NO- but hold on a minute. It’s not that simple.“Organic” livestock production is defined by a set of strict standards established and overseen by the USDA. While it’s a start, in our opinion those standards do not go far enough. It’s true “organic” production addresses some of the big issues with the way conventional livestock is raised, however it neglects one of the most important aspects of livestock production: How the animals are raised. In a nutshell, organically raised livestock can still be raised in confinement as long as they receive organic feed (which may or may not include corn). That’s not acceptable in our eyes. We believe our standards and practices exceed the USDA Organic standard and we focus not only on what we feed our animals but how they are cared for and treated. 

Now a days there are so many buzz words used to describe farms and farming practices, so honestly, I try to avoid using them because they have become just that- buzz words. However, “regenerative agriculture” goes beyond a catchy phrase or label to stick on packaging or signage. It really gets to the essence of what we do at SQM and represents a philosophy that encompasses our total approach to farming, one that seeks to rehabilitate and enhance the entire farm ecosystem focusing on soil health, water and land management, fertilizer use and eco-habit management for wildlife.

Our farm is located in the East Quabbin Valley and we’re proud to own and manage a piece of farmland in such a special and historic space spot in Massachusetts. The farm has many waterways that contribute to the West Quabbin watershed and provides important habitat for wildlife including Bald Eagles, Coyotes, Hawks, Bluebirds, Bobcats and more.

YES. And we’re really proud to talk about how our meat is raised! As “animal people” we’re deeply committed to our livestock and believe in the highest standards of animal welfare. This means our animals spend their days outside on pasture, free to roam, root and graze- as nature intended. As a vertically integrated farm, we’re able to control all aspects of our livestock production- from birth- through to harvest- to plate ensuring our animals have stress -free lives and the meats you receive are the highest quality.

Emphatically NO. As proprietor of the farm, I can tell you my family consumes more of our meat products than anyone else. I have two growing boys with never-ending appetites and as a concerned mom, I’m committed to feeding them THE BEST- highest quality proteins available, which means leaving the hormones and antibiotics out of our meat. It’s that simple. PLUS, I can tell you as a life-long farmgirl when you raise animals in a healthy environment, as nature intended, routine antibiotics and hormones are not necessary. From time to time we encounter a sick animal requiring further treatment - just like humans. With the guidance of our veterinarian, we treat the animal as needed, and if they have received antibiotics they are removed from the production cycle on the farm.

Yes, it’s important that the sustainable practice we approach farming with carry through in our meat and poultry products. In our Butchery our mission is to utilize all parts of the animals we process. Animal remains and non-salable parts are composted on the farm to produce fertilizer, hides are tanned, fat is saved and rendered, and bones are used for broth or sold to you! In this way no part of the animal goes to waste.

We take animal nutrition very seriously at the farm and work with a veterinarian who oversees our animal feeds and feeding program. For the farm ruminants- cows and sheep- they are 100% grass-fed. Grazing off our pastures during the growing season and eating hay harvested from our hayfields during the winter months. For all the other animals on the farm- pigs, chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese- they receive a daily ration of grain that is grown and milled locally in Hardwick, MA! *SOY: Some of our livestock receive a daily grain ration that does contain soy. While we would love to eliminate and understand the desire to avoid soy in our animal feed, as caretakers we also must balance the need to provide our livestock with a complete and balanced diet to promote and sustain animal health. The soy is included to meet essential animal nutrient needs.

At SQM we offer pasture-raised, cage-free eggs for sale locally at our retail and farmers’ market locations. Our laying hens spend their days on pasture and in the farm woods where they are free to graze and pick and root for forage and bugs. They receive a daily ration of grain and are provided with free access to shelter for predator protection and nesting boxes to lay their eggs. Our eggs are collected daily and before you even start scrambling you’ll notice two very obvious differences: 1)Their size! Our eggs are ungraded and often quite large. Very occasionally you may even come across a double-yolker! 2)Their color! The yolks in our eggs are a beautiful deep golden color. **Help us recycle. Please return egg cartons if they are in good condition.

SQM is a 100% vertically integrated livestock farm- which means that all the meats we offer come from animals we raise on our farm and process in our Butchery. Our Butchery is located at the main farm in Hardwick and is where all the magic happens. It’s where we transform our animal sides into the beautiful cuts, sausages and smoked products we offer for sale. Our meats are hand butchered. This allows us to offer different cuts than typically you would see in grocery stores. If you are looking for something not listed on our website, we welcome you to contact us to discuss your needs. 

