It comes directly from the farm, so why is it more expensive?
In theory, yes, you cut out the middle man, which means less of a mark up and a better price for the end consumer. However, direct to consumer (DTC) meat is a little different.
There are a couple reasons why it's more expensive:
- You get what you pay for.
We have all heard the term, but in the meat industry, it couldn't be more true. There is literally a grading scale to decide the quality (and therefore price) of every cut of meat.
- There are a lot of unseen costs.
It's actually surprising how cheap meat still is. Overall, over the years of inflation, meat really hasn't increased all that much. I mean, think about it, you can easily spend $100 on a night out for two. $100 worth of meat could last two people an entire month. So, while the cost of meat hasn't gone up that much, costs for farmers have, particularly in the direct to consumer world. Just in shipping cost alone, a farmer could be in for $60 easily. Shipping a frozen product isn't exactly "easy."
- It comes down to scale
The reason meat is so cheap at the grocery store (besides the bad quality) is scale. Massive corporations can stuff feedlots, pack slaughterhouses, and fill truckloads with product, your average farmer can't. It really costs almost the same amount to pack five boxes of meat as it does 100. That's exactly why bigger companies have the advantage in the industry.
There are many other things that factor in, but mainly, those are just a few reasons your jaw might drop when you see DTC meat pricing. That being said, at the end of the day, it really comes down to quality and values. Do you want run-of-the-mill food stuffed down your throat? Or do you want to support American family farmers making an honest living and eat top of the line meat? The choice is yours, but to me, it's obvious.
If you are looking to try some meat directly off the farm, check out dudefoods.co. You can get that top of the line quality beef, chicken, and pork delivered!
