Clean

Clean

Additive-free Beef, Pork and Chicken

Partner farmers of beef, pork and chicken commit to the following standards to produce healthy, hormone-free, steroid-free, antibiotic-free, GMO-free meat:

  • Animals have never been fed or injected with any sort of artificial hormone, steroid, or growth enhancer
  • Animals have never been fed or injected with any antibiotics, for any reason
  • Cattle have never been fed animal or fish by-products of any kind (e.g., bone meal, hog fat, etc.), or any Genetically Modified Organism (GMO)
  • Animals have been raised on pasture on which principally organic means are used to treat pests and weeds. (A partner farmer may occasionally use a synthetic herbicide if a localized outbreak warrants it.)

100% Grass-fed Beef

Our beef comes from cattle who spend their whole lives on pasture - they are 100% grass-fed and grass-finished. 100% grass-fed beef is more nutritious than conventional grain-finished beef in a number of respects:

  • Higher in omega-3 fatty acids
  • Higher in conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a key anti-oxidant
  • Higher in beta-carotene (a vitamin A precursor) and vitamin E
  • Lower in palmitic and myristic acid (which can raise cholesterol)

Feel free to email us if you'd like more detail on these or other health benefits of 100% grass-fed beef. Our standards for complying with USDA criteria for 100% grass-fed are detailed here. 

Pasture-raised Chicken

Chickens live and feed on pasture. The only part of their lives that they are not out on pasture is in their first few weeks, which they spend in a brooder. Living in the pasture, they are able to forage for worms and insects, as well as grasses. The supplemental feed they receive is non-GMO. The feed for the meat chickens (as opposed to the egg-layer chickens) is also soy-free. 

    Pasture-raised Pork

    Our pork is from pigs who are crosses only of heritage breeds. They live and feed on pasture and woodlot. (In winter months, only, their access to pasture is limited at some times.) The supplemental feed they receive is non-GMO and soy-free. 

    Clean Processing of Bacon, Sausage and Hotdogs

    • Bacon and sausage are processed without the use of nitrates or nitrites. Brine for bacon is limited to sea salt, cane sugar and honey. (More detail)
    • No seed oils or any other contaminants are added to change sausage texture. 
    • Beef hotdogs similarly don't include nitrates, nitrates or industrial seed oils,  but do include dextrose.
    • Ingredients detailed here

    Wild-caught Seafood

    Wild-caught fish and shellfish are devoid of the antibiotics used in intensive fish-farming (aquaculture) operations. Of course, wild-caught fish have also eaten natural diets, not the industrial fish chow that farmed fish are fed.    

    Allergens and Common Dietary Restrictions

    • There is no gluten, dairy or soy in any products. 
    • Beef hotdogs include dextrose, which is derived from corn -- the only "-ose" ingredient in any of our products. Besides this one case, natural sugars are used to sweeten sausage or bacon. 
    • About half of our sausage types include these natural sugars, while about half have no sweeteners at all. Customers on no-sugar diets can certainly request that we exclude sweetened sausages while curating with non-sweetened sausages. (Sausage ingredients listed on Add-On page.) 

    Humane is healthy

    See also standards for humaneness, which affect meat healthfulness. 

     

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