Central Oregon Locavore Non-Profit’s year-round local food marketplace is home to nearly 30 local ranchers producing meats with organic, restorative practices in Central Oregon, as well as Oregon coast seafood vendors using a fishing line over nets for optimal environmental impact. From beef, pork, poultry, lamb, bison, goat and alpaca to salmon, halibut, rockfish, and cod, the Locavore marketplace prides itself on the ability to offer the highest quality, most humanely and ethically produced meats for every Central Oregonian to access every day, year-round.
Locavore’s partnered ranches, such as DD Ranch, Big Summit Beef Co., Cascade Mountain Pastures and North 44, prioritize strong land stewardship and ethical animal welfare standards to raise their herds, ensuring unfettered access to pasture and fresh grasses for a healthy, diverse diet with plenty of exercise and freedom to engage in natural behaviors. This image represents a steep dichotomy between the conditions local meats are produced in compared to factory farm CAFO operations, where hundreds of animals are crammed into small spaces and fed a cheap, nutrient-poor diet supplemented with routine antibiotics and hormones for quick growth and prevention of diseases contracted as a result of the disturbing living conditions they are subject to.
When you buy meat at Locavore, you know exactly how the animal was raised. Each freezer in the Locavore meat department is complete with a bio referring to the location of the ranch and practices used through language and a series of icons denoting Pasture-Raised, Grass-Fed & Finished, Grain-Finished and more attributes. Locavore values transparency in communicating the practices of the farms and ranches it partners with to consumers with the hopes that together we can heal our food system and support those ranchers who value ethical treatment of animals over cheap production.
To offer additional support for independent, local ranches, Locavore installed a walk-in meat freezer to be able to take backstock for ranchers delivering meat, as deliveries cost them significantly in gas, equipment, employee labor, and time. Now local ranches partnered with Locavore can bring enough to stock their sales floor freezer space as well as store a stronger inventory in the walk-in, ensuring shoppers have consistent access to locally raised, high-quality meats all year round.
To help take the factory out of the farm, donate to the Local Food Producer Growth Fund by visiting centraloregonlocavore.org/donate.
About Central Oregon Locavore:
Central Oregon Locavore is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to supporting local food, farmers, and sustainable practices. Through its indoor farmers market, educational programs, and community events, Locavore promotes a healthier, more resilient local food system in Central Oregon.
