– Do you want to try eating ‘nose-to-tail’ or order bulk but have limited freezer space?
Do you look at the price of a Quarter Beef or Whole Lamb and wonder how you can budget spending that much at once?
Are you adventurous and open to trying a variety of cuts while learning more about how to use them?
Then our ‘Meat Share’ program might be perfect for you…
Spots are currently full for our 2021 Meat Share Program (the “Beef Box” and “Lamb Box”), but if you are interested, please let us know so that you can be considered on a wait list for 2021 (if spots become available) or for the next program intake.
How it Works:
- Sign up via our Online Farm Store: Search “Meat Share” in our online store, and select your desired package (ie. “Beef Box” or “Lamb Box”), and the version (6 month vs. 12 month). We ask for a $50 deposit upon signing up that will be returned to you upon completion of the program (discounted from your last payment). If you finish your 6 months or 12 months, and wish to continue on with the Meat Share program, we’ll hold your spot for you to keep on going! Make sure to select “Meat Share: Egg Add-On” or “Meat Share: Honey Add-On” at the same time that you sign up for the Beef Box or Lamb Box itself, and we’ll mark you down to receive either or both of those products on a regular basis. You’ll also have the option to add-on items available in our regular online store each month (ie. extra ground beef, sausages, pail of honey, pa), though please note that eggs are not always available on a monthly basis, unless you have subscribed for regular pick-up. If you have already signed up, we will be contacting you to receive more information about your preferences on package type (6-month Beef Box, 12-month Beef Box, 6-month Lamb Box), pick-up frequency, and other product add-ons.
2. Pick up your ‘box’ once a month, or once every other month: Come to pick up your meat box at one of two available pick-up locations in Winnipeg, each month. The pick-up locations will change slightly: for example, February will be St. James and St. Vital; March will be River Heights and East Kildonan; April back to St. James and St. Vital, and so on, alternating. (Note: If it works best for you to pick up at your closest neighbourhood location, then bi-monthly pick-up might be the best option for you as you can pick up at the same spot each time.) **Please note that bimonthly pick-up will only be available for those with 12-month subscriptions – if you are on a 6-month, you will be required to pick-up monthly. We will send reminders before each monthly pick-up, and charge your credit card (with option for manual or automatic payment) about a week prior to delivery. Your box will contain a variety of beef or lamb that is selected by us, the farmers. By the end of 6 (or 12) months, you will have received either a quarter beef (Beef Box) or a whole lamb (Lamb Box). See the scheduled pick-up dates, listed below.
3. Receive member perks, information and recipe ideas, and enjoy healthy local food! We will enjoy the opportunity to see you on a regular basis, giving you the chance to ask us questions and get recipe ideas on the cuts offered that month. We also plan on sending out regular newsletters in 2021 that will send this information straight to your inbox. As Meat Share members, you will also have the opportunity to receive:
- Guaranteed supply of our beef or lamb when supply would be otherwise unavailable to the general public
- Complimentary reusable Fresh Roots Farm tote bag, which you will get to keep at the end of the program.
- 50% off discount on our favourite grassfed beef cookbook: “Cooking Grassfed Beef: Healthy Recipes from Nose to Tail” by Shannon Hayes ($10 instead of regular $20)
- First chance to sign up for receiving regular subscription of eggs from our pasture-raised hens (“Egg Share”)
- First chance to receive our locally and naturally tanned lambskins, at discounted pricing
- First notification to sign up to receive pasture-raised chickens (from another local farm)
- Opportunities to come visit the farm for a tour (tentatively planned for Summer/Fall 2021)
By supporting our farm via the subscription model, you are helping provide us with stability in knowing we will have a set amount of sales for that month. Plus, when you choose to support our farm you are supporting our practices, which are based around ecological principles of soil regeneration, plant and microbial diversity, healthy grazing animals, and in general a model of local food economies that are crucial to preserve. We have really enjoyed the relationships we have been able to cultivate with our Meat Share members; this is the reason why we are marketing direct to families in the way that we have chosen to do.
Add-Ons:
You have the option of adding additional Fresh Roots Farm products to your monthly/bimonthly order, with the options being:
Eggs from Pasture-raised Hens: at special discounted price of $5.50/dozen. Minimum order is 2 dozen (monthly pick-up) or 4 dozen (bimonthly pick-up). Meat Share members get priority over all other customers when eggs are in lower supply; still, due to variability in lay and overall availability, egg orders may not be guaranteed year-round.
