Discover the best sustainable and organic meat delivery services to help you stock up on healthy grass-fed beef, organic chicken, heritage-breed pork, wild-caught salmon and more.
Meal planning. Grocery shopping. Prepping and cooking.
Putting dinner on the table for your family is hard enough – and when you want it to be healthy and sustainable – that can add even more pressure to the whole process.
One of the ways that I’ve found to make healthy meals easier is to have plenty of sustainably sourced meat on hand at all times!
When I have a good stock of grass-fed, pasture-raised and organic meat in my freezer, I know I can thaw it out for a quick weekday meal and even for something fancy on the weekends – and avoid running to the grocery store for factory-farmed meat at the last minute.
To make this happen, I’ve found it’s super helpful to order my meat online, which lead me to do a deep dive into the best organic meat delivery services.
Why Buy Sustainable and Organic Meat?
Before we get into the recommendations, let’s chat a bit about WHY purchasing meat that is organic, ethically produced and sustainably sourced is so important.
The sad truth is that most of the meat sold in grocery stores is factory-farmed – meaning the animals spend their lives in cramped quarters or feedlots (called CAFOs). These poor living conditions lead to sickness and disease, which leads to a dependence on antibiotics. In addition, many animals are fed growth hormones in order to increase yield.
Sustainably raised animals have plenty of room to roam and are never given growth hormones or antibiotics. They are allowed to graze and are given feed that is appropriate for the particular animal (organic and vegetarian feed is preferred).
Organic and sustainable meat production practices are also better for the environment. Practices like rotational grazing and avoiding pesticides are better for the land, soil quality and water runoff.
Studies have shown health benefits of eating organic meat over conventional meat as well. Higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants, and a lower risk of exposure to antibiotics, growth hormones and pesticides are some of those benefits.
(see the FAQ below for the terms and certifications to look for when buying sustainable and organic meat)
Best Organic Meat Delivery Services Available
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While it is possible to find sustainable and organic meat in local grocery stores, it can be hit or miss. Personally, I’ve found that it’s easier to buy the majority of my meat from an online delivery service, so that I can be sure that it is high-quality and sustainably sourced.
A note about pricing: High-quality, sustainable meat will cost a bit more than conventional, factory-farmed meat. Given the health and environmental benefits, it is well worth the extra cost!
ButcherBox
ButcherBox specializes in organic, grass-fed and humanely raised meat and seafood. All ButcherBox meat is free from hormones or antibiotics and comes from trusted partners that are dedicated to humane practices and sustainable standards.
I’ve been a ButcherBox customer for many years now and I love that I can stock my freezer with sustainably sourced meat and seafood, so I can make healthy meals for my family any time!
Types of meat available: 100% grass-fed/grass-finished beef, free-range organic chicken, humanely raised, crate-free pork, and wild-caught seafood, as well as periodic specials like lamb or bison.
Box types: ButcherBox offers 4 different curated boxes plus a custom box.
Subscription model? YES. Shipping frequency can be set from every 2 weeks to every 8 weeks. Specific shipping dates can be chosen and can easily be changed at any time. One-time gift boxes can also be ordered.
Certifications: ButcherBox chicken is USDA Organic certified and Global Animal Partnership (GAP) 3 certified.
Where is the meat from? ButcherBox meat is primarily sourced from farmers in the United States and Canada, however the beef comes from Australia because they have a more established program for grass-fed beef.
Shipping: Free on all orders
Best reason to order from ButcherBox: Member specials and add-ons are available with every order and many of these are great deals! Also – their uncured, nitrate-free bacon is the BEST!
My take: I order the custom box because I want to choose the exact cuts that work for my family – plus it is a slightly better value. ButcherBox is where I buy most of my sustainable and organic meat!
BUY ButcherBox (Use my link to get the current specials – they always have fantastic deals going on!)
(read my full ButcherBox review here)
Thrive Market
Thrive Market is an online grocery store specializing in healthy, natural and organic foods, including ethically-raised, sustainably sourced meat and seafood.
Frozen orders (including meat and other frozen food items) have a minimum of $65 or $120 for free shipping.
Types of meat available: Pasture-raised, organic chicken, 100% grass-fed beef, organic pork, wild-caught seafood.
Subscription model? NO. Thrive Market is a membership model – you pay a yearly membership fee of $59.99 to join and can place orders for all grocery and home items.
