Southern California

[Python]

Any SoCal RAFer's that would be interested in meeting up sometime? Maybe share information about local meat and dairy?

[TylerDurden]

You should join the Primal Diet yahoo group and ask them where and when the Primal Diet Potlucks are held.  Southern California is the one place where such regular Meetups are held frequently, or so I'm told(mainly around the Los Angeles area, but also San Diego etc.). To join the Primal Diet Yahoo Group, you have to send an e-mail to the owner, asking to be put on the yahoo group and stating that you've read Aajonus' book "We Want To Live" (and his 2nd recipes book, if you've done so as well) as that's an entry requirement. The list is relatively light re posting so you'll have to post via the Primal Diet yahoo groups main page. The owner's e-mail-address is found here:-


primaldiet-owner@yahoogroups.com

The Primal Diet yahoo group is found here, but you can't access it until you're signed onto yahoo groups, at the time:-

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/primaldiet/

[lex_rooker]

I live in Southern California and would be pleased to meet with anyone in the area.  I live in Norwalk but often travel as far as Fresno to the north, San Diego to the south, Riverside/San Bernardino to the east, and Santa Barbara to the west.  All are welcome to stop by my home if in the area as well.  I check my yahoo e-mail every day or so when I'm home.  If I'm away at a seminar or something it may take a week or two for a reply as I don't carry a PC with me and will answer when I return home.

Email is    lex_rooker@yahoo.com

Lex

[B.Money]

Going to bump this old thread!

Where can I buy bulk good grass fed meat? I can't afford going back and forth to whole foods anymore, and all the 100% grass fed beef pastures are waaaaay up north and nobody even wants to think about shipping that far.

Anybody out here?

[RawZi]

    I don't know if you're near them, but this is Jimbo's:

http://www.jimbos.com/tour.php
    
    All their products are guaranteed free of:

Artificial colors and flavors.
Harmful chemical additives and preservatives.
Hydrogenated oils and tropical oils.
Irradiation.
Growth hormones, antibiotics, nitrates, and other chemical additives.

    I've bought meat there.

    You can order beef from Organic Pastures to be delivered to your California address.

[Cinna]

Going to bump this old thread!

Where can I buy bulk good grass fed meat? I can't afford going back and forth to whole foods anymore, and all the 100% grass fed beef pastures are waaaaay up north and nobody even wants to think about shipping that far.

Anybody out here?

I don't know exactly where you are in SoCal, but Watkins Cattle Company, based in Ojai, sells pastured beef at the Ventura Farmers Market (Wed.), Thousand Oaks Farmers Market (Thurs.), and Ojai Farmers Market (Sun.). Their website is still in development, but you could call the number on the website and ask them if they sell/ship in bulk. I actually haven't tried their meat; I'm going to make my first purchase on Thursday. But I spoke to their Marketing person last week and he assured me that the cows are pastured - they eat whatever they feel like eating while roaming around. Local and pastured. http://www.watkinscattleco.com/

The guy was very nice and when I mentioned to him about going raw paleo, we had a nice conversation and he said that he knew two other guys who were buying their (Watkins') meats and eating them raw. He just asked me questions about it (like why I wanted to) and he listened.. he was supportive and not grossed out.

[B.Money]

Thanks guys! took me awhile to notice I got some replies!

I live in the antelope valley, its about an hour north of LA.

I should look into organic pastures I know I have heard of their milk cows being fed grain at times, but not sure if that is just rumor or not--only thing is I expect them to be pricey, but something I'll look into!

Cinna- have any reviews on the meat yet? This place looks interesting, and definitely close enough to pick up (avoid shipping). Keep me updated!

Thanks a lot guys!

[Cinna]

Cinna- have any reviews on the meat yet? This place looks interesting, and definitely close enough to pick up (avoid shipping). Keep me updated!

Hey B., so far, I've only tried some sirloin tip steak - it was very good! I would definitely buy from Watkins Cattle Company again. Everything is sold frozen, though. I asked Rick if they ever sold anything not frozen and he said something about the USDA not allowing that - it all had to be frozen to be sold to the public. I also asked him if they sold/shipped in bulk and he said not at the moment because they sell out of things very quickly and they don't have a steady supply yet - it's still a small operation and that suits me just fine. If you want to check if they have enough product before you visit one of the farmers markets, I'd call them first to make sure.

Watch the audio slideshow/video in the article for some beautiful photos:
http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/jun/19/greener-pastures/

Another cool article about the guys who run the company and their vaquero style riding:
http://www.ventanamonthly.com/article.php?id=483&IssueNum=50

 

[Alan]

@Cinna

the bovines you're eating, were most likely steers.....   not cows.

[cliff]

I should look into organic pastures I know I have heard of their milk cows being fed grain at times, but not sure if that is just rumor or not--only thing is I expect them to be pricey, but something I'll look into!

They feed grains but its grass/hay for the most part.  The milk/butter is still legit imo.

Here's some info about it from claravale farm another dairy provider in socal-
Contrary to popular belief, total, year round pasture feeding is not natural for cattle and is not the way in which dairy cattle have historically been managed. More typical is for dairy cattle to get access to some pasture during the natural growing season (winter and spring here) and to be fed mostly hay, grain and other produce during the rest of the year. This is what we do at Claravale. In this way, farmers have historically taken advantage of natural yearly cycles of rainfall and production. Year round pasture feeding of dairy cows requires the artificial creation of year round pastures by intensive irrigation, which requires energy and water, both limited resources in California.

Linder bison has some awesome beef, prices are a tad high(8-10/lb) but def worth it.

[Alan]

>>>> Contrary to popular belief, total, year round pasture feeding is not natural for cattle and is not the way in which dairy cattle have historically been managed. More typical is for dairy cattle to get access to some pasture during the natural growing season (winter and spring here) and to be fed mostly hay, grain and other produce during the rest of the year. This is what we do at Claravale. In this way, farmers have historically taken advantage of natural yearly cycles of rainfall and production. Year round pasture feeding of dairy cows requires the artificial creation of year round pastures by intensive irrigation, which requires energy and water, both limited resources in California.


   i guess that next they'll be saying that eating cooked grains is typical, so therefore we all should be forgetting about
   living raw paleo.

   illness was historically managed by bleeding, sorcery, human sacrifices, etc, etc, etc.  I am not interested in repeating
   historical errors!

[cliff]

   i guess that next they'll be saying that eating cooked grains is typical, so therefore we all should be forgetting about
   living raw paleo.

   illness was historically managed by bleeding, sorcery, human sacrifices, etc, etc, etc.  I am not interested in repeating
   historical errors!

Do you have anything to contradict what they say?? It makes perfect sense, lactation is seasonal in nature and cows eat grass which produces grain seeds.  During the lactation season grass would be full of seeds. 

[miles]

I want to hear more replies on this! It sounds very interesting...

[Alan]

if they are producing a large amount of milk during a very few months of the year, then letting the cows dry out the majority of the year - that is a very natural scenario.

the problem is, it is not a ==profitable==   scenario  if the milk is sold at less than many dozens of dollars per gallon.

therefore, it is unlikely that the fraction of pure grass/grass-haylage-calories/total-calories, that the cows are consuming throughout the 12 months of the year, is sizeable.  For any milk that is sold commercially.

the scenario mentioned in the first paragraph, is plausible for a homestead.  But if you were homesteading, you'd most likely prefer goats.


Beef operators are very upfront and proud about labeling their steer-meat as grass-finished.  It is biologically and commercially plausible for a beef animal operation.

If it were true for the dairy, believe me, they'd be advertising and labelling it as such.  But they are careful not to do that, because false labelling and false advertising are criminal offenses!

So they wait till they're asked, then they give these not-really-a-yes-or-no answers.

I don't mean or want to talk badly about folks who i'm sure are lovely people, but the scientific facts of a dairy animal are there for anyone to study up on!

[RawZi]

    Where I get milk, when a cow is pregnant, they don't milk her.  It looks like they do keep them in grass all year long. 

    I don't know if any of you were getting goat milk from Sharon Palmer, but too bad it looks like nothing was organic from her.