Buying meat - looking for suggestions

[Miss.September]

DH and I are really wanting to get our meat straight off the farm, if possible. We're looking for no hormones, free range, you get the gist!

I've been looking at Aussie Farmers Direct - has anyone used them? What did you think?

Or if you have any other suggestions for where we can get our meat (all cuts, and happy to get the animal in tact too, we have a meat boner in our family), please fire away. We're trying to get to some farmer's markets too, see the range. So if you have any recommendations at all, I'd love to hear them. We're in the northern suburbs of Melbourne, but "have car, will travel"

[HotI]

Do you have land you can grow your own?

[Miss.September]

I wish HotI! Mum's place isn't an option right now and our place is a shoebox block where I actually have no room for chooks, would love them though.

[LimeSlice]

In terms of retail, check out the Plantagenant Pork website, they have all their stockists listed.
Many of the butchers that stock PP will also stock free-range, ethical poultry too.

Also, google Belmore Meats, their meat is amazing.

[Miss.September]

Thanks Lime, I checked out the PP website, but the stockists are only in Perth. I know I said I'd travel...but......

Checked out Belmore Meats too, that's not too far from me so will give them a go. Thanks.

[Astrid]

Have come across Greenvale Meats at the Farmers Markets. Have not had a chance to use them as we just have not had the upfront cash for an order.

[wysiwyg]

We just had something through door for Havelock Farm - sounds like deliver to all Melbourne, and are free range and no antibiotics or hormones - think they might only do lamb though.

[~ Zarava Flutterby ~]

Do you have land you can grow your own?

If you find somewhere let me know, wouldn't mind even going in with someone for meat... i COULD 'grow' our own but i couldn't eat what would essentially become a pet, that and we'd have to pay for fencing and food
Hmmm if you want to pay for fencing and food i'll lend you an acre

[Astrid]

Glad to know Greenvale looks good so far, hopefully their meat is great.

We are breeding our own goats and if we can lease some extra land in a year or so we could put on a couple of head of cattle.

[Amity]

Belmore Meats is awesome. Expensive but awesome.

[HotI]

Get a cow or 2 and set them up at ZFs., she won't mind!

[Astrid]

Forgot about Cleavers Organic Meat. Used to be stocked directly by Coles and Safeway about 7 years before they went all "private Label". Dh used to deliver for them, so often we would get any leftover boxes if there had been a picking error. Looks like you can still get their meat through some of the speciality stores in Melbourne or online. It was very good back then.

[RoyaUK]

Hi, another recommendation for Greenvale meats. We've stayed on the farm a couple of times and i can say they have happy animals!! We normally buy about 17kg beef and half a lamb at a time. They also do pork. Last time the farmer actually dropped off our order to our door - which the kids loved (seeing him again)! Their produce tastes a million times better than anything in the supermarket. Well worth it.

[Miss.September]

Thank you for all your replies, you've all given me different avenues to take now. Will let you know how we go

[zap]

This could have being my post! Dh and I have being talking about buying direct from the farm.

[Smoke Jaguar]

I would strongly suggest you go to the Farmers Market website and get your meats from those - some can involve a drive, so that's not awful for the fam, and you get a variety of meats at the one market. On Sat I went to my local, Coal Creek market and picked up venison, lamb and beef. At the Inverloch one I got goat meat and there's usually the barramundi man about, too!
Google South Gippsland free range beef - best stuff from over this way
I spent about $70 on meat that will last us more than 2 weeks in meals.
Once we know what we're doing we'll be doing some kills and we could look into killing to order Watch this space! Plus, we'll grow some goat, sheep and quite possibly pig. For now it's beef - free range (not organic because we've been spraying weeds so that we can soon go organic), grass fed

[Miss.September]

Thanks Mayaness. I did check out the website for the farmer's markets and we know we've got a bit of exploring to do. We go to Healesville (the one that used to be at Yarra Glen) and we've been to the Collingwood Children's Farm one (got some great buffalo sausages there!) and we're going to try the Hurstbridge one next month. We're off to Phillip Island over Queen's b'day so might see if the Inverloch one is happening then and check it out.

Zap - feel free to hijack with anything you find! We'll learn together

I've put in an inquiry to Greenvale to see if they deliver to us or if there is a common drop point that I can meet them at. Aussie Farmer's don't deliver to our area, but I've put in a request anyway to try and see if we can get them here.

[Miss.September]

Just an update - spoke to the lady from Greenvale Meats and she is so lovely!!!!!! They're looking into starting a Melbourne Metro market in the next two months, just finalising which one and she's going to call me back to let me know, but at the moment she suggested I go to the Ballarat market and she can have an order ready for me, or they can meet me somewhere when they deliver to Melbourne restaurants. Can't wait to try their meat!