Question about CSA meat shares

[Anonymous]

We have decreased our meat eating quite a bit for our family of four, though it is still a staple of our dinner diet. We eat vegetarian about 2 nights per week and very rarely eat meat for breakfast or lunch (sometimes bacon with breakfast on a weekend). Anyway, I'm wondering if there is an environmental benefit to switching where we purchase meat to our CSA. We're already member of Lancaster Farms CSA for veggies year round and fruit in the summer. Do you think doing their meat share is more environmentally friendly? Can I reliably assume that at least the animals are treated better than grocery store meat, or is that not necessarily the case?

[Anonymous]

Yes it is better

[Anonymous]

I don't know that specific farm (and hear horror stories about some of the farms around Lancaster), but most grocery store meat is way worse than small farms.

[Anonymous]

OP thanks for sharing. We all need to cut. I am only at meatless twice a week (my son still sneaks out and cheats).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have decreased our meat eating quite a bit for our family of four, though it is still a staple of our dinner diet. We eat vegetarian about 2 nights per week and very rarely eat meat for breakfast or lunch (sometimes bacon with breakfast on a weekend). Anyway, I'm wondering if there is an environmental benefit to switching where we purchase meat to our CSA. We're already member of Lancaster Farms CSA for veggies year round and fruit in the summer. Do you think doing their meat share is more environmentally friendly? Can I reliably assume that at least the animals are treated better than grocery store meat, or is that not necessarily the case?

You can always google the farm in question and many of them have visiting days. If the meat is local it’s already less carbon intensive, if they’re grass fed it’s healthier (for the cattle, for the planet and for the humans eating it). If they’re pastured it’s healthier. If they’re giving them that seaweed supplement, then that’s much of the burped up carbon dioxide and farted methane erased, too. And if they’re regenerative farmers, all the better!

It’s all a matter of degrees and in buying CSA meat you’re buying local and supporting small farmers vs big agribusiness.