• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content

Edens Meats

Humane and Ecological Husbandry

  • Beef
  • Chicken
  • Duck
  • Lamb
  • Pork
  • Turkey
  • Eggs & Cheese
  • Butchery
  • About
  • Plans
  • Order Now

Monthly Membership Plans

  • Membership Plans
  • Member Benefits
  • Pick-Up Locations
  • FAQ

Check out the different plans below. If you’re ready to purchase, just click one of the buttons to get started:

  • In response to increased demand from COVID-19, signing up for a monthly membership is the only way to ensure that we will have meat for you every month.  
  • Sign-ups will continue on a rolling basis. For all other questions, visit the FAQ tab above or contact us.
  • Check out our order form to get a sense of what will be available every month.
Pay with Credit Card Pay with Check Contact Us

  Farm Family ~$200/month for 12 months

Eat the way our farm family eats with enough meat to keep your household happy  all year long. Order $200 of your favorite pork, chicken, beef, and more every month. 

1 Example of a Monthly Order with a Farm Family Plan:

4 Whole Roaster Chickens + 1 Pint Old Fashioned BBQ + 3 Packs Pork Chops + 1 Pack Bacon + 2 Packs of Shanks + 1  Pack Beef Brisket

Homesteader ~$100/month for 12 months

This share is perfect for smaller households that enjoy high-quality meat as a side to vegetables and grains. Order $100 of your favorite pork, chicken, beef, and more every month. 

1 Example of a Monthly Order with a Homesteader Plan:

1 Pack Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breast + 1 Pack Bacon + 2 Packs Bulk Mild Sausage + 1 Pack Ground Beef + 1 Pork Shoulder Boston Butt

City Slicker ~$50/month for 12 months

If you’re on the go a lot, or just have a tiny fridge, this is the share for you. Order $50 of your favorite pork, chicken, beef, and more every month. 

2 Examples of a Monthly Order with a City Slicker Plan:

– 1 Pack Chicken Thighs + 1 Whole Chicken Roaster + 1 Pack Chorizo

– 1 Pack Bacon Ends + 1 Pack Sausage Patties + 1 Pack Flank Steaks + 2 Packs of Ground Beef

 Meat Curious ~$25/month for 12 months

This share is for those who want a sampling of better meat. Order $25 of your favorite pork, chicken, beef, and more every month. 

3 Examples of a Monthly Order with a Meat Curious Plan:
– 1 Whole Chicken Roaster

– 1 Pack of Bacon + 2 Packs of Sausage Links

– 1 Pack of Sirloin Steaks

Member Benefits

  • Secure access to good meat all year long
  • Order only what you want each month
  • (Though full payment in advance is preferred) staggered payment is available to members either with credit card subscription or post-dated checks
  • Free delivery every month to a pick-up location near you
  • Weekly access to our farm to visit animals, hike trails, have a picnic
  • Discounted rates for reservations, events, and workshops, and glamping/camping sites (coming summer 2020)

Pick-Up Times & Locations

We are in the process of coordinating with hosts to confirm pick-up locations. We will make our best effort to offer enough sites that most people won’t have to travel farther than five miles from their home for a pick-up. Most pick-up times are between 5-8pm.

Would you like to be host? Please email us. Generally, it is ideal to have a minimum of 5 members per pick-up (so rally a few friends in your neighborhood). In addition to supporting a local farm and having food delivered directly to your porch, hosts receive a $10/month credit.

  • Durham:  TBD
  • Chapel Hill : TBD
  • Hillsborough: TBD
  • Raleigh: TDB
  • Cedar Grove: Edens Meats 9811 NC 86 N, Durham, NC 27231

Drop-off sites for Ten Mothers CSA members only:

