I read about this guy last week that has a U-Pick ranch in Saskatchewan. You drive out to his ranch, pick a juicy looking cow (or possibly steer) from his herd; then a few months later he has it sent to a local butcher and you go and pick it up. This is a brilliant idea and I hope it catches on. From what I understand, most of the meat we buy in the grocery store has been raised under less than ideal conditions. Read a book called “Fast Food Nation” if you want to be thoroughly disgusted. I think it might even be a movie now, for those non-readers out there.
If this becomes popular it would encourage smaller herds for ranchers and the purchasing of locally raised beef (good things). Just try to ask the guy behind the meat counter at Safeway if you could visit the ranch and slaughterhouse where you steak spent its brief but glorious existence…
You can read more about it on the CBC or visit the website of Allin’s U-Pick Steak Farm. I expect that there are a fair number of ranches in Alberta that you can visit and order a side of beef from; they just don’t (yet) advertise themselves as U-Pick. So, give it a try.
This sounds like a good idea to me too. I prefer to get my meat from the halal stores currently since they get their meat from local farmers, and then the animals have all the blood drained from them immediately, so the meat is even a little more tender. My best friend’s dad actually supplies goat to a lot of the halal stores. Meat from the stores also has red dye added to it to make it look fresher, but raw meat isn’t really red; it’s brownish.
Why can't you have the cow (or steer) right away? How do you know it's your cow?
Well,according to the original CBC article, the rancher finishes fattening the cow up once you've made your selection. Then there's the time to transport to the butcher and the butchering time.
I guess one way to be sure would be to feed your cow a mercury thermometer while you're picking it out. Then when you pick up your meet if your gums start bleeding after you eat some, you can be sure.