What is Good Meat and Where to Find It?

We all want food that tastes good. Yet, in today’s world with climate challenges, ever-growing populations, and rising prices, food is more than just how it tastes.

With claims that agriculture – particularly animal agriculture – can be a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, people are beginning to realize that how their meat is raised and what it is fed can have a direct impact not only on their own health, but also on the health of the planet.

So, what is good meat? And where can you find it?

Below is the ultimate guide on understanding why it matters where your meat comes from and where to find good meat in Arizona.

See our list of where to get good meat in Arizona at the bottom of the page.

Why it Matters Where Your Meat Comes From

Meat has been part of the human diet since time immemorial. So why are we now seeing meat demonized?

Not all meat is created equal. Good meat from grass-fed and humanely-raised animals, often referred to as regenerative agriculture, provides more nutrition than factory-farmed products and can have an environmentally beneficial impact.

It’s not the cow, it’s the how – how animals are being raised and fed matters.

If animals, like cows, are freed from confined enclosures and feedlots and, instead, allowed to roam and eat a species-appropriate diet of diverse natural grasses and shrubs as their wild ancestors did, they help restore soils and ecosystems, enhance natural diversity, sequester carbon, and are part of a healthy biogenic carbon cycle. Many small, local ranchers raise good meat in this way, which is often referred to as regenerative or grass-fed/finished meat.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) raise meat with volume and efficiency as the priority, rather than the health of the animal or environment. CAFOs are synonymous with Big Agriculture.

With the rise of “get big or get out” agricultural policies and the adoption of large-scale industrial operations, the food system has become more consolidated and concentrated with fewer and fewer conglomerate monopolies controlling most meat production and processing. Today four meatpackers – Tyson, Cargill, JBS, and National Beef – control more than 80% of cattle slaughter in the U.S.

A consolidated and concentrated food system means that large monopolies can – and do – drive up the cost of meat, manipulate markets behind unenforced antitrust laws, and underpay ranchers. During COVID-19, the big four meatpackers’ profit margins shot up by 300%, while small farmers and ranchers struggled to survive and grocery shoppers were forced to pay high prices.

Purchasing meat from smaller ranchers directly supports their business and ensures the continued availability of good meat for consumers.

Small-scale ranchers, in addition to providing ecosystem services and nutrient-dense food, also contribute to the health of their communities. Ranching operations can bring quality jobs to rural areas, rebuild localized infrastructure, and restore endangered habitats and wildlife.

The True Costs of Good Meat

The price difference between good meat (regenerative, grass-fed/finished) and industrial meat (mass produced, grain-fed meat) is often criticized for being inaccessible to many people. Although the price difference cannot be ignored – good meat can be more expensive than industrial meat – when comparing the costs, it is not an apples-to-apples comparison. And the true costs of industrial meat are hidden from people, although we all still end-up paying for them.

Good meat can be up to 85% more nutrient-dense than conventionally raised meat and the final weight does not include saline meat enhancers to pump up the meat’s volume, as conventional meat often uses. Pound per pound, the consumer is receiving a better product by purchasing good meat, and less is often needed to meet nutritional requirements in a tasty way. Quality over quantity.

Most industrial meat is heavily subsidized directly or indirectly through taxpayer-funded grain subsidies (by feeding cattle commodity grains) while small-scale and regenerative operations are not. The externalities of these industrial livestock industries, such as air pollution, manure lagoons, water pollution, disease outbreaks, nitrate contamination, and antibiotics resistance, are also paid for via taxpayer money.

Perhaps one of the most significant hidden costs of the industrialized livestock system that is not factored into the price we pay at the grocery store is the impact on public health — the US spends over $4 trillion a year on healthcare, and this is expected to top $7 trillion by the end of this decade. Chronic disease (heart disease, strokes, diabetes, high blood pressure) is the leading expenditure, and healthy food is often the most powerful medicine available to heal chronic diseases.

Rather than seeing the price difference as a reason to criticize good meat, we need to work on making it more available and educating people about what meat that is good for our bodies and good for the earth really costs.

Show Me the (Good) Meat!

Arizona’s good meat can be found at farmers markets and online where ranchers showcase their freshest cuts and value-added meat products like bone broths, tallows, and spiced jerkies. Ranchers often offer price savings options like buying bulk meat, subscription boxes, or package deals. Also, people can buy a half or quarter of an animal and split the costs between multiple households, or store it in a deep freezer (which can typically be purchased for around a hundred dollars). Freezing bulk meat can reduce the price per pound and greatly extend the shelf life of good meat.

