East River Organics: Michigan-Based Grass-Fed Beef

Last spring, after we'd made our way through the last of the venison stored in our basement freezer (thanks to my husband and his hunting ability), and we were paying too much per pound for organic steaks, burger, and chicken, it occurred to me that there had to be a better option to purchase quality meat for my family.  The thing is, we live within the suburbs of the automotive hub (or hub formerly known as THE automotive hub), and simply are not steps away from a farm or access to a farm without driving for quite a while.

While we do have options, I wasn't thrilled with the meat selection, not knowing if the animals were really being raised as they should be.  So what to do when time is limited and quality is not something I want to skimp on?  Turn to the power of the Internet.

Thanks to a few referrals and my own independent research, I narrowed my choice down to East River Organics, a small family farm located in Snover, Michigan.  The farmer, Les Roggenbuck, was easy to communicate with and happy to answer all of my questions about the cattle.

East River Organics raises a heritage breed of cattle called the American Devon. The Devon breed was introduced into this country in 1623 and were the predominant homesteading breed for many years. Devon cattle are one of the best known breeds in the world for converting pasture into high quality, nutritious beef.

American Devon cows chill at the farm.  

Our cow, ready a few months after we placed our official order, was sent to a processor that handled it with extreme care and precision – much better than our local deer processor, from whom we’ve received not-so-great cuts in the past (sloppy, rushed – most likely due to the season).

Not only does it taste great (Hamburgers that don't need any ketchup? Yes, please. Steaks that are so thick and yummy that the only seasoning needed is the charcoal grill? Yum.), but it averaged out to be roughly $3.00 per pound.  Not $8.99 per pound for steak; $15.99 per pound for a roast; etc.  No, $3.00 per pound for EVERYTHING – for grass-fed local beef.

A quarter of a cow fits into two large coolers for transport back from the processor.

Since purchasing the cow, I know I will never go back to buying individual steaks from a grocery store.  In fact, since filling our freezer, I’m surprised at the lack of chicken we consume – mainly due to not knowing where it hails from.  Instead, we’ve been sticking to our grass-fed beef, (locally hunted) venison, and wild caught fish.

And now? I cannot believe we are already almost through the quarter of a cow we received back in May. We plan on ordering some more soon. We also plan to take a roadtrip out to the farm and check out everything else it has to offer (like organic vegetables, fruit, and fresh eggs).