Feel Good About Your Food | Sustainable Agriculture

At Farmway, our mission is simple: provide your family with delicious, locally raised Ontario meats that not only taste great but that you can feel great about. 

Vegetarians and vegans tend to be seen as the most ethical eaters, but today there’s no reason meat enthusiasts can’t be highly conscientious as well.  You have many options: you can know where your food comes from, how animals are raised, how they’re fed, whether they’re able to move around outside and graze naturally, whether anything is added to your meats before they reach your home and more.

Farmway has been doing exactly this for 30 years now, and we’re still going strong.  Way back in the early 1990s, we realized that consumer tastes were changing: while delicious meats were and would always be important, we saw the beginnings of a shift towards greater knowledge of (and comfort with) the food production chain, and the rise of the locally sourced food movement. These, along with families becoming busier than ever and wanting an option for home delivery of meats and groceries, were the inspiration behind our founding.

Still, while our mission is simple, it’s a complex world.  There are a lot more people on the planet compared to three decades ago.  Ontario beef, pork and poultry farmers are under increasing pressure to deliver more food, and faster, while maintaining the exceptional quality and taste we expect – and meeting the aforementioned demand for locally produced meats, from animals raised in a sustainable manner. 

While there’s no single, simple answer to the challenge, we’re certain that sustainable agriculture is an essential part of the solution.  Farmway Foods is a proud advocate for and supporter of sustainable farming practices, including pasture-raised pigs and free running/cage-free chickens and turkey. In addition to giving you, our customers, assurance that your food is ethically and sustainably produced, these practices benefit all the participants in the food supply chain and also contribute to a healthier planet. 

Here are just a few of the sustainable agricultural practices you can expect from Farmway’s producers.

  • Animal welfare: excellent treatment of animals providing the healthiest and most natural life possible, including plenty of room to move around and unrestricted outside access to the greatest degree possible.
  • Growing their own grains: wherever possible, the grains and grasses used to feed the animals originate from the same farm.
  • Waste-free or minimal-waste production: our farmers and butchers maximize the use of the animal.
  • Good soil health: minimizing impacts on soil by eliminating unnecessary tilling and retaining as many nutrients as possible, backed up by monitoring.
  • Smaller, more local business cycles: Ontario beef, pork and poultry farmers are more likely to see shorter animal transport times, and to do business with local butchers (which in turn help to ensure all parts of the animal are used).

When you buy from Farmway, you can be confident you’re buying from – and helping to support our Ontario farm families.  We feel that’s important because sustainability has another dimension – a family one.  Truly sustainable family farms can be passed down to the next generation of farmers, who will by that point have spent many years learning the business.  That business, in turn, becomes a legacy.  To that end, Farmway Foods strongly believes in relationships that produce a fair income for farming families, a fair price for consumers, and a virtuous cycle of profit, reinvestment, and sustainable growth.

If you’re interested in learning more about Farmway, our local Ontario grass-fed beef, pasture-raised pork and free-run chicken, contact us today!

How To Fry The Perfect Local Ontario Beef Steak

For best results, keep your Ontario steaks in their vacuum packs and thaw overnight in your refrigerator. Use a skillet to fry your juicy local Ontario steaks.

Pan Searing:  Preheat pan over medium heat with small amounts of cooking oil.  Season your local Ontario beef steak, as desired and turn according to the guidelines below.  Always allow your steaks to rest for 3-5 minutes before serving to redistribute the juices.

The cooking guidelines below are in minutes and based on fully thawed steaks.

How to fry a beef steak

How To BBQ The Perfect Steak

How To Cook A Perfect Grass-fed Steak

For best results, keep your local Ontario beef steaks in vacuum packs and thaw overnight in your refrigerator. After cooking, allow the steaks to rest 3-5 minutes before serving. Verify the desired degree of doneness by using a meat thermometer.

Gas Grill: Preheat grill to high, reduce to medium heat prior to cooking.

Charcoal Grill: Sear over red hot coals, for steaks over 1 1/4″ finish over indirect heat.

The cooking times below are in minutes and based on fully thawed steaks.

Stop Wasting Food & Money! Learn What “Best Before” Labels Mean Before You Throw Food Away

Modern consumers are savvy: they want to save money, eat healthy foods, and live environmentally friendly lifestyles. It’s a tall order, but Ontario families are up to the challenge. 

However, the average Canadian wastes $1,777 per year in food (CBC), despite their best efforts to save money and prevent waste. According to the National Zero Waste Council (NZWC), a common source of food waste is the confusion surrounding common food labels, such as the “best before” label. People see these labels and incorrectly assume that any food near or just past the “best before” date is expired and no longer edible. This simply isn’t true!

