There’s been an increment of people demanding 100% grass-fed meat, hence, more supermarkets searching for healthier meat options to offer. Wegmans is one of these services that provide different types of meats to its customers while implementing different initiatives, like the “Near our stores” label. In case you’re interested in knowing where does the vast meat assortment of Wegmans comes from before trying it, keep reading!
Wegmans’ meat comes from many local farms that are part of the store’s “Food You Feel Good About” program. A company that has also supplied Wegmans for years is Verde Farms. But the truth is that there’s more to know about meat sold at this place than where it comes from, and you’ll soon learn about it.
Wegmans’ Meat
Wegman’s meat comes from a diverse supply chain, so you can shop different brands of meat at the store. Wegmans has also made great efforts to get the best suppliers and thus guarantee its meat is not only delicious but also healthier than others. From beef and chicken to turkey, lamb, and veal meat suppliers are supervised by the store so they can sell only high-quality products.
Wegmans also has a special food program called “Food You Feel Good About”, according to which the store sells organic brands, including meat. Additionally, Wegmans tries to encourage customers to support local farms by selling meat obtained from them.
Based on the former information, most of Wegmans’ meat comes from local farms in the country. Likewise, a special meat supplier of Wegmans is Verde Farms.
Wegmans’ “Food You Feel Good About” Program
Wegmans launched the “Food You Feel Good About” program in 1991, aiming to provide customers with great flavors with no need for artificial colors or preservatives. Today, 90% of Wegmans’ products meet the program’s requirements (more than 2,000 items). These products are also:
- Trans fat-free
- Don’t use fructose corn syrup.
- Avoid artificial sweeteners.
In 2009, Wegmans introduced grass-fed beef as part of the program and, besides sourcing from Verde Farms, the store has searched for new partners to buy organic beef from across the years.
Verde Farms
Verde Farms specializes in selling beef 100% grass-fed, with no added hormones. Dana Ehrlich and Pablo Garbarino founded it after discovering how cattle at pampas of Uruguay roamed as freely as they wanted and their meat tasted incredibly better. Inspired by how gauchos took care of their cattle and got the best beef as a consequence, Ehrlich and Garbarino decided to support those family farms and enable more people to eat its 100% grass-fed beef.
Although Verde Farms’ beef comes from North America, New Zealand, and Australia, most of it is sourced from Uruguay. This country’s weather provides cattle the best possibilities to feed on grass all year long, which explains why the beef tastes better. Besides, Verde Farms guarantees its supported ranches are organic, meaning that they don’t employ oil-based fertilizers on the soil.
“Near Our Stores” Label
After years, Wegmans noticed how important for customers was to know the place where their product came from. Taking into consideration the support granted by the store to local farms (more than 400 ranches), it created a label that distinguishes products sourced near from select Wegmans. Products with this label are part of the produce, dairy, meat, seafood, and bakery sections.
Speaking of meat, these are some of the local farms that serve as suppliers to the store:
- Bell & Evans in Fredericksburg, Pennsylvania.
- Huntly Farms in Broad Run, Virginia.
- Conquest Farms in Cato, New York.
- Marble Valley Farms in Deerfield, Virginia.
- Salem Cross Farms in West Brookfield, Massachusets.
High Quality Guaranteed
Wegmans guarantees its meat is of the best quality by doing the following activities:
- The store visits and evaluates its suppliers’ facilities.
- Before choosing the family farms from which it sources, Wegmans need to make sure that they treat animals in a human way.
- After becoming verified partners, Wegman has third-party companies conducting welfare audits periodically on the farms.
- Producers are trained in cattle handling and care.
Meat Products Offered At Wegmans
You can basically rely on getting regular meat from Wegmans, but why stop there? Instead, get beef, pork, chicken, lamb, veal, and turkey meat raised without hormones, meat that hasn’t been fed with milk, and with no added artificial solutions. You can also get meat that hasn’t been raised in cages and even purely organic meat brands. In case you look for meat gotten from local farms near a Wegmans store, look for the “Near our stores” label printed on the meat packages.
Products you can come across while shopping at Wegmans are:
- Chicken split breasts with ribs for $1.89/lb.
- Boneless & skinless chicken breasts with rib meat for $1.99/lb.
- Chicken drumsticks for $0.99/lb.
- Strips steaks for $10.49/lb.
Conclusion
Wegmans provides customers with multiple options of meat, most of which are supposed to be healthier than regular meat. By supporting local farms Wegmans does more than just give you a better product, it also potentiates the local economy and improves many people’s lives. As you saw too, Wegman’s meat is full of benefits like no additional hormones or antibiotics, but it is also affordable, thus, you shouldn’t wait anymore to try it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Wegmans mean by saying that it guarantees that its suppliers treat animals in a human way?
It means that the store has to be sure that animals are well-fed and that they’re treated in case of sickness.
Which organizations audit Wegmans’ suppliers?
Some of them are the North American Meat Institute, the USDA National Organic Program (NOP), the National Chicken Council, and the National Turkey Federation.