Raw Honey: You have the option of adding a jar of our honey to your order each time, either:
– 500g jar: $7
– 1 kg jar: $12
– 3 kg pail: $30
*Other additional items, such as other beef or lamb cuts made available in our online store for that month, pails of our raw honey, or value-added products that we carry from other local producers (ie. quinoa, rolled oats, preserves) can be added on by the Meat Share customer at any time.
What You Get / Pricing:
BEEF BOX:
Our Grassfed Beef Box is based on a Quarter Beef (Split Half), plus one of each type of sausage (5) and burger patties. Approximatly 95 lbs meat & bone (frozen, cut & wrapped), divided into around 16 lbs meat per box/month (6 month program) or 8 lbs meat per box/month (12 month program). For those that want to receive their Beef Box every other month, over 12 months, you will receive around 16 lbs each time.
The monthly package of cuts will be selected by us, with variety and seasonality in mind (ie you will not receive one type of one cut all at once; more steaks in Summer, more roasts in Winter).
Over the 6 or 12 months, you will receive:
– Approx. 25 lbs (11 packages) in roasts (Cross-rib, Sirloin Tip, Inside Round, Outside Round, Eye of Round, Chuck)
– Approx. 25 lbs (25 packages) in steaks (Tenderloin, Ribeye, Striploin, T-Bone, Top Sirloin, Round, Tri-tip, Skirt, Flank)
– Approx. 5-6 lbs (2-3 packages) in Short Ribs
– Approx. 5-6 lbs (5-6 packages) in Stewing Beef
– Approx. 24 lbs (24 packages) in Ground Beef (ground will be spread out equally over all months)
– Approx. 5 lbs (5 x packages) of gluten-free sausages (one of each flavour), plus 1.75 lbs (1 package) of our pre-made burger patties. **Please inform us if you prefer not to receive sausages that contain pork.
– PLUS: 1 x package of Meaty Soup Bones, 2 x packages of Marrow/Knuckle Bones, 2 x packages of Liver (you may opt out of the bones and liver, if you don’t feel like your family will utilize them).
Cost:
– 6-Month Beef Box (monthly pick-up): $140/month (plus $50 refundable deposit)
– 12-Month Beef Box (monthly or bimonthly pick-up) : $72/month (plus $50 refundable deposit)
**Note that there is a bimonthly pick-up option for the 12-Month Beef Box only, but we will still require payment to be made on a monthly basis.
***Customers who sign up for both the Beef Box and Lamb Box will receive a $10 discount!
LAMB BOX:
The Lamb Box will be made available only as a monthly pick-up for 6 months, between February and July 2021. **Note for previous members: We have removed the 12-month Lamb Box option, as it corresponds better with the timing of our harvest and butchering. More lamb may be available for purchase in later months of the year – in which case Meat Share members will have first option to purchase.
Our Grassfed Lamb Box is based on a Whole Lamb. Approximately 30 lbs meat & bone (frozen, cut & wrapped), divided into around 5 lbs meat per box/month. The monthly package of cuts will be selected by us, with variety and seasonality in mind (ie you will not receive one type of one cut all at once; more grilling cuts in Summer months, more roasts in Winter months).
Over the 6 or 12 months, you will receive:
– Approx. 2 lbs (1 package) in shoulder roast
– Approx. 6-7 lbs (4 packages) in leg of lamb roasts
– Approx. 7 lbs (9-10 packages) in lamb chops
– Approx. 3.5-4 lbs (2 packages) in Rack of Lamb
– Approx. 2 lbs (2 packages) in Lamb Shanks
– Approx. 3 lbs (2 packages) in Lamb Kebab/Stew meat
– Approx. 5 lbs (5 packages) in Ground Lamb
– PLUS: 2 x packages of Meaty Lamb Neck Bones/Soup Bones, 1 x package of Liver.
**Other organs such as heart and kidney may be made available upon request.
– You will also receive a complimentary jar of our raw honey.
