Buying On the Hoof Off the Farm

If you're like me - I almost never by meat in the grocery store and even then only natural no growth hormones. But my favorite way to buy is right from the farmer. Since I travel from NYC to the Catskills often, I go in on a half a pig and a quarter cow with friends. None of our freezers are big enough to store it all, and we do this 2-3 times a year. I found them on the website www.farmtotable.org. What's really cool is getting to talk to the farmers directly (just don't go on a Saturday during farmers market season - they won't be there). I've gotten in to buying the occassional rabbit or goat stew meat. It makes you learn how to cook all the different cuts of the animal (and not only the porter house my grill master friends). They're ready to help with cooking tips - and I always take them up on it.