Your Guide to Sustainable Meat in Sonoma County

First of all, what is “sustainable” meat? In essence, a farm or butchery that produces sustainable meat focuses on the welfare of the animal and the reduction of methane gases. Animals raised sustainably don’t receive hormone or antibiotics and are allowed to roam free. 

Additionally, many of these farms and ranches also practice sustainable agriculture or farming. This can involve: Building healthy soils to prevent erosion, managing water effectively, reducing carbon emissions and/or storing carbon, and promoting biodiversity. 

Consumers can feel good about buying food from local farmers because not only will they know where their food is from, but they will also help shrink the carbon footprint and support their region’s economy. 

The following Sonoma County businesses use or create sustainably raised meats and participate in sustainable business practices. 

Black Pig Meat Co.

The brainchild of chefs Duskie Estes and John Stewart of Zazu Kitchen, Black Pig Meat Co. specializes in slow, dry-cured, and applewood smoked bacon made from sustainably raised pigs. They source their meat from family farms that raise their animals sustainably, without using antibiotics or hormones, and with plenty of room to roam free.

Order Black Pig Meat Co.’s delicious, sustainable, smoked, and dry-cured bacon for delivery straight to your door via the business’ online store, try their products at local restaurants (find a list on their website), or purchase products at one of the following establishments: 

• Oliver’s Market (located in Windsor, Santa Rosa, and Cotati)
• Big John’s Market in Healdsburg
• Andy’s Produce Market in Sebastopol
• Lala’s Jam Bar in Petaluma

Green Star Farm

Specializing in pasture-raised chickens, eggs, lamb, and pork, Green Star Farm raises all of its own animals on its 85-acre livestock farm in West Sonoma County. 

The farm practices rotational grazing to improve the health of topsoil. Rancher-proprietor Sarah Silva’s goal is to create a regenerative system that employs animals to aid in the healthy improvement of the ranch’s soil ecosystem. 

Green Star Farm’s heritage breed hogs are raised outdoors on pasture and wood chips. They also have plenty of space to run, play, and live their best piggy lives.

The farm’s Freedom Ranger Broiler chickens are raised in large, bottomless mobile coops. They are moved daily to munch on pasture grasses, bugs, and grubs and receive organically domestically sourced, soy-free poultry feed. The farm practices predator-friendly farming by using guardian dogs to protect the chickens.  

Goats and sheep are pasture-raised, with plenty of space to roam and play. The farm rotates the animals using holistic grazing. When the farm can’t supply the sheep with enough grass, their feed is supplemented with the farm’s own hay. All of Green Star Farm’s sheep and goats are grain-free. 

You can purchase Green Star Farm’s meats directly by pre-ordering online and picking orders up at the farm during the last week of each month. The farm also offers home delivery on the last Thursday of each month to Sebastopol, Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park, Cotati, Penngrove, and North Petaluma. Shipping is available to California residents, and the farm also offers a few different farm box subscription options. 

Panizzera Meat Co.

Started in Occidental in 1914 by Constante and Margaret Panizzera, Italian Immigrants from the Lake Como region of Italy, Panizzera Meat Co. is a more than 100-year-old meat processing facility in Sonoma County. The business specializes in whole animal butchery and all-natural meat products, carrying high-quality USDA prime dry-aged steaks, local grass-fed beef, local lamb and goats, locally and sustainably raised pork, and hand-made sausage.

Today, Panizzera’s products can be purchased at markets all over Northern California, including many in Sonoma County. The business also has two retail stores and launched a monthly subscription delivery service. 

Sonoma County Meat Co.

Voted the Best Butcher Shop in Sonoma County for seven years in a row, Sonoma County Meat Co. sources its meats from local, sustainable family farms and provides all the cut and wrap, smoking, and sausage-making in-house. The company specializes in producing jerky, bacon, sausage, beef, pork, lamb, goat and rabbit. All of Sonoma County Meat Co.’s packages are vacuum-sealed, labeled, and immediately frozen.

Sonoma County Meat Co.’s cattle are free-range, grass-fed, and raised on a ranch in Knights Valley, just outside Calistoga, that practices regenerative agriculture. 

The pigs Sonoma County Meat Co. uses are raised humanely and sustainably by third-generation sustainable family farmers less than 150 miles away. No hormones or antibiotics are used.

Beyond its focus on sustainably sourced meat, Sonoma County Meat Co. is also committed to environmental sustainability and climate-focused business practices. 

The company has pledged bold climate action, joining the Race to Zero, making a goal to reach aggressive emission-reduction targets within the next few years. The company has also joined the Science Based Target initiative (SBTi), partnering in global committments to reduce greenhouse gas, and global temperatures by achieving net-zero emissions.

Purchase Sonoma Meat Co.’s products at its store in Santa Rosa, or find products at the Forestville Farmers’ Market, Jack London Square Farmers’ Market, and Healdsburg Farmers’ Market in Sonoma County, as well as at a handful of local markets.

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Written by Brooke Herron