Here’s Where You Should Be Shopping for Meat in the Philly Area
The Philly area is home to plenty of butchers, farms, and co-ops to purchase locally, sustainably raised meats. Here are our favorites.
A sampling of pork chops, beef steaks, and other meat you can buy from Primal Supply Meats | Photo by Jason Varney
Sustainable meat is a complicated subject: There’s tons of evidence out there that says the number one change an individual can make to their carbon footprint is to stop eating meat (and dairy). But for lots of people, that’s out of the question. If you’re interested in eating more sustainably, and aren’t quite ready to cut out meat, eating more sustainably raised animals from local farms is a decent place to start.
You also can’t mention sustainable meat without discussing price. Sustainable practices are significantly less financially efficient than factory farming, which means meat is far more expensive than what you’ll find at your local Acme — and therefore not accessible to everyone. If you’re interested in buying more sustainable meat but worry about the price tag, consider opting for less popular cuts: Buy a whole chicken instead of chicken breasts, or a flank steak instead of a ribeye. Luckily, most of our favorite farmers, butchers, and grocery stores are staffed by folks who are more than happy to offer advice about how to cook cuts of meat that might be unfamiliar. Here are our go-to spots for more sustainable meat.
Primal Supply Meats
You can’t talk about sustainable meat in Philadelphia without talking about Primal Supply. Heather Marold Thomason opened the shop in 2016 to much fanfare. It’s modern whole-animal butchery that is deeply committed to sourcing local, sustainably raised meats. In 2019, they expanded to open a second brick-and-mortar shop in Brewerytown, and have since opened a third shop in Fishtown. They’ve also added a robust online delivery service since the coronavirus shutdown.
Ely Farm
Ely Farm raises hogs and cattle and breaks them down not just into raw meat to be sold at their farm stand in Newtown, but also into ham, bacon, sausages and more.
Griggstown Farm
Find Griggstown’s stand at Headhouse Farmer’s Market (and at tons of other area markets) and buy one of their meat-stuffed shepherd’s pie or chicken pot pies. The farm focuses on a variety of foul that can be difficult to source in the city, including quail, partridge, and duck.
Green Meadow Farm
Participate in Green Meadow’s farm share program and you’ll have the option to add on meat options including steaks from the steer’s raised on the farm, free range chickens, bacon, and more.
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Hillacres Pride
Hillacres Pride is connected to the same family’s dairy farm, and began as a cheese production. They’ve since expanded into selling pasture raised beef, pork from Berkshire heritage pigs, and chicken. Find them at the Collingswood and Headhouse Farmer’s Markets.
Riverwards Produce
Riverwards has excellent produce, yes, but they also keep a well-stocked and tightly curated meat case full of products from Primal Supply, Elizabeth Farms, Smith Poultry, and more.
Elizabeth Farms
You might recognize Elizabeth Farms’s name for their chef-favorite Mangalitsa pork, a Hungarian breed that carries significantly more fat (and therefore more flavor!) than the average pig. Home cooks can enjoy the luscious meat by ordering from the farm’s online store for delivery in Philadelphia or mail order nationwide. (They also allow pick-ups from the farm in Lilitz.)
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Smith Poultry
Situated in South Jersey, Smith Poultry raises free-range chickens, turkeys and Berkshire pigs. Their annual CSA includes produce, eggs and meat products, a rarity among CSAs and because of their location, they also offer an Atlantic City-based CSA, perfect for feeding the beach goers in your family. They also work closely to provide raw products the folks at Heavy Metal Sausage Company, who produce bacon, sausage, rillettes, and much more.
Weaver’s Way Co-op
Weaver’s Way sources meat from local vendors and farmer’s, including Esbenshade Turkey Farm, Meadow Run Farm, and Stryker Farm.
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South Philly Food Co-op
South Philly Food Co-op has specific product selection guidelines: They focus on locally and regionally produced, organic products that support fair labor practices and avoid hormones and antibiotics. So far, this has meant carrying meat from Griggstown Farm, Martin’s Sausage, and Stryker Farm.
Mariposa Food Co-op
Mariposa has been improving food access in West Philly since 1972. In 2012 they expanded significantly into a larger space where members and non-members alike can stock up on a brand selection of groceries, including a meat selection that focuses on locally raised products.
Livengood Family Farm
Livengood sells beef, chicken, lamb chicken, pork, and turkey every week at the Clark Park farmer’s market. In addition to being certified organic (a certification many farmers opt out of because of its high cost) they are certified “Beyond Organic” which indicates their commitment to regenerative farming practices.