Abattoir is the French word for slaughterhouse. Unfortunately, “slaughterhouse” has come to be a dirty word (no pun intended) due to abuses in livestock harvest related to large, commercial scale meat production. We are passionate about producing and harvesting meat on a small-scale and feel “abattoir” draws attention to the specialness and uniqueness of what we do at the farm Butchery, reflecting the care and craft put towards harvesting our animals. If nothing else, “Abattoir” gets you thinking and talking more about the harvest of meat, and we think that’s a very good thing. Part of being a conscientious carnivore is acknowledging all aspects of meat production. Not just savoring the burger but respecting and understanding it’s path to your plate.

NO. While our meat is USDA inspected, meat grading, specifically beef, is graded per a separate process and office within the USDA. We are a very small operation and committed to producing the highest quality meat and poultry products for our customers. Not every animal is the same, so not every animal gets cut the same way. Our team of butchers and cutters are trained to maintain our standards and deliver our customers exceptional products. 

OH NO! We hate not being able to get our customers exactly what they need. Our small, but mighty team cuts meat daily, 52 weeks a year. There are times due to the popularity of certain cuts or seasonality that specific cuts or specialty products are unavailable. As a whole-animal Butchery, we’re committed to using the whole animal which means we may run out of your favorite cut from time to time. Hang tight. If you are ordering through our website, we encourage you to sign-up to be notified when the cut comes back into stock. If you are looking for something you do not see listed on our site that does not mean you are out of luck. We encourage you to contact us by phone (not sure if this can be hyper-linked to a phone number) to talk to our butcher and meat team to discuss your specific needs.

This is a question we get a lot and unfortunately the answer is not simple. As a mom of two committed to feeding my boys REAL food, I get it. You’re looking to cut out the preservatives and nasty ingredients. Me too! As the woman behind most of the recipe mixing and ingredient sourcing, I can tell you this: we never use dyes, fillers or artificial flavorings in our products. Some of our smoked meats do contain small amounts of nitrates. This is done in the interest of food safety as nitrates play a critical role in inhibiting harmful bacterial growl in smoked meat products. In the case of bacon and ham, nitrates also contribute to the classic flavor and pink color commonly associated with these products. Unfortunately, due to USDA labeling regulations (or lack of) nitrates are commonly “snuck” into cured and uncured meat products and labeled as other products such as celery juice or powder. I don’t think this practice is fair because it leads folks to believe the ham or bacon they are buying is nitrate free when it’s actually not and may even contain higher nitrate concentrations.

If you’re new to farm-raised meats, then you may notice that some of our meats look different compared to what you typically see at the grocery store. For starters- you may notice some of our read meat (beef, pork, and lamb) look darker. That’s completely normal! Our animals have been on pasture, fed all natural diets which impact the color and texture of their muscles. Once in the Butchery, our meat is aged and cut, exposing it to oxygen which also changes the color. Much of the meat on display at larger stores has been treated with preservatives and chemicals to preserve color and hide odor. We do not use any of these chemicals or preservatives on our meats, so you’re getting a 100% natural product and the color reflects this. Additionally, you may notice the fat on our meats and poultry looks different- often with a yellowish tone. That’s normal too! Fat composition, texture and color is often a reflection of what the animals are eating, season and how they were raised. You may even notice seasonal fluctuations in the color and texture of our meat. We believe this is one of the special perks of eating direct from the farm- meat that not only tastes different but looks different too!

Yes, that’s perfectly normal. In the butcher world, we call that “bag funk”. Vacuum sealing is a handy packaging aid, often adding days of shelf life to our fresh products and certainly making frozen products hold up longer and better. When meat is vacuum sealed it is deprived of oxygen, occasionally causing the juices to discolor or change odor. As you open the bag this smell bursts out. The answer is to take your meat out and allow it rest on the counter for a few moments until the gases dissipate. And, as a reminder meat in the stores has been treated with additional chemicals to hide the natural odor of your meat.

