Are you a farmer interested in selling to consumers directly? Or a small-town butcher looking for new customers for your specialty products? Or maybe you're a small processor expanding beyond foodservice. If you fit into any of those categories, you're in the right place! About ChopLocal ChopLocal empowers niche meat processors,...

Ground Beef Directly from Farmers and Butchers Nearly half (40-45%) of the beef consumed in the United States is ground beef, and for good reason! A household staple, ground beef is incredibly versatile and delicious. But in the past few months, ground beef prices have been rising. You would think this would benefit farmers, but that's not the case....

Here at ChopLocal, our goal is to provide you with high-quality meat and a satisfying eating experience. Our farmers and butchers have done most of the work - raising and cutting amazing meat for you to enjoy. But unfortunately, you have to do some of the work yourself. Our meats arrive frozen, and it’s up to you to prepare them. So how do you...

The Thanksgiving turkey is one of the cornerstones of the holiday, but some experts are reporting a shortage of turkeys - especially smaller ones. “Your best bet for getting a small fresh turkey is to order one from a local turkey farm today,” Consumer Reports advised in late September. ChopLocal has made that easy by rounding up a...

The  best way to cook a turkey - ask 10 cooks and you'll probably get 10 different answers! But our friend Michelle from the blog Simplify, Live, Love swears that the best way to cook a turkey is upside down! Michelle isn't the only one who recommends cooking turkeys upside down. In fact, that's how I cooked my turkey last year. By placing the...

ChopLocal is, at its core, about people and community. Jared and I (Katie) started this company a year ago in order to help individual farmers and small business owners compete against the massive corporations that currently control the meat supply chain in the United States. The newest member of our team not only deeply understands our mission...

Iowa is known for corn, soybeans, pigs and cattle, but did you know that the state is also home to many turkey farms? Iowa ranks 7th in US turkey production, with about 130 turkey farms. And most of those farms are 2nd, 3rd or even 4th generation turkey farms, like the farms owned by ChopLocal's founders, Jared Achen and Katie Olthoff . This...

Latest News: January 20, 2021 - Iowa Farmers Launch "The Etsy of Meat" July 14, 2021 - ChopLocal Now Home to 20 Farmers and Butchers October 11, 2021 - Mark Putney joins ChopLocal   ChopLocal has been featured in many different publications and podcasts. Check them out below! (This page is updated periodically with new links.)...

Just over six years ago, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (bird flu) was discovered on a Minnesota turkey farm. And in a roundabout way, that event led ChopLocal’s co-founder, Katie Olthoff, down the professional - and personal - path she’s on today. Katie’s passion for helping farmers developed long before bird flu made its way to the midwest....

Agriculture is in his blood. As a 4th generation farmer in southeast Iowa, there was never any doubt that ChopLocal Founder and CEO Jared Achen would return to the farm after completing his education. Alongside his father, sister and brother-in-law, he raises turkeys and row-crops in southeast Iowa. Despite his plans to farm after graduation, Achen...

The Ohnemusbeef Farm Story Farming can be stressful, but most people don’t think about the effect of stress on farm animals. For David and Mary Lynne Ohnemus, though, that is top of mind. They strive to provide a stress-free environment for their cattle, which leads to better taste and texture in the end result. Like many cattle ranchers...

Is buying meat online a bad idea? Well, to be honest, it can be quite the disappointment. Since the pandemic began, over 50% of meat-eaters have purchased meat online, which includes online grocery ordering for pick-up or delivery. And it hasn’t always left them satisfied. But at ChopLocal, we’ve done everything possible to make sure you have the best...

by Amber Kohlhaas Step up your steak IQ! In this quick guide, learn about the different cuts of steak and how to cook them to perfection. Summer is steak season! While you can find many types of steak on the ChopLocal marketplace, choosing between different cuts can overwhelm some people. Step up your steak IQ just ahead of the grilling season....

Google “bacon meme” and you’ll find more than a few to make you chuckle. But our favorite is this one: While the image here is a pig, we may as well replace it with Matt and Tim Bierman, brothers originally from northwest Iowa. The two brothers grew up on a farm with their three siblings, and after college, Tim returned to the family farm,...

It’s hard to imagine a family business lasting for five generations, for good reason. Data shows that most family businesses don’t last more than one generation. Of the 30% that survive to the second generation, only 50% continue to the 3rd. Fourth and fifth generation businesses are nearly unheard of. But it’s different in agriculture. Fifth generation...

There are hazards to running an online meat marketplace and the main one is that staring at photos of meat all day makes you really hungry. Tawnya's weekly meal plans do the same thing. I read through them each week before posting, and by the end, my mouth is watering and I feel pretty sure that I'm going to starve to death if I don't start cooking...

A fun spin on meatloaf, a home-made version of a Taco Bell classic, a smart tip for baking chicken, a great burger idea, and easy pulled pork - This week’s family menu is full of great ideas! If this is your first visit to ChopLocal, welcome! Each week, one of our team members, Tawnya, creates a supper menu for her family of 5, and shares it via...

Are you running out of ideas for supper? Tawnya to the rescue! She's rounded up 5 mouthwatering recipes, keeping ChopLocal's vendors and meats at the center of the plate. (To see other weekly meal plans, click here.) Meats featured this week include: Bacon Ground Beef Ribeye Steak Pesto Turkey Meatballs And remember, you...

Berkshire pork is known for its flavor and quality, and it’s one of the bestselling types of meat on ChopLocal. But what makes it so good? This guide will tell you more about Berkshire pork and why you should give it a try. Breeds of Pigs - Berkshire Pigs To understand why Berkshire pork is so good, you have to know a little bit about...

Looking for some easy family meals that come together in no time? That's what Tawnya has ready for us in this week's meal plan! Read on for the family friendly recipes! (And don't forget to check out the first two meal plans here!)   Chipped Beef Gravy on Biscuits  Chop the chipped (dried) beef into little chunks. Place in a...

Are you a meal planner? We asked on our Facebook page and the votes were split! But Tawyna Achen, wife of ChopLocal founder Jared Achen, plans out dinner ideas and grocery lists each week for her family of 5. (If you missed it, check out the interview with Tawnya on our Facebook page here .) The Achens have three kids - Brecken is 6, Tenley is...

*photo courtesy Cooked by Julie Prime rib is an amazing cut of beef, and a classic for the holidays. We are lucky enough to have  12 prime rib roasts (also called standing rib roasts) available from Brewer Family Farms this year. Cooking a prime rib roast is not that hard, but it can be intimidating. So we’ve rounded up a few amazing recipes...

Meateaters - prepare yourselves! We are approaching one of the most important holidays of the year... Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving is an important holiday, and a perfectly roasted turkey is the centerpiece of the meal! Whether you're brand new to the job, or have done it before but want to refresh your memory, everything you need to know is right here...

If you are a farmer or butcher visiting the ChopLocal website, you likely already know how desperately the United States needs diversity in its meat supply chain. For years, farmers’ share of the food dollar has been decreasing. In fact, according to the United States Department of Agriculture , farmers received only 14.6 cents of every dollar...