Box types: Must meet $65 minimum for a frozen order but boxes can be completely customized.
Certifications: Chicken and pork are both USDA Organic certified and chicken is GAP 3 certified.
Where is the meat from? Chicken and pork are sourced in the U.S. and the beef is from Chile.
Shipping: $19.95 or free on frozen orders over $120
Best reason to order from Thrive Market: Thrive Market has SO MANY other great natural and organic foods at great prices! The membership is totally worth it – I order from them at least once a month.
My take: I love the convenience of putting together a box of frozen foods including meats and other frozen products that I need.
BUY Thrive Market (Use my link to get 30% off + a free gift for your first order)
(read my full Thrive Market review here)
Crowd Cow
The founders of Crowd Cow believe that taste, transparency and convenience shouldn’t be mutually exclusive. So they partner with ethical farms and fisheries around the world to make healthy meat easy to access.
Types of meat available: 100% grass-fed beef and pasture-raised beef (raised on grass, finished on grains), Japanese Wagyu beef, heritage breed pork, free-range organic and pasture-raised chicken, wild-caught and farm-raised seafood.
Subscription model? YES or NO. Recurring boxes get 5% off every single box plus free shipping at $125.
Box types: You always customize your own box.
Certifications: Some producers are certified organic, but most are not.
Where is the meat from? Crowd Cow sources meat and seafood from ethical producers around the world including Japan, New Zealand, Norway and many places in the United States.
Shipping: Shipping is free on orders over $125 ($140 for some states).
Best reason to order from Crowd Cow: Crowd Cow offers the most variety of any of the meat delivery services I’ve seen.
Buy Crowd Cow (See website for new member specials)
Porter Road
Two colleagues, James and Chris, started Porter Road in order to get high quality, dry-aged meat into the hands of everyone who wanted it.
Types of meat available: Dry-aged, pasture-raised beef (grain-finished), pasture-raised pork and humanely raised, organic, pastured chicken.
Subscription model? YES and NO (see box types below)
Box types: Choose from a variety of curated boxes and pick the delivery schedule that works for you. You can also order individual cuts of meat at any time but shipping costs may be higher.
Certifications: Strict farming guidelines are followed, which almost always beat out the minimum organic standards, but most farms do not have the official certification. All animals are raised outdoors and fed vegetarian feed.
Where is the meat from? All meat is sourced from family-owned and operated farms in Kentucky and Tennessee.
Shipping: Shipping is free with subscription orders. Non-subscription orders over $125 are eligible for free or flat-rate shipping depending on where in the U.S. you live.
Best reason to order from Porter Road: If you want fresh meat that has never been frozen. Plus all their meat is sourced in the United States.
BUY Porter Road (Save 15% on your first box with code FIRST15)
FarmFoods
The founders of FarmFoods are on a mission to help people know where their meat comes from and how it was raised. They work with a variety of small family farms that are dedicated to humane and sustainable practices.
Types of meat available: 100% grass-fed/grass-finished beef, organic chicken, heritage breed pork and wild-caught fish.
Subscription model? YES and NO (see box types below)
Box types: A variety of box plans are available on subscription but individual packages of meat can be ordered at any time.
Certifications: Some farms are certified organic and some farms are certified humane.
Where is the meat from? Most meat is sourced from family farms in the United States and occasionally from New Zealand.
Shipping: $14.99 for orders under $125, free shipping on orders over $125 (+ a free pack of ground beef)
Best reason to order from FarmFoods: Online bios are available for each of the small family farms that they work with, so you can truly know where your meat is coming from.
U.S. Wellness Meats
U.S. Wellness Meats is a Missouri-based business specializing in grass-fed beef but also sells other types of meat.
Types of meat available: 100% grass-fed and grass-finished beef, heritage breed pork, grass-fed and grass-finished lamb and bison, pastured poultry (chicken, turkey, duck) and wild-caught seafood.
Subscription model? YES or NO. All subscription orders automatically receive 10% off on every order.
Box types: You customize your own box from their selection of products.
Certifications: None
Where is the meat from? 85% of their beef is sourced domestically from the U.S. and 15% comes from a partner farm in Tasmania.
