1.  Where do you deliver to?

We make regular deliveries to Winnipeg, MB.  If you live within 30 miles of Cartwright, MB we will also deliver your order to you.  If you live elsewhere in Manitoba we will contact you to make arrangements for you to receive your order.  We encourage all of our customers to come out to the farm to pick up your order and let us give you a personal tour.  See with your own eyes where your food comes from.

2.  How often do you make deliveries?

We will try to deliver your food to you within two weeks of placing the order.  For larger orders it may take slightly longer because we may not have enough meat in stock.  We will contact you via email within 2 days of placing your order to coordinate a delivery time and place.

3.  Do you charge for deliveries?

Yes there is a small charge for deliveries, generally $20 or less.  To keep the delivery costs down for our customers we try to take in the maximum number of order per trip because more orders means a lower delivery charge for each order.

4.  Do you make home deliveries?

We will make deliveries right to your door for large orders (½ beef, ½ pork, whole lamb).  To-your-door delivery is also available on smaller order upon request, although an additional charge of $25 will be required (in addition to the $20 base delivery charge).  Unless you specifically request that your order is delivered to your home, we will arrange to meet with you at a central pick-up point in Winnipeg.  Usually we have 3 or 4 pick-up points throughout the city, so one will be close enough to you to be convenient.

5.  What do you mean when you say that your animals are grass-fed?

Grass-fed can have a lot of different meanings depending on who you ask.  A lot of farmers will call their meat grass-fed, but what they really mean is that their animals are fed grain for most of their lives and grazed on grass for a couple of months.  At McDonald Farm when we say grass-fed we mean that our animals are never fed cereal grains at any time in their lives, they are 100% grass-fed.  Period. 

6.  Are your animals ever given antibiotics, hormones or other drugs?

No.  Our animals are 100% drug free, antibiotic free, and artificial hormone free.  We put the health and welfare of our animals first and foremost, so if one of our animals is sick we will treat them to the best of our ability, following the instructions of our veterinarian.  However treated animals are never sold for meat.

7.  What if I want something that isn't listed on your on-line shopping cart?

If you can't find something or want to make a special request as far as how your order is cut and wrapped just ask we will be happy to accommodate you.  Special orders usually take two or three weeks to fill, but we are more than happy to work with you to make sure that you completely satisfied.

8.  Do you sell liver, kidneys, heart, etc?

Yes we do.  Not every customer is interested in those products so we don't list them on the website, but we have them available from our beef, pork, and lamb.  Just contact us and we will make sure that you get everything that you want.

9.  What do you mean when you say that you have "nitrate free" ham, bacon, and sausages?

Nitrates are preservatives that are commonly used in meats like ham and bacon to give them longer shelf life.  They also give ham and bacon their red colour.  Unfortunately nitrates can be hazardous to humans, even forming carcinogenic compounds in high enough concentrations.  So we don't use nitrates in any of meats, instead they are soaked in a natural brine and then smoked which gives them an intense flavour with none of the harmful chemicals.  Please be aware that because we don't use nitrates our ham and bacon is a brown colour when cooked, not the red that you are used to.

10.  What do you mean when you say your pigs are "pastured"?  Is that the same as "free-range"?

Free-range, pastured, grass-fed.  There are a lot of different terms that are all supposed to mean that these pigs are raised outside in the fresh air and sunshine.  Or at least that is the implication.  All to often, however, pigs that are described as pastured are really just housed in a small pen in a barn with access to a tiny patch of dirt for a few minutes every day.  At McDonald Farm when we say pastured we mean that our pigs are never kept inside at any point in their lives.  Our pigs are rotated through our 50 acre pastures throughout the spring, summer, and fall.  In a barn the space afforded to each pig is measured in feet; on our farm it's measured in acres!

11. Do you dry-age your beef?

Yes our beef is dry-aged for at least 14 days before it is cut and wrapped.  We can dry age it for longer if you like, but we find that 21 days is perfect to intensify the flavour and slightly tenderize the meat.  Dry-aging results in a better tasting, better quality product than you get when the meat is wet-aged, which involves placing the meat in a plastic bag and letting it sit in it's own juices.