Millennials are more obsessed with authenticity than any other generation. They’re also the generation that’s most interested in buying local food. Whether you live in a small town or one of the largest cities in the country, it’s easy to find ways to support your local community by buying locally produced foods. To buy local beef, you need to know where to look. If you don’t have a local butcher, sourcing quality fresh cuts can feel like a challenge. While there are many advantages to buying local beef – from supporting your neighbors to eating healthier – it isn’t always as simple as walking into a grocery store and picking up a package of ground beef or steaks from the shelf. However, if you’re willing to put forth the effort, you can support the people who live near you and enjoy some delicious meat in the process! Here are some reasons why you should buy local beef.
It Supports Your Community
Buying from a local source is a great way to support your community. It allows you to hire people in your neighborhood, which gives you a great deal of control over how your money is spent. When you buy food from a local supplier, you keep your money in your community and out of the hands of large corporations. If you buy products from a large company, your money is split among the people who work at that company and the shareholders who own the company. The more of your money that goes toward employees, the more likely those people will be able to make a living in your community. Buying local also supports the diversity of your community. The less homogenized your town’s economy is, the more likely it is to thrive. Buying from local sources helps to ensure that your town’s economy is diverse.
Buying Local is Good for the Environment
If you’re worried about the environmental impacts of farming, buying local beef is a great way to show your support for environmentally friendly farming practices. Buying from local farmers allows you to see first-hand how your food is produced. When you see animals raised in clean, humane conditions, you know that’s what you’re getting. Buying local food also cuts down on the amount of fuel used to ship food across the country. You may not think about how much fuel is burned as food travels thousands of miles to reach your plate, but it’s a serious issue. According to the World Resources Institute, as much as 18% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions come from the transportation of food. Buying from local sources reduces your carbon footprint.
You Know Where Your Food Comes From
If you’re concerned about the additives and preservatives in processed meats, buying from a local source is a great way to ensure that you’re getting a fresh cut. Small shops often get their product delivered frequently, which means that cuts are likely to be very fresh. When you buy from a small shop, you’re more likely to be able to ask the butcher when the product was delivered. Buying from a small shop also gives you the opportunity to talk to the butcher, which is a great way to learn more about the meat you’re buying. You may be able to ask the butcher about the cut of meat you’re planning to buy, how to prepare it, and how long it will last at room temperature. You can also ask the butcher about the journey of your meat: where it came from, how it was raised, and what cut it was cut into.
It Tastes Great
Many people buy local food because they think it tastes better. Whether the flavor is a function of freshness or the different feed used on the farm is up for debate, but there is no denying that eating local foods is likely to be a more enjoyable experience. When you buy local beef, you’re more likely to be able to find cuts that are naturally tender. While many people associate tenderness with quality, that’s not always the case. There are many ways to tenderize a cut of meat, and they’re often not very healthy.
Summing up
Buying local beef is a great way to support your community and ensure that your food is fresh and healthy. The cows were likely to have been raised on a nearby farm, which is great for the environment. You can also be sure that the cows were humanely treated, and you can ask the butcher when the cows were slaughtered. Eating fresh, local beef is likely to taste better and healthier than store-bought meat, which might have been frozen or chemically treated. If you’re a millennial with a taste for authenticity, it’s time to buy some local beef!
