Our Commitment to Nose-to-Tail Eating at Wild Meadows Farm

At Wild Meadows Farm, we always look for ways to make the most of every animal we raise. Our newest product, beef stock, is a perfect example. We make it with meaty soup and shank bones from our cattle. Over the years, our bone broths have grown in popularity, and we hope this new product finds a place in your kitchen too.

Products like this matter because they let us use parts of the animal that people often overlook. Since we started our farm and business, we have aimed to use as much of each animal as possible for both ethical and practical reasons.

Respecting the Animals We Raise

We believe it’s important to respect the animals we raise by using all the nourishment they offer. A cow is more than just tender high-end steaks. A chicken is more than a boneless, skinless breast.

The less popular or tougher cuts, such as shank bones, braising ribs, or chicken carcasses, often provide more nutrition than the parts many of us usually eat. These cuts take more effort and know-how to cook, but they can be equally delicious and sometimes more nutritious.

Making the Most of Every Cut

From a business perspective, we must find ways to use these lesser-known cuts. Unlike many butcher shops or grocery stores that buy only the parts they want, we purchase whole animals from our farm and other farms. This approach requires us to sell or use every other part, including bones, fat, suet, tendons, organs, and more.

In the early days, we received all the extras and didn’t know what to do with them. After trial and error, we discovered the concept of nose-to-tail eating. We realized that people value these cuts, and we used social media and newsletters to educate and connect with customers interested in them.

Our Nose-to-Tail Success

Listening to our customers led to exciting innovations:

• Nose-to-Tail Ground Beef – 80% beef mixed with 20% organs, including heart, liver, tongue, and kidney. This product is now our second most popular.
• Tallow and Suet – another way to use parts that might otherwise go to waste.

Today, we fully utilize all of our beef, chicken, lamb, bison, elk, and turkey. Nothing goes to waste. We sell all fat, bones, organs, tendons, and other parts to retail customers, broth companies, pet food companies, or restaurants.

Our next challenge is the pig. We aim to use trotters, tails, organs, and bones. Some customers buy these items regularly, but we continue to look for new ways to reach people who value these parts.

Why Nose-to-Tail Matters for Us

Using all parts of the animal keeps our business sustainable and profitable. It also helps us keep prices lower for the more tender, popular cuts because revenue from the less-used parts balances our costs.

Every order excites us, but we get especially thrilled when someone orders the odd bits. Rib eyes sell themselves, but selling a chicken gizzard, pig tail, or beef spleen takes creativity, and that is exactly the challenge we love.