ARLINGTON — Deion Glover knows his steer is peacefully grazing on hay and grass somewhere up in Arlington.
And that’s all the Marysville resident needs to know.
He bought the animal this month, sight unseen, and may not get a glimpse of it until early summer after it’s been wrapped in freezer-ready packages, which will be divided among three other families.
Glover, 30, mailed the group’s $600 deposit check for the beef last week.
“It’s our first time doing it,” he said. “With the economy being the way it is, we want to support local farmers, instead of sending money to a big corporation.”
Glover, who works in law enforcement, isn’t alone. More and more people are discovering the benefits of buying local beef in bulk.
It’s hard to pin down the number of people now going directly to farmers to fill their freezers. The state and federal government don’t require the purchases to be reported. Instead, officials point to anecdotal evidence of a trend.
“People are more and more interested in local agriculture products,” said Jason Kelly, a state Department of Agriculture spokesman. “They know that it’s great to keep some of your food dollars in your local community.”
Examples of the practice abound.
Take Bobbi Lindemulder, who sells about 25 cattle each year from her small farm, West Valley Beef in Duvall. She sent out an e-mail last month, letting people know she was taking orders.
“I was sold out in 24 hours, which has never happened,” Lindemulder said. “We sell out faster and faster every year.”
While the purchase costs more up-front — usually $1,500 to $2,100 with butchering expenses — the meat is sold at a flat rate. That means everything from ground beef to sirloin steak costs the same, generally around $3 per pound.
“If you’ve got the money to make the investment, you’re getting meat really very economically,” said Kate Halstead, agriculture programs coordinator for Washington State University Snohomish County Extension.
Others involved with the trend — farmers, butchers and buyers — say Web sites such as EatWild.com make it easier to find local sources. Best-selling books such as “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” and “Fast Food Nation” also spur purchases by raising questions about factory-style food production.
Buying in bulk isn’t for everyone, of course. Receiving more than 100 pounds of beef at once can be intimidating. Along with grill-friendly steak and hamburger, the purchase includes cuts of meat that people need to know how to cook, such as tri-tip roast.
“You have to become more adventuresome as a cook,” Halstead said.
Granted, that won’t be a problem for Glover’s family.
“I had a roast a couple days ago,” he said.
Glover is buying his animal from On the Lamb Farm, a small hobby farm in Arlington that sells about 15 cattle each year.
Sara-Jo Gahm and her husband John Connolly run the spot. They got into the business about seven years ago, expanding on their grass-fed lamb business.
Like other farmers, they have been fielding more inquiries about their beef. Usually, they start getting orders in the early summer. This year, they’ve already sold two whole animals.
Gahm said most of their customers are like the Glovers: People who decide to buy a side of beef for a wide range of reasons, then hit the Internet to find a supplier.
And, like the Glovers, most make the purchase sight unseen.
“I’ve never had anybody say they want to know which cow is theirs,” Gahm said, laughing. “It’s easier not to know.”
Andy Rathbun: 425-339-3455, arathbun@heraldnet.com.
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