Decoding Food Labels: What Does the “Best Before” Label Mean?

Food labels are becoming more detailed than ever. This is great for consumers, who want more information about the foods they’re eating so they can make educated choices. Some of the labels you commonly see on foods are nutrition labels, manufacturing labels (such as the lot number and where the item was made/packaged), and labels that list the “best before”, “expiry date”, and “packaged on” dates.

While all these different labels contain valuable information, it can be hard for the average person to decipher what each label means! 

While they seem similar at first, a “best before” date is not the same as an “expiry date”. The purpose of the “best before” date is to give consumers information about the freshness of the product when it’s unopened and stored under proper conditions. This means that the unopened product will not instantly expire the moment the “best before” date arrives. When stored properly, it will remain fine for consumption for a reasonable amount of time. So that unopened box of pasta that’s nearing its “best before” date, or is a week or two past the date? Don’t throw it away! It’s completely fine and you won’t notice any change in the quality of the product.


Know Your Labels: Prevent Food Waste, Save Money
& Help the Environment

To help combat unnecessary food waste, the NZWC released A Food Loss and Waste Strategy for Canada report to help halve food waste by 2030. The report includes reconsidering how “best before” date labelling is approached. 

According to the report, food labels such as the ‘best before”, “use by”, “sell by”,  and “expiry” dates cause confusion amongst consumers, which leads to foods that are perfectly fine for consumption being thrown away. Greater clarity about food labels “would reduce the unnecessary disposal of safe and healthy food, either by consumers or businesses who remove them prematurely from their shelves” (NZWC). 

Understanding food labels also helps to prevent unnecessary landfill waste and greenhouse gas production, which are major contributors to environmental pollution. Reducing the amount of food wasted will not only save your family money, it’ll help the environment, according to the NZWC’s report:

“More than a third of food produced and distributed in Canada never gets eaten, with significant environmental, economic and social consequences. This grossly inefficient use of resources forces local governments into excessive costs for waste disposal, generates avoidable greenhouse gases at all stages of the production and distribution chain, and costs the Canadian economy up to $100 billion annually. In addition, organic waste in landfills, largely food, generates four per cent of Canada’s greenhouse gases” (NZWC).

Our Commitment to Helping Ontario Families Eat Better, Save Money & Reduce Food Waste

Farmway Foods is a strong believer in helping Ontario families save money and eat better. We also help our customers support local Ontario farmers by providing premium Ontario meats – which helps to grow our economy, support ethical farming practices, and reduce our reliance on imported foods.

We’re also strongly against food waste, which is why our meats are individually quick-frozen and vacuum-packed to reduce freezer burn and waste. We want our customers to maximize their dollar and not worry about throwing food away. Individually vacuum-packing each item means you can take out what you need and not worry about food spoilage or freezer burn, so you can enjoy every single one of your Farmway Foods products.

Farmway Foods Ontario Meat Delivery: Get Premium Quality Ontario Grass-Fed Beef, Free-Run Chicken, Pasture-Raised Pork & Wild-Caught Fish 

Our local Ontario meats from family-run farms are quick-frozen and vacuum-packed, so you can simply take out what you need from your freezer, defrost, and enjoy! Our goal is to make meal planning easy, so you have everything you need to cook delicious, healthy meals already at home. No more running to the grocery store at the last minute – Farmway Foods has you covered. Simply pick the plan that works best for your family and select your favourite products – we offer a wide variety of Ontario grass-fed beef, free-run chicken, pasture-raised pork, and wild-caught fish for you to choose from!

Ready to learn more? Contact us for more information on our local Ontario grass-fed beef and taste the difference yourself!

Meal Planning Cheat Sheet: Save Money & Eat Healthier!

When a new year rolls around, most people make goals to save money, eat better, and live a healthier lifestyle. But how do you bring those goals into reality? With a little planning, it’s actually easier than you think.

One of the easiest ways to save money, eat better, and be healthier is learning how to meal plan! We all live busy lifestyles, which makes it easy to grab a sugary protein bar or greasy takeout while at work or running errands. Cooking at home allows you to save money, use quality ingredients, and control your portion sizes. Enjoying the benefits of home-cooking doesn’t mean you need to spend hours in the kitchen everyday. All you need to do is plan ahead and learn the art of meal planning. And of course, Farmway Foods’ Ontario meat delivery will keep your freezer and pantry stocked year-round, so you have everything you need to meal plan like a pro!

The Art of Meal Planning: Tips & Tricks

Make a menu: The first step to meal planning is to… plan! Flip through a recipe book or browse the internet to find some recipes you want to make for your family or pack for lunches. Make sure the recipes you choose are quick, easy, and can be easily doubled so you have leftovers. Bonus: take a look at our recipes and videos for inspiration (and be sure to use meats and ingredients from local Ontario farms to make your meals even healthier and tastier!).

