Thursday, March 12, 2009

Nutrafarms

Wanna know what $3,000 worth of meat looks like?

Well, it looks like this:

And this: And a little bit of this:

Yep--we got our year supply of organic, free-run meat last night. And holy crap-it's a lot of meat!

That freezer in the first pic--that's a 10 cubic foot freezer, and it's STUFFED. Then the second pic is our kitchen freezer and with the exception of a couple M&M supplies, some frozen pizzas and some veg, it also STUFFED with the meat. And the third pic is the boxes of the meat that wouldn't fit, so I unpacked the boxes and stuffed the individual meats anywhere they would fit.

When we first moved into our new house, my husband was home one day and a door to door meat salesman came a knockin'. I know-I thought it was super weird too. Anyways, they were offering local, organic, free-run meat from Ontario-based farmers/ranchers. Hubs doesn't really care where his meat comes from, but he knows I do, so he told the salesperson that, sure, we'd like to have someone come by when we're both home with a free sample and to talk meat.

Don't worry, it's definitely as weird as it sounds.

So on Valentine's Day, amidst the dust and chaos that was installing hardwood, a rep came by and we talked meat. What our shopping habits were, cooking habits, meal planning habits, etc. She left with a void cheque and a credit card number and a promise of much meat to come. I have to admit I was a little skeptical.

Anyways, last week we tried their sample, and it really was delicious. Hubs commented that, "it tastes like meat should taste". Obvious, yes, but it really did taste different. And better.

Anyways, the company we ordered it from is Nutrafarms and the idea that for the next year + at least, we'll consciously be minimizing the hormones, chemicals and additives ingested is a good feeling. Plus when I think about the conditions the animals are in for a lot of mass-produced meat, poultry, eggs & dairy it makes me really not want to eat them. (I've meantioned I'm a suck, right?)

Some of the studies I've read are kinda worrisome, and this seems at least like a step towards a solution. (i.e. ever wonder why girls these days are hitting puberty earlier and getting more endowed than other generations---they pump craploads of estrogen into chickens so the bonelss, skinless chicken breasts we all eat like hotcakes are more appealing and efficient.) Anyways, I don't want to get all soap-boxy, but there you have it. Short of becoming a vegetarian, which I don't think I could, I'm happy with our decision.

Curious what the smallest package of meat one can get includes?

5lb striploin steaks
5lb sirloin steaks
15lb T-bone steaks
30lb extra lean ground beef
2 x sirloin tip roast
30 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
15lb ground chicken
15lb ground turkey
15lb pork loin chops
5lb sliced bacon
5lb ground pork
5lb lean ground pork
5lb mild italian sausages
5lb hot italian sausages
4 family-sized lasagnas
4 family-sized shepherds pie
4 family-sized chili
And a bunch of cans of vegetables

That's our customized package, though, and we're going to swap out some of the above items for others (round roasts, shrimp & scallops, dinner ham & pork loin roast) because there's no way we need 70lb of ground meat. 70 lbs...shize!

10 comments:

  1. How is the meat so far? We might buy a package tomorrow. A few years ago we did the same thing with a company from Mtl. I was skeptical as well, but the meat was actually really good and of high quality.

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  2. We are thinking of putting in an order, however we are a bit skeptical so we're doing a bit of research before we commit. We just received our sample last night and have yet to cook it.
    Just wondering is the meat as tender as stated, and how is the taste?
    Has your experience with them been good in general?

    Thanks for posting the pics and list.

    Allen

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  3. I was skeptical too-I mean, who buys meat from a door-to-door salesman right?

    But it really is so much better than normal Loblaws, Farm Boy, etc meat. We really do love it. Plus the fact that it's all right there ready to be thawed and used is super handy for non-planners like us.

    And we were able to trade some excess of the ground meat and chicken breast to try more steaks, seafood and more roasts, which are just as good.

    Just make sure you realize how much you're getting so you get the right size freezer. We're still juggling everything.

    If it helps, we'll be buying from them again next year.

    Thanks for checking out my blog, and sorry for the late reply-I'm not used to comments :)

    Good luck with your decisions!

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  4. Hello there,

    I realize that this is 6 months after your original post but we had a visit from a nutrafarms guy recently and my wife and I are thinking about doing it. So, please let me know if you are still satisfied 6 months later. Do you feel you got good value for your $?

    Any info you can give would be MUCH appreciated.

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  5. We just ordered from them as well, we had a very good feeling but after reading nummerious blogs we are a little scared that its a big scam, especially since they give a certificate saying they are BBB registred but when we checked it out it turns out they are not.... so that really makes us wonder what the company is all about. Please update the blog and let us know if you have had any issues or problems with them since your delivery.

    Thanks,

    W

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  6. Hi Jerome,

    We're definitely still satisfied with them. I won't lie-it's not cheap and we probably wouldn't spend close to $3K on meat in a year no matter what.

    But, it's great meat and it's healthy meat, so it's an expense we're happy with.

    My advice is to make sure you know how and what you eat though. Sure enough-we ran out of ground beef and chicken breast a while ago, so we should have stuck with their estimations. Be honest with yourself and if you like bacon-get the bacon. If you eat a roast a year-only get one.

    Good luck-and enjoy!

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  7. To Anonymous,

    A rep explained to me the reason they are not with the BBB (although they have a positive rating of A- when I checked they really only had two complaints and I know they have thousands of customers-so I didn't think it was bad). The rep explained the owner realized whether they were a member or not didn't seem to have a bearing as rating system is the same. The owner gives the $1,000 membership fee to charitable organizations instead.

    I'm loving my package. Used to be a vegetarian because I would swell up terribly from the chemicals in store bought meat. Haven't had any problems with the chemical free meat. Not only does it taste fantastic - juicer - but doesn't sit so heavy in the stomach.

    Hope that helps.

    T.

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  8. I got my first nutrafarm package a year ago. We still have a bunch of it left - they didn't have a problem waiting a few more months to place an order for this year. It's a great service, you get what they say they will provide - not a scam, even though it seems ultra-sketchy when they first come knocking at your door... We got the freezer they offered. Also good quality, just like the meat! Also, being able to swap out anything you decide you don't like for something that you do is awesome! They're so flexible - you don't have to stick exactly to a package, ordering more or less of what you want and need.

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  9. Do the math on the price per pound for the meat: it is extremely expensive, and you can get the same quality for a lot less from a local butcher.

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  10. We're considering it, however, since reading these posts, we weren't made aware that they'd give us a freezer (we have one). That doesn't really seem fair to customers who already have a freezer...could someone offer me some more insight on this?

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