Finding Quality Sources

You understand why liver matters. You're ready to make bone broth. But where do you actually find bones from grass-fed animals? Pastured eggs? Liver that isn't from a factory farm?

Sourcing is the gap between nutritional knowledge and practice.

Why Source Matters

Not all liver is equal. Not all eggs are equal. The nutritional profile of animal foods depends heavily on how the animals were raised.

Pastured vs. conventional eggs:
• Pastured: 2-6x more vitamin A, 3x more vitamin E, 2x more omega-3s, 7x more beta carotene
• The orange yolk isn't just prettier—it reflects nutrient density

Grass-fed vs. grain-fed beef liver:
• Grass-fed: More vitamin A, more CLA, better omega-3:omega-6 ratio
• The animal's health affects the organ's nutrient content

Grass-fed vs. grain-fed butter:
• Grass-fed: 5x more CLA, 3x more vitamin K2, more vitamin A
• The yellow color indicates higher nutrient levels

This isn't food snobbery. For baby nutrition, these differences compound.

Hierarchy of Priorities

You don't need perfection. Here's what matters most:

Highest Priority (Worth Real Effort)

1. Pastured eggs — The yolk quality difference is substantial 2. Grass-fed liver — The nutrient density difference is significant 3. Bones for broth from pastured animals — Marrow quality matters

High Priority (Try to Find)

4. Grass-fed butter/ghee — K2 content differs dramatically 5. Wild-caught fatty fish — Farmed salmon has problematic fat profiles 6. Grass-fed dairy — Better fat profile

Moderate Priority (Nice to Have)

7. Pastured meats — Important but the difference is smaller than organs/eggs 8. Raw dairy — If accessible and trusted 9. Organic vegetables — Less critical than animal food quality

Lower Priority (Don't Stress)

10. Organic grains — If you're using grains at all 11. Everything else — Focus energy on the high-impact items

Where To Source

Farmers Markets

The single best source for high-quality animal products.

What you'll find:
• Pastured eggs (often 6-10 dollars per dozen)
• Grass-fed beef and organs
• Pastured poultry
• Raw milk and cheese (where legal)
• Bones for broth (often free or cheap)

How to approach: 1. Arrive early for best selection 2. Ask vendors about their practices: "Are your chickens on pasture? What do they eat?" 3. Ask about organs: "Do you have liver? Heart? Bones?" 4. Build relationships—regular customers often get first pick

Questions to ask:
• "Are the animals on pasture year-round, or just some months?"
• "What do you supplement with?" (Some grain is normal, 100% grass is rare)
• "Do you use any antibiotics or hormones?"
• "Can I visit the farm?"

Direct From Farms

Many farms sell directly, either on-site or through delivery.

How to find:
• eatwild.com — Directory of grass-fed farms
• localharvest.org — Searchable database of local farms
• realmilk.com — Raw dairy sources specifically
• Weston A. Price Foundation chapter leaders often maintain local lists

Buying options:
• Farm store visits — Best for seeing conditions yourself
• Farm stands/honor systems — Common for eggs
• Buying clubs — Group orders for delivery
• Cow/herd shares — Joint ownership for raw dairy access

CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)

Many meat CSAs offer subscription boxes with pastured products.

Advantages:
• Consistent supply
• Often includes variety of cuts and organs
• Supports local farms
• Sometimes includes bones, fat, and offal

Disadvantages:
• Commitment required
• May include cuts you don't want
• Pickup schedules

Online Sources

When local isn't available:

For meat and organs:
• US Wellness Meats — Grass-fed organs, bones, tallow
• White Oak Pastures — Regenerative farm, ships nationwide
• Force of Nature — Regenerative meats including bison
• ButcherBox — Mixed quality, select grass-fed options

For specialty items:
• Vital Choice — Wild-caught seafood
• Radiant Life — Cod liver oil, traditional fats
• Pure Indian Foods — Grass-fed ghee

Cautions:
• Shipping costs add up
• Frozen shipments aren't ideal for all items
• Quality varies by vendor

Ethnic Markets

Often overlooked, ethnic grocery stores frequently carry:
• Organ meats (liver, heart, kidney) at good prices
• Bones for broth
• Whole fish
• Traditional fats (tallow, lard)

Italian markets: Often have quality cheeses, organs Mexican markets: Liver, heart, tripe, bones common Asian markets: Fish heads, organ meats, bone-in cuts Halal markets: Fresh organ meats, quality lamb

Quality varies—source animals may or may not be pastured—but availability is often better than conventional supermarkets.

