It may sound weird, but giving the gift of local meats is a great idea. Doing the legwork behind getting your hands on local meat products can be daunting. Not everyone knows a local farmer, or knows where to turn for access to local meats. Luckily, I have made contacts with several local farmers, all raising meats that I've tried and love. What's even more fun, is I call these farmers my friends, and they all have blogs!

• Life On SkyView Farms: Laura Cunningham is a fellow North Iowa Blogger and shares about her family farm at lifeonskyview.com.  I LOVE her ground beef. I started buying from her a few months ago, and it is so good. They raise hormone and antibiotic free beef, "locally raised with care and respect." I have had other cuts of meat from her farm, and really enjoy them too. Click here to learn about how to order.
• Joia Food Farm: Wendy Johnson moved back to the midwest in 2010 to learn how to manage and farm her family's farm. She blogs about her experiences back on the farm on her blog, thefarmagain.com. She has chickens (whole and cut), different cuts of 100% grass fed lamb, heritage breed pigs, turkeys, goats and ducks.  I've been getting farm fresh eggs from her (yum!), and recently she was so kind to let me try a pound of lamb...I think there will have to be a blog post about it, it was delicious!  You can check out her website, www.joiafoodfarm.com or Contact her at Wendy@joiafoodfarm.com or 641-228-1583.
• Sugar Creek Farm. Kelli Miller, owner of Sugar Creek Farm with her husband Matt, has been blogging about their farm and life since 2004! I have loved looking through her archives and the reason they decided to raise their own beef is really great. They have always been great to work with. I like to get my whole chickens, and different cuts of beef from Sugar Creek Farm. The availability of their cuts and meats varies, so give her a call to find out when more cuts will be available, and be put on their waiting list!

We are so lucky to have friendly, personable farmers in our area, providing us with quality, clean proteins!