Pastoral Plate

I could write a long wordy review but all I need to say can be summed up in one easy sentence: the smoked pork chop was the single best thing I have ever eaten. Done.

Pastoral Plate is the best meat CSA in San Francisco. The farms that Jonathan has selected to support are small and are doing right by the animals and the land. Yes, sustainably, ethically pasture raised animals are expensive when compared to the alternative but we see this as an investment in our health for our family. As a holistic nutritionist, I am very clear on what I’m paying for and WHY I’m paying these prices. We purchase family packs which effectively makes the same grassfed beef I buy for $ 30/​lb at birite $ 10/​lb from Jonathan. I’ve learned more about roasts and stew meat and have become better at nose to tail eating. I also feel a responsibility to support these farms. I’m tired of hearing everyone complain about the price of everything in SF and then complain about the environment. This IS my contribution to healing our soil and creating a healthy meat industry. I am voting with my dollars and have not missed the opportunity to order ALL OF MY MEAT AND EGGS from Pastoral Plate, each month, for over a year now. Couldn’t be happier. Thank you Jonathan for the gift of Pastoral Plate!

Spectacular meat, eggs and now cheeses too. Really lovely people behind pastoral palate who take the time to know the farms and farmers where they source fabulous foods. Ordering is very easy and as others have said, you can buy as little or as much as you like. Most importantly — the eggs have beautiful rich orange yolks and you can almost taste the sunshine in them, the sheep’s milk feta was so good I ate most of it with a spoon, the lamb was some of the best I’ve had. Give them a try.

Ordering from Pastoral Plate is so convenient because it’s online, but also very personable, which is a great feature when you’re ordering meat online. The first time I ordered, I misread the website and somehow managed to order an absurd amount of lamb. Always considerate, Jonathan emailed me to make sure that I really meant to order that much lamb, rather than just placing my order and making some good money off of me. The pick-​up was convenient and easy and, most importantly, the meat was delicious! I also like the monthly emails from Pastoral Plate that include recipe ideas and farm visits; it’s a refreshing reminder about where food comes from when I spend most of my time in the city.
In addition, Pastoral Plate is great because Jonathan is committed to finding affordable, local, healthy meat that is exactly what customers want. When the service didn’t offer what I was looking for, he spent a great deal time contacting farms, gathering prices, and staying in touch with me to find what I wanted– it was something I didn’t have the time or the contacts to do on my own and I was really impressed by how dedicated he was to helping me satisfy my local meat cravings.
All in all, Pastoral Plate is easy to try to see if you like it, and then even easier to continue using once you realize how much better the local meat tastes!

I’m lucky to live in a place where there are a number of quality options for locally, humanely and intelligently raised meat, and Pastoral Plate is among the very best. Rather than a set CSA box, Pastoral Plate allows you to order as much or as little pork, beef, lamb, and chicken (and now eggs!) each month, and to change that amount each time to accommodate need, budget, etc. Jonathan has worked to identify and build relationships with suppliers in the area, and I like knowing exactly where my meat comes from, how it was raised, and who raised it. I also like knowing that my choices actively support local ranchers and farmers (including the ability to participate in farm ‘work’ days to connect even more fully with the source). Pastoral Plate’s direct connection goes both ways — want your steaks cut thicker or your sausage a bit spicier? Just ask. Ordering is easy, delivery reliable, prices competitive, and, most importantly, everything is absolutely delicious. You can taste the difference.

I have been ordering meat and chickens from Pastoral Plate for about 6 months. Like a lot of people I have been trying to eat more responsibly — selecting organic, sustainably raised products with an emphasis on local ranches and farms. Pastoral Plate makes it easy! Jonathan has been developing personal relationships with local ranchers and farmers and as a result he offers only the best of best. Ordering is simple and the quality is top notch. As an added bonus, you can volunteer for ‘work’ days and visit the ranches. It gives you an opportunity to see the animals, help the ranchers with projects like building chicken coups and hunting for freshly laid eggs in the pasture. Pastoral Plate’s mission is to build a community through food, and I am very happy to be a part of it.
Thanks!!!

About 6 months back I was experimenting by eating only locally. In San Francisco shopping for fruits and vegetables locally was no problem. There are countless fruit and vegetable CSA’s on the market. But as far as meat goes, it was much more difficult. The local meat at farmers markets are usually fairly expensive. Pastoral Plate has grown in exposure since back then but they continue to provide the incredible service that I feel so lucky to have found. An enormous variety of organic, grass-​fed meats at an affordable cost. Once you’re on their email list they’re do an incredible job of keeping you posted when the next order times will be, ordering is extremely easy, and the meat is DELICIOUS. The steak especially. I also frequently purchase their lamb, bacon, ground beef and sausages and have bought their chicken before, and it’s all some of the highest quality meat you can possibly get, if not THE highest quality. If you’re broke, there’s no minimum amount that you have to buy so you can get as little or as much as you want. Pickup location is in the center of the city meaning it’s easy for most people to get there — the 22, bart, and various other busses swing around their house and it’s close to dolores park. Sometimes the window of time for pickup is a little tight for me, so if you’re super busy you might have the same problem, but Jonathan and his wife are extremely friendly, courteous and understanding. It feels fabulous when getting your food has such a personal process to it and if you email them and let them know you might be a little late or can’t make it that day i’m sure they can work something out.
By supporting pastoral plate you really feel like you’re part of an important creative community solution towards the aim of taking back the power of our food supply system, demanding the healthiest meat possible rather than the processed and unethical products that are being shoved down our throat at unrealistically cheap prices thanks to industrial agriculture methods that put profit first and consumer health, connection to food and farmer economies last. Best of all, you get the tastiest food in exchange for the effort. And more demand means these local farms will be able to drive their prices down which means more people will be able to afford to buy local and organic which means we can slowly phase out the corporate ownership of our food disitribution and forge a more independent and sustainable future! As someone who barely gets by every month, even I can somehow afford to occasionally put in a good order of meat from pastoral plate
They also do occasional trips to the farms to help out, which i’m looking forward to!

My partner and I have been ordering from Pastoral Plate since January. Since getting to know Jonathan behind Pastoral Plate, our understanding of our food system, and our relationship to it has changed dramatically.
There is no minimum order required, so it is possible a household of two to buy and enjoy fresh, locally produced meat, at a reasonable cost. We know exactly where the meat came from, how it was raised, and we know that we are supporting our local producers by buying direct.
We order every few weeks, and couldn’t be happier with the experience. I can’t say enough about the quality of the meat. We always order whole chicken, different cuts of lamb, occasional steaks, and have recently started ordering the sausage as well. We’re learning new recipes, and enjoying cooking and trying new cuts of meat. I know without a doubt that our time, and money is well spent with Pastoral Plate, because we are supporting our local economy while also investing in our own health.

Pastoral Plate provides a great deal to it’s customers:
— delicious beef, lamb, chicken, sausages and eggs
— organic and free from antibiotics
— direct access to the farms from which the animals are raised
This is a great resource. The people are very communicative about delivery times, the products are really good and they actually do a lot to help educate their customers.