Why you Should Consider Buying in Bulk from the Farm
Here at Lazuli Farms, we've been hosting a weekly Instagram Live series all about growing, raising, preparing, procuring, and eating great food at home. It's been a wonderful opportunity to chat with other local food producers and to share their knowledge with you & other viewers.
If you missed the Instagram Lives (Thursdays at 8 pm MST), you can catch the replays here on the Lazuli Farms Instagram profile. And don't forget to mark your calendar to join the live chats about food, gardening, cooking, baking, fermenting, raising food, and more.
A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to chat on an Instagram Live with my friend Kerri from Lil Ryley Farms about buying in bulk from a farm. Viewers had lots of questions about what buying in bulk means, how to start buying in bulk, how prices compare, and how to choose a farm to buy from. It was such a well received discussion that I thought it would be great to share that info here on the Lazuli Farms blog as a bit of a guide for buying in bulk.
What does it mean to buy in bulk from a farm?
- buying in bulk means that you are buying a bigger volume of product to stock your freezer, fridge, pantry, or cold room
- for Lazuli Farms, this means purchasing a larger amount of pork or beef from the farm - this might be enough meat to feed you for 3, 6 or 13 months time
What are the benefits of buying in bulk?
- very economical pricing on bulk purchases - you get the biggest discount by purchasing a larger amount of meat
- convenient cooking - when your freezer is stocked with a variety of selections, you can plan your meals around what you have at home
- great variety of selections - you get a wide variety of meat cuts when you buy in bulk; this can be fun & exciting as you get to learn how to cook with new cuts plus you get a lot of variety of meals
- more customizable - when buying a half or whole pork you get to choose all the cuts & the sizes of packages; this is helpful if you have a bigger family or are cooking for one or two people
- enjoy offal & unusual cuts - you can take advantage of the unique and interesting cuts from the animal when you purchase a custom pork or beef; since you work with the butcher to determine your cuts, you can ask them for the organs, soup bones, pork hocks, beef shanks, and even the skull or hide if you are feeling adventurous!
- assurance of your personal food supply - in light of the uncertainty of our food supply over the past couple of years, wouldn't it be great to have a well-stocked freezer that you could eat from for a few months or more?
Is the cost comparable to a grocery store?
- Yes! It's actually less expensive to purchase from the farm. And, although it goes without saying, the quality is immensely better directly from the farm!
- A whole pork from Lazuli Farms will cost approximately $8/lb compared to around $10/lb when purchasing the same selections from the grocery store.
- A half beef from Lazuli Farms will cost approximately $10/lb compared to around $13/lb when purchasing the same selections from the grocery store.
What's a great way to get started with buying in bulk?
- Starting out with a smaller package from the farm is a great way to taste test the quality of the pork & beef from Lazuli Farms
- If you're ready to try a bulk order, you could start with a half pork or a half beef custom order.
Do I need a big freezer to purchase meat in bulk?
- if you've got a full size upright or chest freezer (6 feet tall/long), you will likely have 18 to 20 cubic feet of freezer space inside
- a half pork will take up approximately 6 to 8 cubic feet (a third of the freezer)
- a half beef will take up approximately 8 to 10 cubic feet (half a freezer)
How much meat do I get with a bulk purchase?
- A half pork order will get you around 60 lbs of pork in your freezer
- A half beef order will fill your freezer with approximately 100 lbs of beef
Thanks for checking out this post today and for visiting the Lazuli Farms website. If you have any questions about bulk purchases, please don't hesitate to reach out to us via email at info@lazulifarms.com
For more information about bulk pork & beef from Lazuli Farms, head to the online store: