Closer to the source

[eldirector]

Not sure if this is the right forum, but here goes.

Thoughts on getting, well, pretty much everything food-wise, closer to the source, and cutting out the middle man? What services and suppliers do YOU use?

Example: We alternate between getting pork and beef "freezer meat" each year. Bought directly from the farmer, he delivers to the butcher, we pick up from there. All cash. Quality is better than store-bought, I know the source, and the price per pound is a LOT less than grocery stores.

Do any of you have good local sources for food you can share? Meats (beef, pork, chicken, fish), dairy (milk, cheeses, creams), veggies, fruits, etc...?

 

[GLOCKMAN23C]

Pasture's Delights: Indiana's Source for REAL (raw) MILK!

 

[dprimm]

Honey from My Honey’s Honey in Brownsburg.

If you want local beef, I can source it through a farmer just outside North Vernon. My next one will be from family (we are doing an experiment).

Need sources for pork and chicken.

Miss getting eggs from students.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Honey from My Honey’s Honey in Brownsburg.

If you want local beef, I can source it through a farmer just outside North Vernon. My next one will be from family (we are doing an experiment).

Need sources for pork and chicken.

Miss getting eggs from students.

I've never tried student eggs. Are they pretty similar to chicken eggs?

 

[bobjones223]

I've never tried student eggs. Are they pretty similar to chicken eggs?

It is harder to find a good source for student eggs anymore with the schools.shut down....they are not available in one central location anymore.

I planned years in advance....people thought I was a crazy prepper back then...WHOOOOS LAUGHING NOW!!!.....I got more stubent eggs than I can stand now!

 

[ditcherman]

A great little creamery just around the corner from me; they’ve made a huge investment in the last few years and have a pretty good delivery network, so you can buy local but don’t have to drive too far.
https://www.dandybreezedairy.com/

Check out the where to buy page.

For the best fried chicken, a few grocery’s, a meat and cheese market, fantastic hand dipped ice cream, and all kinds of canned food (I love the salsa) check out Wilson’s Farm market on 31 north of Indy.
Seriously the best fried chicken I have ever had.
https://www.wilsonfarmmarket.com/Default.aspx

 

[jsharmon7]

Example: We alternate between getting pork and beef "freezer meat" each year. Bought directly from the farmer, he delivers to the butcher, we pick up from there. All cash. Quality is better than store-bought, I know the source, and the price per pound is a LOT less than grocery stores.

I think we live in the same county. How does one go about buying right from the farmer/butcher?

 

[Jones1776]

Spring creek just outside Columbia city on US 30 has green houses and sales plants of course. They have lots of locally sourced food like honey, amish noodles, cheese, candy etc. They are really reasonable on price also

 

[DeadeyeChrista'sdad]

Ex wife and I split half a beef every year. Her friend delivers to Ketron's over in New Madison,. We (usually just she, now) picks it up and pays them, and we split the processing fee and the farmer's fee and have good beef for the next year. Simple. Ketron's and Winner's both do excellent work.

 

[Usmccookie]

My dad grows all of his own meat and a significant amount of produce. He has a huge surplus of beef and eggs. He fills my freezer as well as my brothers' and still has to give steaks away. If anyone is interested near Lafayette i can ask if he'd be interested, o promises though as he is pretty reserved.

 

[Phase2]

Growing your own food and raising chickens or other animals can have a serious impact on your food bill. It is as local as you can get and allows you to share with neighbors/family/friends.

I also like local farmers markets for much of the rest of my food.

 

[eldirector]

I think we live in the same county. How does one go about buying right from the farmer/butcher?

Can't remember exactly how we got the name. Friend of a friend, maybe? We literally have the name of a local farmer, and he uses a particular butcher/processor. Call him up and tell him what you want. He typically has a few animals available. He gives you a price and a date it will be ready (usually a few weeks to a couple of months - depends when he last went to the auction). When he calls you to say it is ready, you call the processor and fill out your cut order. A few days later, you go pick up a few hundred pounds of frozen meat.

I'll PM you the name. Gotta dig it out of my phone (I need to write it down). Need to order a pig this week myself.

