Not to be an alarmist or anything.... I hate to spread possibly unnecessary concerns.
However, I've been getting a teeny tiny bit worried. In light of the recent closures and partial closures of so many US protein processing plants, now might be a good time to get to know your local farmer.
We've been trying, since we sent our own last beef cow to the processor, to purchase local beef whenever we can. Some farms sell their products by the cut or pound, which is how we prefer to buy. Others sell shares or standard packages of assorted cuts. Chicken and pork can be a little problematic to find, but many farmers raise and process beef cows, oftentimes having it USDA inspected and certified. Many farms also sell lamb. I haven't purchased lamb locally yet, but I'll bet you it is a lot better quality than store bought.
Prices we've paid for beef are sometimes a little higher than store retail, but quality usually is better as well. We just bought a few pounds of locally-grown hamburger last night, plus to our great good fortune our boy and his wife shared some meat from their last beefer with us.
If we have the choice we buy meat that has been cryovacced, as it keeps for a really long time. We are still eating a few cuts off our last cow and she was processed a couple of years ago.
Another thing we have been doing routinely for a couple of years is buying whole pork loins instead of pork chops. It's a simple matter to cut your own chops to the thickness you prefer and is usually much cheaper. Then package and freeze. Loin quality is uniformly excellent, and there are no bones. Bones in chops increase the price you pay per pound of edible food. No waste with boneless.
Anyhow, if you happen to be reading this and sell homegrown meat retail, please feel free to leave a link in the comments. I have a feeling there may soon be plenty of customers.
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