Shipping: Shipping is free with a $9.50 handling fee
Best reason to order from U.S. Wellness Meats: If you love grass-fed beef, this is a great place to order it. Both frozen and fresh-chilled beef are available.
Buy U.S. Wellness Meats (Get 15% off when you sign up for their newsletter)
Sunday Farms
Sunday Farms is a Canadian company that wants you to be able to feed your family meat you can trust. They deliver pasture raised meat from regenerative local farms to your doorstep.
All animals are raised outdoors and graze freely on no-spray fields. They are never given GMOs, antibiotics or added hormones.
Types of meat available: Beef is 100% grass-fed + grass-finished, pork is heritage breed and raised on pasture (and offered non-GMO supplemental feed), chickens are pasture-raised and offered non-GMO supplemental feed.
Subscription model? YES. No long-term commitments – you can pause, modify, or cancel your plan at any time for free.
Box types: Both curated and custom plans are available.
Certifications: All of their farms adhere to extremely high standards and go beyond Certified Organic practices, although most do not have the official certification due to cost limitations.
Where is the meat from? All meat is sourced from Canada.
Shipping: Delivery is always free with your subscription order. Delivery to the greater Toronto area in Canada only.
Best reason to order from Sunday Farms: If you live in Canada!
FAQ for Organic Meat Delivery Services
Can’t I find organic meat at the grocery store?
Yes you can find ethical, sustainable and organic meat at the grocery store but it can sometimes be hard to find. Unless you have a local source that you can trust, it can be easier to purchase organic meat online.
Is sustainably raised and organic meat healthier?
YES! Studies have shown benefits from eating organic meat and grass-feed beef including higher levels of healthy, unsaturated fats like omega-3 and CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) – which are great for your heart and brain, and can reduce the risk of cancer. In fact, a review of studies showed that organic meat contains nearly 50% higher levels of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids than non-organic meat. Organic beef has been shown to have higher antioxidant levels and lower cholesterol and fat. Eating organic meat also reduces your exposure to pesticides, antibiotics and growth hormones.
How is sustainably raised meat better for the environment?
The process of raising and feeding animals sustainably is better for the environment in a number of ways. Managed grazing practices can help sequester carbon and grazing/crop rotation is better for soil health. Growing organic feed avoids pesticide runoff into water sources.
What do the terms for sustainable meat actually mean?
You do have to be careful when shopping for organic and sustainably sourced meat, to avoid being fooled by “greenwashing” or “healthwashing“. Just because the term natural or free-range is slapped on a label, isn’t proof that it actually means anything.
Here are some of the terms to look for when shopping for sustainable and organic meat:
- Natural: This term is often used to indicate that the meat has been minimally processed and does not contain any artificial ingredients or chemical preservatives – but it is NOT REGULATED.
- Grass-fed: This means that the animal has had the opportunity to eat grass at some point, but does not mean that they have ONLY been fed grass (they may be grain-finished).
- Grass-fed, Grass-finished: This means that the animal has been allowed to graze freely and has eaten only grass and forages (hay) for their entire life.
- Free-range: This term means that the animal has been given access to the outdoors but it does NOT mean that they can roam freely at all times (they may be confined indoors part of the time).
- Pasture-raised: According to the USDA, a pastured-raised animal must have had access to the outdoors for a minimum of 120 days per year. This is verified by a desk audit, not an actual farm visit.
What certifications should I look for when buying meat?
Bottom line, you are better off looking for trusted, third-party certifications to ensure that the meat you are buying was produced in the way that matters most to you.
Here are some of the certifications to look for when shopping for sustainable and organic meat:
- USDA Certified Organic: Animals must be fed 100% certified organic feed that is free from animal by-products, antibiotics or genetically engineered grains. Animals must have access to the outdoors and be raised on certified organic land.
- Global Animal Partnership: The 5-Step® Animal Welfare Certification Program from GAP provides consumers with an easy way to identify how animals were raised that includes specific standards for each species of animal.
- Certified Humane: Ensures that all animals have met standards for animal care and welfare including an all-natural diet free from antibiotics and hormones, adequate shelter and other specific standards for each species (small cages and close confinement are prohibited).
- American Grassfed: Cattle must be fed only grass (no grain) and are raised on pastures without confinement. Farms are inspected in person every 15 months.
Do you have a favorite place to buy sustainable and organic meat? Please share in the comments!
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