The Benefits of Buying Beef Locally (2024)

FAQs

The Benefits of Buying Beef Locally? ›

Eating locally sourced meat is often fresher, there is no need for long transport from a distant farm to a supermarket – the meat is raised in your neighbourhood. Local meat is processed and packaged much quicker, passing on additional nutritional benefits, and preserving the quality.

Eating locally sourced meat is often fresher, there is no need for long transport from a distant farm to a supermarket – the meat is raised in your neighbourhood. Local meat is processed and packaged much quicker, passing on additional nutritional benefits, and preserving the quality.

By comparison, local food is healthier because it's only transported short distances and isn't exposed to chemicals, gasses, or waxes used to preserve food for long-distance transport. Eating local also means you can meet the people who grow your food.

Foods that travel less between producer and consumer are generally considered more eco-friendly. Thus, despite the inherently resource-intensive nature of raising animals for food, many advocates for environmentally responsible eating promote local animal agriculture as part of a sustainable food system.

Reducing the amount of materials and products that are bought from national retail chains helps reduce your ecological footprint. Locally owned businesses can make more local purchases requiring less transportation and generally operate from within city centers as opposed to developing on the outskirts of a city.

Health Benefits of Buying Beef Locally

Fresher and More Nutrient-Dense Meat: Local farmers often prioritize the well-being of their animals and the quality of their meat. Beef from local farms is typically fresher because it doesn't go through the same long transportation and storage processes as grocery store meat.

A grass-fed lamb takes over a year to grow, and grass-fed cattle can take up to 3 years. Grain-fed animals grow much faster and require less land. The bottom line is that the cost per animal on a small farm is so much higher than the big industrial farms that sell to your grocery store.

Studies have found that grass-fed beef contains two to six times more omega-3 fatty acids than feed-lot beef. Omega-3 fatty acids have been found to help prevent and treat many diseases. They include heart disease, stroke, autoimmune diseases such as lupus, eczema, rheumatoid arthritis, and others.

Shorter Food Supply Chain- Locally sourced produce is usually picked within 24 hours of being sold. Less steps from farm to plate means less handling, meaning less potential for bacterial or viral contamination during distribution.

In a nutshell… Locally sourced meat is commonly thought to be better, both ethically and environmentally, than other types of meat and, sometimes, even better than plant-based alternatives!

How can buying locally benefit the environment? ›

Shopping locally promotes energy conservation in various ways. Local businesses tend to have smaller-scale operations, which generally require less energy for manufacturing, storage, and transportation compared to larger corporations.

By purchasing locally grown foods you help maintain farmland in your community. When farmers can profit from food production, they are less likely to sell land for development. You also reduce the environmental impact of shipping food using limited energy resources.

The Benefits Of Local Foods

First, the most obvious thing to point out is that eating locally will shorten the distance that goods have to travel to reach your dinner table. This reduces the carbon emissions produced in the transportation process, creating a smaller carbon footprint.

The benefits of local produce

A large part of the attraction with buying locally is supporting the local economy. For consumers, it also means knowing where your food comes from and getting fresher food.

Is it better to source your products and packaging locally, or globally? Local sourcing means less transportation and perhaps less carbon emissions, but there are occasions where it makes more environmental sense to source products from further afield.

Limited Variety. Buying local does not encourage variety. The goods and services, which are available in local markets, are few compared to the global market. This discourages the variety of production, and fewer products are brought to the market.

Local food tastes better.

The crops are picked at their peak, and farmstead products like cheese are hand crafted for the best flavor. Food imported from far away is older, has traveled on trucks or planes, and has sat in warehouses before it finally gets to you.

Butcher shops are known for their high-quality meat that's sourced from local farmers. The meat that you buy at the supermarket is often pumped with preservatives to extend its shelf life. At a butcher shop, you can trust that the meat is fresh, minimally processed, and of the highest quality.

Local food can be better for your health for a few reasons. To begin with, local foods often retain more nutrients. Local produce is allowed to ripen naturally, while food that travels long distances is often picked before it's ripe. And food picked fresh and in season doesn't have far to travel before being sold.