Small towns don't usually have butchers. walmart and other places destroyed such small businesses all across America years ago so there's no options except chain stores for MANY millions of Americans. Typically butchers at this point are in larger cities and likely as not are ethnic(i.e. non white).

Sometimes butchers don't do anything more than what the large chain store "butcher" shops do. Same quality, same bones in the beef bullshit. Just cost more.

Work for the farmer on weekends. The more you do, the cheaper it gets. Plus you get to meet your meat before you eat.

The local butcher is hugely more expensive than anything else.

Every butcher I've tried so far is triple the price, or more.

I've never used a butcher, my area box chain stores ran them out years ago. I do use local farmers. I have read the posts made by others and they are 100% spot on. Please do buy half or a whole cow from a farmer. I use 3.

The first one is a young couple with a few young kids. He has a website, I call him, place my request for half a steer. I make a deposit and he lets me know when he will have one available.

In a few months, he lets me know my half a cow is ready. I pay him the remainder based on the weight of a live steer.

I fill out a form with the requests for cuts I want to the processor. The form is located on the farmer's webpage. The processor calls me when they have it cut and packaged per my request and I go pick it up and pay for processing.

It is frozen rock solid, so I throw in on the garage floor and list every piece and its weight, compare it to my cut list and price and it is always dead on.

I paid 2.00 a lb for live weight for a decade, then in 2020 I paid 2.25 per lb of live weight. Today, it is 2.45 per lb.

It is far superior than that garbage sold in the grocery stores, no matter who they are; Walmart, Kroger or whole foods....... it is very suspect, smells like road kill.

After paying the farmer and processor I have invested approximately 7.10 per lb for my half of a steer. It last me and my wife 18 - 24 months. We use it for barter too.

The second farmer is a adult male who lives with his parents and helps them run the farm. Same prices, but he is alot closer to where I live.

The third farmer is an adult female who runs her elder parents farm. She also offers pork and it is some awesome meat. She is in another state, but it is worth the drive.

This is my main supply chain.
I also have an egg lady who provides 4 dozen eggs a week at 3.00 a dozen. I buy from a farmer who makes cheese, soap, lotion and yogurt.

If you have not built a relationship with a farmer, it is not to late. Most of them are young with websites. Look for them in your area. Start with Craigslist or Marketplace; this is free advertising for them other than word of mouth.

I know a guy at work who raises cattle. The butcher processes it for him and he sells it pretty cheap. That stuff is amazing.

I buy mine from the farmers, beef, pork, lamb, and sometimes chickens... More often than not the chickens in my area are super over priced. We used to buy from a kid that made a business out of a 4H project. Damn good birds at a cheap price. He sold the business to his parents to pay for college, and their first move was to double the price of the birds. They ran it into the ground in 6 months

I buy my meat from a local farmer. I know it's grass fed, antibiotic and steroid free. Costs more but I'd rather keep my local supply chain running. From time to time I'll raise my own, but it depends on how much time I have.

I can make my own cuts if necessary.

Edit: Buy at least half a cow at a time.

Hutteritites are where it's at. Literally.

This place has top notch meat, excellent service, and their prices are fairly reasonable.

The Butcher Shoppe

2405 Langley Ave, Pensacola, FL 32504 (850) 458-8782 https://g.co/kgs/UjFBNk