Look at weekly flyers: Stop throwing away those grocery flyers in your mailbox. Flip through the flyers from your usual grocery store to see what’s on sale and what’s in season. Plan meals around the foods that are on sale so you can stretch your grocery budget. This tip is especially useful for perishables that need to be purchased often, like fresh and frozen fruits and veggies, eggs, and dairy products.

Check your refrigerator: Don’t let the foods sitting in your fridge go to waste! What foods do you already have on hand? What perishables do you need to use up before they expire? Plan your meals around the foods you already have in your fridge and pantry. Avoid recipes that require you to buy a lot of new things. You can also substitute ingredients in recipes with things you already have.

Add grains to your recipes: Grains are easy to cook, affordable, and delicious! They’ll also keep in your fridge for a few days. Rice and pasta can be added to your meals as a side dish or as part of your main dish. Consider healthy meals like chicken and rice, pasta with lean ground beef, or throw some lean ground beef, rice and chopped veggies in the skillet. Bonus: use free-run chicken and grass-fed beef from local Ontario farms so you can eat healthy meals and support Ontario farmers!

Choose easy recipes: Complicated recipes look delicious when you’re flipping through your recipe books, but if they can be pretty expensive and time-consuming if they require special ingredients and extra steps. Consider the cost of your time, trips to the grocery store, and the cost of extra ingredients you don’t already have. You might end up wasting money buying a special ingredient for one recipe if you’ll never reach for that ingredient again.

Plan for leftovers: If you’re cooking, double the recipe so you can stash leftovers in the fridge to enjoy the next day. And if you’re cooking a whole chicken, think about all the ways you can use leftover chicken for other meals. You can make delicious chicken sandwiches, chicken and rice, chicken soup, and more! Bonus: make sure your chicken is free-run and from local Ontario farms, so you can feel good about supporting ethical farming practices and local family-run farms.

Stock your freezer with ready-made meals: If you’re cooking foods like lasagna or soup, make an extra dish and freeze it to enjoy later.

Know what your family enjoys: Make your family part of your meal planning and encourage them to share their favourite meals. They’ll feel inspired to participate in the meal planning and cooking, so you can make it a fun family project. Bonus: when you work with Farmway Foods’ custom Ontario meat delivery, your family can pick the Ontario meats and grocery items they love to eat (no need to worry about being stuck with foods you don’t want!).

Look ahead: Take a look at the weather and your social calendar before creating your weekly meal plan. If a cold rainy day is coming up and you’ll probably be craving comfort foods, cook your favourite soups and chilis ahead of time and store them in your freezer. If you know you’re having guests over on the weekend, plan to cook a roast or a large dish so you have enough to feed everyone.

Choose a shopping day: Once you’ve made your meal planning sheet for the week, write down the ingredients you need to purchase. Nobody likes to waste time grocery shopping, so get everything you can at once. If your fresh fruits and veggies spoil too quickly, consider substituting your fresh ingredients for frozen. Bonus: frozen fruits and veggies are usually cheaper than fresh!

Keep a well-stocked pantry and freezer: We’ve all been there: you’re planning a meal and realize you’re missing a key ingredient. Don’t allow yourself to run out of the foods and ingredients you need at inconvenient times. Make sure your pantry and freezer are well-stocked and everything you need is easily accessible, so you feel inspired to meal plan and start cooking instead of ordering takeout.

Bonus: when you partner with an Ontario meat and grocery delivery company like Farmway Foods, you’ll never run out of your local Ontario meats and non-perishable grocery essentials! We’ll keep your freezer stocked with Ontario grass-fed beef, free-run chicken, pasture-raised pork, and wild-caught fish, so you have everything you need on hand to enjoy a variety of healthy meals. We’ll even deliver your pantry essentials so you don’t need to worry about multiple grocery store visits every time you run out of your favourite item.

Make Meal Planning Even Easier with Meat & Grocery Delivery in Ontario!
Enjoy Ontario Grass-Fed Beef, Free-Run Chicken, Pasture-Raised Pork
& Wild-Caught Fish

Farmway Foods Ontario meats are quick-frozen and vacuum-packed to maximize your convenience and make meal planning a breeze. Just take what you need out of your freezer, defrost, and cook! Enjoy fewer last-minute trips to the grocery store and eat premium quality meats from local Ontario farms. Discover the Farmway Foods difference and how we can help your family eat more delicious foods, save money, support local, and make healthier meals! Contact us today and learn more.

meal prep cheat sheet (1)