Cost:
– 6-Month Lamb Box (monthly pick-up): $67/month (plus $50 refundable deposit)
***Customers who sign up for both the Beef Box and Lamb Box will receive a $10 discount!
Delivery Schedule (February 2021-January 2022)*
Pick-up windows will be for 1 hour in an outdoor setting; you may come any time within that hour. Please read the note below regarding missed pick-ups. Note that the day of the week for pick-up changes from Saturdays in the Winter to Thursdays in the Summer (we realize many people are out of town on the weekends in Summer). Also, at some [rare] times of the year, there may be 5 weeks instead of 4 between pick-ups. You are not obliged to pick-up at one particular location each time; for example, if you miss the first pick-up location/time, you may pick your order up at the second one that day.
Saturday, February 13: St. James (Bourkevale Community Centre), 11:30am-12:30pm / St. Vital (St. Vital Centennial Arena), 2:00pm-3:00pm
Saturday, March 13: River Heights (River Heights site of Corydon Community Centre), 11:30am-12:30pm / East Kildonan (Elmwood-Kildonan YM-YWCA), 2:00-3:00pm
Saturday, April 10: St. James, 11:30pm / St. Vital, 2:00pm
Saturday, May 8: River Heights, 11:30am / East Kildonan, 2:00pm
Thursday, June 10: St. James, 2:00-3:00pm / St. Vital, 5:30-6:30pm
Thursday, July 8 River Heights, 2:00-3:00pm / East Kildonan, 5:30-6:30pm
Thursday, August 5: St. James, 2:00pm / St. Vital, 5:30pm
Thursday, September 2: River Heights, 2:00pm / East Kildonan, 5:30pm
Saturday, October 9: St. James, 11:30pm / St. Vital, 2:00pm
Saturday, November 6: River Heights, 11:30am / East Kildonan, 2:00pm
Saturday, December 4: St. James, 11:30pm / St. Vital, 2:00pm
Saturday, January 8 (2022): River Heights, 11:30am / East Kildonan, 1:30pm
*Please Note: Delivery dates/times may be subject to change. If you unable to pick-up an order, you may arrange for a friend or family member to pick-up for you. Single missed deliveries will still be charged to the customer, ie. this is a commitment to a monthly or bimonthly pick-up schedule, that we expect subscribers to honour. Members may send someone else in their place to pick up their order, if they are unable. We will not be expected to hold packages over for an extra pick-up period if you are unable to attend pick-up. Subscribers deciding to opt out mid-completion will not be charged for subsequent deliveries, but will not be refunded their $50 deposit.
I like how I get these different cuts that I would not normally pick up at a store as I wouldn’t necessarily know how to cook them. Being a part of the meat share program I got to experiment and try new recipes and that has been a lot of fun. I also like that I don’t have to think about what cuts to buy as they will be select for me, making my life a little easier.
I really loved being able to spread the quantity and the cost of the meat over 6 months, especially the cost! The main reason we haven’t bought bulk beef before now is that there is not room in our budget to pay that much all at once for food, but by spreading it over 6 months we could make it work. Re: payments, I also really liked being able to pay by credit card and having that all automated so I didn’t have to remember every month!
The quality of the meat is amazing! The last time we cooked steaks for dinner I literally could not talk about anything other than how delicious they were for the entire meal. I also really appreciated getting the cookbook. It was nice to get some education on the different cuts of meat, and suggestions for cooking, new recipe ideas and so on.
Loved the fact it was local, grass fed. My husband used his Traeger all the time with the beef and we enjoyed every piece of meat.
We had our first leg of lamb tonight for family dinner. It was, hands down, the best leg of lamb we’ve ever tasted. It was delicious, tender and flavourful without being at all what one might say as being “gamy”. How we’ve enjoyed your lamb! Thank you.
The size is great. Fits my freezer. Would love this all year.
I believe what you do is important and applaud your hard work heartily. Because of you, my family gets to enjoy grass fed beef which is healthy and enjoyable.
An example of all of the cuts contained in a Quarter Grassfed Beef (some of the cuts in the background are cut off from photo). Note that steaks will be packaged in butcher paper, instead of cryovac. Not pictured, but included in the Beef Box: one of each (5) gluten-free sausages, 1 x package of 6 gluten-free burger patties.
Pictured above is an example of the total cuts included in the Whole Grassfed Lamb. Ground lamb packages in the Lamb Box will be 5 instead of the 3 shown.