and nature. It's better for the planet and for your health!
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Reduce food waste – In North America, much more food is produced each year than we consume. A lot of food never makes it from field to table. By eating less meat, but choosing it better, you help ensure that less food is wasted.
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A return to traditional values – In many places, industrialization has caused people to lose contact with nature. By purchasing local meat, you not only improve your own health, but you also actively participate in maintaining a strong relationship between humans and the natural world.
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Support Local Farms – Buying local helps small family farms stay in business, while giving you access to fresher meat. You can ask the farmer directly how he raises his animals. By eating locally produced food, money spent on food circulates within our communities rather than being sent overseas. Eat well while keeping more money at home!
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A Greener Planet – By reducing transportation costs, you reduce the pollution caused by transporting goods by truck, train and boat. Less food also means fewer resources used to grow that food.
- Keeping Small Family Farms in Business – Buying local meat helps keep small family farms in business. This means better quality food and more humane treatment of animals.
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A Stronger Community – When communities buy fresh meat from local farmers, everyone wins! Farmers sell more of their produce, while consumers get healthier food for their families at an affordable price. By shopping locally, you increase the chances of your money returning to the community. Your purchase helps create jobs and stimulate the local economy.
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Keeping Our Food Dollars Domestic – Every year, more than $20 billion of our food purchases leave the country to be grown, processed and packaged elsewhere. By purchasing locally produced food, you keep your money in your community.
- Higher nutritional value – Animals that have access to pasture produce meat higher in omega-3 fatty acids than conventionally raised animals. This is because they eat fresh grass and legumes throughout their lives and not just in the last few months before slaughter.
It's easy to see why local meat tastes better , is more nutritious , and has a lower environmental impact than factory-farmed meat, when you consider all of the reasons discussed above. Local agricultural practices also protect us from unnecessary antibiotics and hormones that can lead to illnesses that last longer and do more damage.
Eating locally produced meat allows money to stay in our community where it is reinvested in the local economy . Purchasing meats that don't travel far helps separate family farms from commercial feedlots, creating better animal management practices . Farms that give their animals access to fresh pasture produce healthier meat for us and healthier animals for local farmers!
Would you like to get meat raised in Quebec? Visit our online butcher shop , you will find a wide variety of cuts of grass-fed beef!