On average we recommend consuming or freezing your meat within 7 days of its arrival. That being said, not all meat and poultry cuts are equal in terms of handling and shelf life. To help you plan how to use your purchases, we recommend (providing the vacuum seal is in good condition):

   •Poultry be consumed or frozen as soon as possible.
   •Fresh pork and lamb cuts should be used or frozen within 5-7 days of delivery.
   •Beef is a different beast and generally has a longer shelf life. Whole muscle cuts (not ground) should be used or       frozen within 10 days of delivery. Grinds should be used or frozen within 5 days of delivery.

This answer may surprise you, but YES- providing proper food safety procedures have been followed and maintained. The USDA offers the following advice: “Once the food is thawed in the refrigerator (40℉), it is safe to refreeze it without cooking, although there may be a loss of quality due to the moisture lost through thawing.”  After cooking raw foods that were previously frozen, it is safe to freeze the cooked foods. If you believe the temperatures didn't drop below average refrigerator settings, we suggest you refreeze. If you are concerned about any of your products, we suggest cooking them and then freezing.  Read more about freezing and food safely. 

We offer direct-to door delivery of our products throughout the 48 contiguous states.

The following costs apply to all order shipped within our standard 2 day ground shipping zones. SEE MAP·

   • Order minimum is $85
   •  $20 flat shipping fee for orders less than $150
   • FREE ground shipping for orders over $150
   •  Orders containing ONLY non-perishable items will ship for $15 nationwide.
   • Orders containing perishable items and shipping outside our 2-day ground range will be upgraded to express         shipping due to the amount of time they would be in transit. These shipping totals are calculated per pound per       mile by our shipping provider.

The following costs apply to all order shipped within our standard 2 day ground shipping zones. SEE MAP·

   • Order minimum is $85
   •  $20 flat shipping fee for orders less than $150
   •  FREE ground shipping for orders over $150
   •  Orders containing ONLY non-perishable items will ship for $15 nationwide.
   •  Orders containing perishable items and shipping outside our 2-day ground range will be upgraded to express         shipping due to the amount of time they would be in transit. These shipping totals are calculated per pound per       mile by our shipping provider.

We are a small farm and your order is packed by REAL human hands without the aid of a fancy, high-tech inventory system. Due to the perishable nature of our products, we ship Monday through Wednesday and allow for only 2 days in transit. During regular business circumstances, we try to process every order within 7 to 10 days, if not sooner. You will get an email with tracking information as soon as your order leaves our farm. If you are traveling or have plans to be out of town, please note this in the comments section of your order. It is the customer's responsibility to let us know if they won't be home to retrieve a package.

When you receive your order, the meat should be cool to the touch. It may or may not be frozen depending upon the original condition of the meat when it was shipped, time of year and location of delivery. It is okay if the gel packs are not frozen, as long as they are still cold. If you’re still unsure, rely on your nose.  If the box is damaged or opened in anyway, please contact us immediately.

We take food safety and shipment of our products seriously and take as many measures possible to ensure your order arrives in a safe condition. It is possible that a portion of your order may not arrive completely frozen, especially when the weather is very warm. We suggest consuming any beef within seven (7) days and any poultry within three (3) days or refreeze the items upon arrival. Read more about freezing and food safely.

If any of your order is warm to the touch upon arrival, we suggest sending us a photo of the item with the label and the cooler lid and your order number to farm@stillmanqualitymeats.com, and then discard that portion of the order. We will take the necessary steps internally to identify the problem, and work with you for a resolution that's reasonable and manageable by everyone.

Let’s face it everything costs more money these days and if possible we would love get our boxes back or have you recycle them.

RETURN THE BOXES TO US: If you are in Massachusetts, hang onto the boxes and the icepacks and drop them off either at a farmers’ market or one of our retail locations. We are happy to offer you a credit on your next shipping order.

RECYCLE: If you cannot get the boxes back to our farm, then we ask that you consider recycling the box and donating the ice packs to an animal or food shelter or business that may have use for them.

Once meat products leave our farm, we cannot accept returns. Food safety protocols require when handling perishable food products that the cold chain never be broken. However, if you have a complaint, please reach out to our customer service team at farm@stillmanqualitymeats.com Please see our RETUN POLICY for more information.

If for any reason you are unhappy with your order or an item you have received, please let us know. Contact customer service at farm@stillmanqualitymeats.com

If you possible, please send a photo of the item label (with the item code and LOT number), packaging, the product, the cooler lid, and any other helpful information. Please include your order number and we will work to resolve the issue quickly.