The breathtaking landscapes of New Zealand that sprawl over its 270,000 square kilometers and are famous for more than their beauty. Thanks to millions of years of nutrient deposits, due to mountain erosion, and the consistently mild and wet climate, New Zealand is home to some of the most fertile farmland in the world.
This is especially the case on New Zealand’s North Island, which maintains a near perfect environment for growing lush green grass in abundance throughout most of the year. Our Free Range Beef is from cattle farmed in the North Island region, specifically in the provinces around Mt Taranaki, a mountain sacred to the local Maori people of New Zealand.
Agriculture has been the country’s main industry for many generations, and at its core, many of the same traditional farming have remained unchanged over the past two hundred years. Beef cattle farming in New Zealand is no exception. Cattle are raised with old fashion style husbandry, entirely (100%) grass-fed their entire lives, grazing on the lush wide open nutrient-rich grassy pastures of this clean and green country. Why is this important to us? Unlike conventional beef farming practices in Canada and the U.S., our New Zealand beef farmers never administer growth hormone additives or steroids to their animals.
We recently ventured to New Zealand to pay a visit to the local farms where our Free Range Beef is raised, and meet with the farmers themselves. We were blown away by the seemingly endless hectares of the greenest grass we’ve ever seen. And we were deeply impressed by the humble, down to earth farmers, and their respect for the animals they raise.
Hello ... Is the free range grass fed beef shipped frozen from New Zealand? Is grain used to "finish" the cows. I know you specify 100% grass fed ... Just confirming. Is the beef marrow that I buy from you free range as well? Please explain free run chickens. What are they fed? And is free run in a pasture or just not in a cage. Thank you!Hi Paula,
Great questions!
Our free range grass fed beef is shipped chilled but fresh by boat.
Grain is never fed to the cows. Our free range cattle enjoy a diet of only fresh, naturally growing grass and forage. They are never fed animal by-products, grain, corn or any other dietary supplements, and never receive growth hormone additives.
Our smoked beef marrow bones are free range, but our raw beef marrow bones are not (unfortunately due to an inconsistent supply).
Any items that are free range, we will denote with the words free range on our signage. Additionally, if you have any questions about which items in our store are free range and which aren’t you can ask any of our staff and they will gladly help you out!
Our chicken is free run, not free range.
I’ll briefly explain the difference between free range and free run chicken.
Free range chicken must have access to outdoor pasture on a daily basis. Our local climate doesn’t permit this style of year round farming. This is why we sell free run chicken which is available year round.
Having said that, we do sell free range turkey which is only available at Thanksgiving and Christmas, and these turkeys are raised during the spring and summer months when temperatures are warm and the birds are comfortable roaming outdoors.
Most of our chicken is locally raised in the Fraser Valley. Our chicken is raised free-run in well ventilated barns with constant access to food and water. They are never confined to cages.
I hope I have been able to answer your questions.
If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to email or call us at any time at customercare@meridianmeats.ca or (604) 466-0508.
Grass fed beef…nice! Beef that is aged longer is more tender. How long do you age the beef for?
When you ship the meat out “chilled”, what temperature is that? Is the meat anti-biotic free? Thanks