Many ranchers also offer online promotions like sales on select products, waiving shipping costs, or holiday discount codes – which they usually announce through their social media channels or newsletters. With the direct-to-consumer marketing expanding, local producers are creating ways to make good meat more accessible and affordable for people.

Below are some family-owned ranchers and local businesses dedicated to making good meat available to Arizonans and those visiting the state. Also, make sure to check-out some of Local First Arizona’s’ favorite go-to places for when it’s grill time and the Good Food Finder Directory for a more comprehensive list of Arizona ranchers.

**Click the map to find more good meat on the Good Food Finder Directory!**

Arizona Grass Raised Beef cattle spend their lives foraging for naturally occurring grasses on free-range ranch land, while soaking up the Arizona sunshine and living their best life, the way nature intended. The beef products are 100% grass-fed and 100% grass-finished. Their USDA-inspected plant gives them the unique ability to humanely harvest one animal at a time, using low-stress and humane handling. Shop here for products ranging from cuts of beef to beef broth and different varieties of beef jerky.

Offers nationwide shipping as well as home delivery in Phoenix, Tucson, Prescott, Flagstaff, and Sedona.

Moon River Beef is a woman-owned, family-run cattle business operating along the Verde Valley. When you purchase from them, you are helping encourage sustainable food in Arizona and supporting a local small business. Moon River Beef offers a health-conscious alternative, avoiding antibiotics, growth hormones, and chemical-laden feeds. Their sustainably raised, grass-fed beef ensures a nutritious profile with higher omega-3 fatty acids, supporting overall health, animal welfare, and environmental sustainability. Shop from their numerous online offerings, subscription boxes and unique variety packs here.

Offers local delivery in Arizona, as well as nationwide.

Little Colorado Meats (LCM) is located in Eager, Arizona and is the state’s first USDA-inspected mobile meat harvest unit and is shifting the way animal processing is done in the state. LCM sells quality beef products processed from local livestock under their own brand, which often makes its way to the local food supply via food banks, schools, and direct-to-consumer markets. Explore their products online here.

Offers pick-up at their location in Eager.

Heartquist Hollow Family Farms began as a homestead in Gilbert, Arizona and then expanded into a larger property to produce food for their local community. It now consists of a 117-acre ranch located in Winkelman with an onsite state-inspected meat processing plant. Their onsite operation allows their animals to live in familiar surroundings and not be stressed by industrial processing methods. Heartquist Hollow processes beef, lamb, pork, goat, and other local livestock and sells products directly to consumers through farmers markets, local retailers, and restaurants. You can order online items here.

Offers local pick-up and farmers market stands around the Valley, as well as at Rillito Farmers Market in Tucson.

Adams Natural Meats provides quality bison products. Owners Bryan and Mary Adams are dedicated to humanely and naturally raising bison not only out of their passion for the magnificent animal, but also to help meet the growing demand for nutrient-dense bison meat. Check-out their bison offerings here.

Offers pick-up from their store in Buckeye as well as nationwide shipping.

Rafter M Meats is an Arizona family-owned business committed to continuing the long-standing tradition of making quality, healthy meat available to the community. They operate the state-inspected Willcox Packing House processing facility and partner exclusively with local ranchers to offer all-natural, hormone and antibiotic-free, locally sourced and processed meat directly to consumers. Explore their online butcher shop here.

Offers pick-up locations in Tucson, Sierra Vista, Sonoita and Safford.

Copper State Beef, based in Chino Valley, provides high-quality, ranch raised beef - the core mission of their business. Copper State Beef is a family-started, owned, and operated company. Throughout the five generations that the family has lived in Arizona, they have always had one interest and passion, which is cattle ranching. Find their beef products here.

Offers delivery within Phoenix; delivery fee beyond Phoenix varies by distance.

Lyman Ranches, based in Payson, is an authentic cattle ranch governed by simplicity, honor, service and value, suppling quality products you can trust from people you can trust.

L&B Farm, based in Wilcox, offer pork, poultry, goat, lamb and eggs. Shop on line here.

Terra Market, offers many local delicacies, but also sell Terra Heritage Full-Blood Wagyu beef and American Wagyu Beef, all humanely and pasture raised in Arizona and USDA certified. Get their meat delivered right to your door. Click here.

Vera Earl Ranch, nestled in the Sonoita Valley, is a family-owned and operated ranch since 1968. Each part of the ranch is managed by sustainable grazing and ranching with the goal of enhancing the entire ecosystem. Buy their meat here.