Walden Local Meat Co. is a local business that produces and sells grass-fed beef and pork to local communities. The company is dedicated to providing healthy, local meat for people and the environment. To that end, they partner with local farms to raise the meat they sell, which is then hand-delivered to members.
Walden Local’s beef is 100% grass-fed and grass-finished. They use humane practices during the process. It is also dry-aged for seven to fourteen days. Their pork comes from heritage crossbreed pigs that are not given nose rings. They also use air-chilled chickens and pasture-raised lamb. Their packaging also specifies where the animal was raised.
You can also choose to receive your meat in an insulated canvas bag filled with dry ice and extra insulating bags. The company has a butcher shop where you can watch butchers break down meat and order whole animals. They also offer butcher classes on how to cut and prepare meat.
Walden Local sells local, sustainably-raised meat from New England farms. They promote their products through direct-to-consumer channels as well as marketplaces. Their goal is to challenge the factory-farm system by allowing consumers to buy directly from farmers. Their efforts have been recognized by the ESP matrix as a leading startup.
The idea for Walden Mutual came during the pandemic, when consumers remained away from grocery stores, due to the COVID-19 outbreaks at commercial meatpacking facilities. The company grew fast as customers embraced the idea of a more resilient food system. As a result, the founder approached his customers with a business plan to expand the company. Within two weeks, he had raised over a million dollars.