Meat CSAs

The Boston Globe recently suggested meat CSAs as a way to save money on high-quality meat. Meat CSAs work pretty much just like fruit & vegetable CSAs, in which consumers buy "shares" of a farm's harvest and receive a portion of the harvest, usually in weekly deliveries, except deliveries tend to be monthly. In my limited experience with a meat CSA (which I love), it's not so much about saving money as it is about having access to meat from humanely raised animals and supporting a farm or groups of farms following sustainable animal husbandry practices and producing meat that you like.

I know there are several meat CSAs in the Bay Area, and a few near Boston. I'd love to hear about other meat CSAs, so send me an email or comment and I'll put a list together for people around the country. In the meantime, I've managed to track down these meat CSAs:

• Clark Summit Farms (Bay Area, California)
• Marin Sun Farms (Bay Area, California)
• Bay Area Meat CSA (Bay Area, California)
• Stillman's Farm (Boston area, Massachusetts)
• Chestnut Farms (Boston area, Massachusetts)
• 8 O'Clock Ranch (New York)
• Thundering Hooves (Walla Walla, Washington)
• J&C Nyman Farms (Toronto and Kingston areas, Ontario)

Virtual Cookie Exchange- John Mitzewich, our guide to American food offers this recipe and says “America's favorite gourd meets America's favorite cookie to make: pumpkin chocolate chip cookies!”