Eat Local Meat

I love pork. Growing up with Puerto Rican grandparents, pork was the centerpiece of every big family dinner. My great-grandmother, Nanny, would roast a pernil for hours, filling the house with the smell of melting fat and crispy skin.

It’s fitting that I married a chef—one who even opened a pork-focused restaurant. He sourced whole pigs directly from a small Ohio farmer, butchering them nose-to-tail so nothing went to waste. Those deliveries were some of the best pork I’ve ever tasted (sorry, Nanny).

That experience pushed me to dig into the difference between pork from small family farms and pork from large industrial animal farms, also known as concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). Today, about 99% of animals raised for food in the U.S. come from CAFOs. While that system makes meat cheap and widely available, it comes with hidden costs—for our health, the environment, and the people working within it.

🌍 Environmental Impact

Feeding and maintaining CAFOs is resource-intensive, contributing about 45% of agriculture’s total greenhouse gas emissions. These facilities also generate massive amounts of waste that often contaminate nearby water supplies (Environmental Health Perspectives).

By contrast, small farms that graze animals on pasture can actually help restore soil health, improve plant diversity, and reduce water use (Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems).

🥩 Health Considerations

Research suggests that grass-fed and pasture-raised meat and dairy are more nutrient-dense than their grain-fed counterparts, and may have anti-inflammatory benefits.

Meanwhile, CAFO animals are often given antibiotics and hormones to survive crowded conditions, which can contribute to drug-resistant illnesses in humans.

👩‍🌾 Community Impact

The consolidation of the meat industry has created dangerous working conditions and low pay for many CAFO employees (Economic Policy Institute).

Supporting small farms instead keeps more money local, creates jobs, and strengthens rural economies (FAO Report).

So, What Can You Do?

Not every small farmer raises animals sustainably—but when you buy directly, you can ask questions and learn how your food is raised. Here are a few ways to start:

• Find a local farmers market. Talk to farmers, ask questions, and look for year-round CSAs. If you’re in Dallas, check out the Dallas Farmers Market or St. Michaels Market.

• Get to know your butcher. Many local butchers partner with small farms and can tell you where their meat comes from.

• Support nose-to-tail restaurants. Choose places that source sustainably and use the whole animal.

• Try going meatless once a week. Even one Meatless Monday can improve your health and reduce emissions.

  
  

The Bottom Line

Would a fully plant-based diet be better for our health and the planet? Yes (Global Environmental Change). But realistically, most Americans—including me—aren’t giving up meat entirely.

What we can do is eat less, choose better sources, and support local farmers. Those smaller shifts add up—to healthier communities, stronger local food systems, and a lighter impact on the planet.