Running thru the rest of these posts with my wife. Might try a few of these ideas. The dairies sound interesting, as we go thru a TON of milk, cheese, etc... Getting a garden in this week. That won't be enough to float the whole year, though. Would love a source of FRESH veggies, year-around (greenhouse?).

 

[Roadman]

We have been involved with raising beef cattle for decades. Funny thing is that we rarely eat beef. I started processing my own deer when I was in college and cash poor. Over the years venison became our main meat so much that we prefer it over beef. I have a grinder, stuffer, mixer, and a slicer in my at home butcher shop. We know our meat is pure and properly handled. Also I can’t buy better jerky than we can make. It does help that we own plenty of hunting land.

 

[CampingJosh]

As we search out closer sources of supplies, I think it's important that we (society/nation) don't tighten down so much that we are our only source of, well, anything.

A global pandemic shows the weaknesses of getting so much from single other country for sure. But localized issues are a lot more common than global ones, so I think it's important to maintain multiple channels for food, medicines, raw materials, etc.

I think diversification of supply should be the lesson more than everything needs to be made in the U.S.

 

[Phase2]

As we search out closer sources of supplies, I think it's important that we (society/nation) don't tighten down so much that we are our only source of, well, anything.

A global pandemic shows the weaknesses of getting so much from single other country for sure. But localized issues are a lot more common than global ones, so I think it's important to maintain multiple channels for food, medicines, raw materials, etc.

I think diversification of supply should be the lesson more than everything needs to be made in the U.S.

We have a long, long way to go before "too much local" is an issue. We have much more of a problem with not being able to find out where our food and other items are coming from and government is the primary obstacle to proper labeling.

 

[Lex Concord]

Pasture's Delights: Indiana's Source for REAL (raw) MILK!

The herdshare buyback is smart. Solidifies the legitimacy of having an actual (and transferable, to a degree) ownership stake in the herd, which is "required" for raw milk in Indiana. Required is in quotes because it is not an explicitly acceptable practice in code, but is an approach that has been used for many years to satisfy the ownership exemption spelled out in the IC. Previous herdshare programs we've been in haven't had such a buyback.

Another approach is to sell the raw milk as "pet milk" (i.e. intended for consumption by your pets). Traders Point Creamery (just North of 86th and just West of 465 in Indy) had recently started selling raw pet milk the last time we visited a couple of years ago. Not sure if they still do it, but I'm guessing others offer it as well.

TPC used to be a good source for a variety of locally sourced foodstuffs. Dairy (obviously) as well as beef, pork, poultry, etc. They were generally a bit expensive, for my tastes, but their products were always high quality. Their pourable yogurt and ice creams were always a-maz-ing.

We get most of our meat from a formerly Amish Ft. Wayne area farmer we met years ago. He takes our order for quantity, takes it to the processor and we give the processor our cut order. He then picks it up and delivers all orders to a friend's house in the Indy area. He's one of the finest human beings I've ever met, and his products are top notch. Grass fed nearly organic Angus, pastured pork and chicken, and occasionally eggs and some produce. We get the beef bones, all the organs allowable by law for beef and pork, and the pork fat, which we render to lard ourselves. The processors typically offer the rendering service, but they mix all the fat from all the animals and render it together, so we do it ourselves to ensure we're only getting the fat from his cleaner healthier animals.

Co-ops are also a great way to get relatively local (Rockville was the furthest source for us) produce. If you're not familiar with the concept, you pay a flat fee up front, and you live and die with the farmer. If it's a great year, you're typically giving away produce. If not, you'll have to supplement from other sources. We've found them by word of mouth, but I'm sure some have exposure online.

Honey from Hunter's Honey Farm in Martinsville. Raw honey. It's amazing. Buy it in the five gallon bucket (60 lbs.) and repeat every few years. Honey never spoils. Their little shop is cool if you live close enough or happen to be in the area.

 

[GLOCKMAN23C]

I'll have to check out Hunter's in Martinsville. I don't personally do the herdshare thing, but my mom does. The milk doesn't keep long enough for me, but I do buy some meat from them, and it is great. I've had their milk and it is really good.

 

[dprimm]

Used to get Hunters Honey. Now get more local in Brownsburg. Really enjoyed Hunters setup. Cool they will sell just about any sized container.