Sourcing In Italy

For those in Italy or visiting, you have advantages:

Farm Sources (Aziende Agricole)

Many small farms sell directly ("vendita diretta")

Look for "allevamento al pascolo" (pasture-raised)

Ask at local agriturismi for farm recommendations

Butchers (Macellerie)

Traditional butchers often know their suppliers

Ask for "fegato" (liver), "cuore" (heart), "ossa" (bones)

"Da animali allevati al pascolo" means pasture-raised

Raw Milk (Latte Crudo)

Available at "distributori automatici di latte crudo" throughout Italy

Usually from local farms, very fresh

Bring your own bottle

Must be consumed within 3 days

Legal and common—Italy has over 1,000 vending machines

Markets (Mercati)

Weekly markets often have farm vendors

"Produttore locale" means local producer

Ask about animal husbandry practices

Quality Indicators

"Biologico" — Organic certification

"Allevato al pascolo" — Pasture-raised

"Razza locale" — Heritage breed

"Alimentazione naturale" — Natural feeding

Sourcing In The UK

Farm Shops

Many farms have on-site shops

Quality is usually high

Look for Pasture for Life certification

Box Schemes

Abel and Cole, Riverford — Organic veg and meat boxes

Farmison — Properly aged, traceable meats

Pipers Farm — Direct from farm

Farmers Markets

London Farmers Markets network

Check local council listings

Quality generally high at proper farmers markets

Butchers

Ask about sourcing

Independent butchers often know their farms

Request organs and bones—often available on request

Practical Tips

Building Relationships

Why it matters: Farmers remember regular customers. They'll save you liver, hold back bones, tell you when they have something special.

How:
• Go consistently
• Ask questions (farmers love talking about their work)
• Be patient when learning about their practices
• Offer to buy things others don't want (organs, bones, fat)

Buying In Bulk

Cost savings:
• Whole chickens cheaper than parts
• Quarter/half beef purchases cheaper per pound
• Organs often sold very cheap or given away

Storage:
• Invest in a small chest freezer
• Vacuum sealing extends freezer life
• Bone broth can be frozen in portions

Organ Meat Specifically

Organs can be hard to find because demand is low.

Strategies:
• Ask farmers/butchers to save them for you
• Check ethnic markets
• Order online from farms that ship
• Buy frozen when fresh isn't available

Where organs hide:
• Liver: Most available, check any butcher
• Heart: Often sold as dog food—request it for human consumption
• Kidney: Ask specialty butchers
• Marrow bones: Usually available, sometimes free

Fish

Wild-caught priorities:
• Salmon (wild Alaska, not Atlantic farmed)
• Sardines (almost always wild)
• Mackerel (usually wild)
• Anchovies (usually wild)

Where to find:
• Whole Foods has decent wild-caught selection
• Asian markets for whole fish
• Fish markets in coastal areas
• Vital Choice online

Cost Management

Quality food costs more, but:
• Organs are often cheap (liver often 3-6 dollars per pound even pastured)
• Bones often free or near-free
• Eggs are worth the premium
• Prioritize: Better eggs and liver, conventional vegetables

Budget hierarchy: 1. Pastured eggs and liver (worth full price) 2. Grass-fed butter (significant nutrient difference) 3. Wild sardines (cheap even for quality) 4. Bones for broth (often free) 5. Everything else as budget allows

What To Do Without Ideal Sources

You won't always find pastured liver. You might not have a farmers market. Here's the hierarchy:

Best: Pastured/grass-fed from known farm Good: Organic from supermarket Okay: Conventional, still better than not eating it Also okay: Skip and focus on other nutrient-dense foods

A conventional egg is still nutritious. Conventional liver still has more nutrients than almost any other food. Don't let perfect sourcing prevent good nutrition.

Red Flags

Signs a vendor may not be what they claim:

Vague about practices ("Yeah, they're free-range")

Won't discuss or doesn't know feed

Prices that seem too good to be true

Unwilling to let you visit

Defensive about questions

Quality farms are proud of their practices and happy to discuss them.

Building Your Local Network

Over time, you'll develop sources:

1. Start at farmers markets — Meet vendors, ask questions 2. Visit farms — See conditions yourself 3. Join groups — Weston A. Price local chapters, Facebook groups for local food 4. Ask around — Other parents interested in nutrition often share sources 5. Grow the network — As you find sources, share with others

The first month is hardest. Within a few months, you'll have reliable sources for everything that matters.

Summary

Start with: 1. Find pastured eggs (farmers market or farm store) 2. Locate a source for grass-fed liver 3. Get bones for broth (often free from butchers)

Then expand to: 4. Grass-fed butter 5. Wild-caught fish 6. Grass-fed dairy

Don't stress about:
• Having every item sourced perfectly
• Organic vegetables (nice but not critical)
• Occasional conventional items

The goal is progress, not perfection. Start with the highest-impact items and build from there.