  • Cedar Grove: Tues, 1:00-7:00pm, at Ten Mothers Farm 
  • Chapel Hill: Tues, 2:00-7:00pm, at Lake Hogan Farms
  • Carrboro: Tues, 2:30-7:00pm, off of Hillsborough Road (near James St)
  • Chapel Hill: Tues, 3:00-7:00pm, off of Old Forest Creek Drive
  • Chapel Hill: Tues, 3:00-7:00pm, on Indian Trail Rd (near Lake Ellen)
  • Durham: Thurs, 2:00-7:00pm, on W. Club Blvd (Watts-Hillandale)
  • Durham: Thurs, 2:30-7:00pm, on Arnette Ave (half-mile from the Durham Co-op)
  • Durham: Thurs, 2:30-7:00pm, on Minerva Ave (Trinity Park)
  • Durham: Thurs, 3:00-7:00pm, on Edward St (Old North Durham, about a mile from downtown)
  • Durham: Thurs, 3:30-7:00pm, in Hope Valley Farms (near S. Roxboro and MLK)
  • If you pick up in Hillsborough (downtown) or at the Self Help Credit Union in Durham, we are not able to drop off meat at those locations. Ask us about an alternative drop-off site nearby.

Chapel Hill/ Carrboro/ Hillsborough delivery route:

Durham delivery route:

What is a CSA (or monthly membership)?

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. It’s a concept that originated in the 70’s as a way for a community to support a farmer at the beginning of the season (when the expenses and risk are high, but sales are low). In return for their support, or subscription in the farm, each member of a CSA receives a share of the harvest throughout the season. Since some folks are already familiar with the concept of CSA, we use the terms CSA and monthly membership interchangeably.

What do I receive as a monthly/CSA member?

Check out this page to read the share descriptions and choose the right option for your household. When you sign up for a membership, YOU get to choose what you want in your order every month. Each month of your 12-month membership we will send you an current availability list and order form in our newsletter. You can then select the meat you want to receive in the next distribution based on our availability.

Please let us know what kind of meat you would like to see on the order form. We will have some ability to adjust to the species and cuts that are most desirable for our members.

I’m interested in being a site host for drop-offs each month. What’s required, and what are the benefits?

We are so appreciative of our drop-off hosts. Not only is this an efficient way to distribute our meat and receive a $10/month credit. But it’s also such a great way of building community. Check out this audio where I explain the requirements and benefits of being a drop-off host.

https://edensmeats.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/QA-for-CSA-drop-off-hosts-1.mp3

Here is the table of contents for that audio clip so you can skip around as needed.
General info
0:00-0:32     Intro
0:33-1:31     Our values
1:32-2:14     Changes to our CSA this year
2:15-2:54     Membership plans + How the CSA works
2:55-3:33     How payment works
Most important info for hosts
3:34-5:28     Length of season + CSA values
5:29-6:14     Drop-off schedule
6:15-6:45     Sanitation plan
6:46-8:54     What to do about unclaimed meat
8:55-9:37     Eggs!
9:38-10:04   $10/month credit for drop-off hosts
10:05-10:26 Contact info
10:26-10:49  Additional benefits + Thank you!

Ok, I’ve signed up for a Monthly Membership. How do I place my monthly order?

Check out this little video where I explain the process of placing a monthly order. We will distribute the fourth week of each month. Please WAIT until we send you the updated form each month before you place your order. Otherwise, you might be placing an order based on the previous month’s availability and not our most current availability.

How much does a membership cost?

Check out this page to read the share descriptions and choose the right option for your household.Why are your prices higher than what I am used to seeing at a chain grocery store?

We’re not in the business of banging people over the head with data, stats, or stories about industrial meat. Rather, we’re here to offer the highest quality, humane and ecological meat we can for those who have already been converted. Simply, our prices are higher for the following primary reasons:

  • Moving animals regularly on pasture while ensuring that they are safe, fed, and watered is challenging and labor-intensive
  • Our local, GMO-Free feed is more expensive than conventional feeds
  • We price our products to be profitable for (us) the farmer and livable for the farm workers

Here are three resources we have found recently  that tell the story of the “hidden cost” of conventional meat and/or the real cost of good meat.

1.) Breaking Down the Costs of Pastured Poultry, Center for Environmental Farming Systems

2.)

3.)

Do I have to pay for my monthly membership (CSA) share all at once?

We have gone to great lengths to make our CSA as affordable and convenient for our members. Though we offer a 5% discount for lump payment at the beginning of the season (because this is our preference), members have the option of setting up recurring payments (on a credit card form) or sending us post-dated checks (on our check form). Important note: though we break the payment into monthly installments, this does NOT mean that our CSA is a month-to-month commitment. See question about cancelling your order.

How much am I paying for processing fees if I sign up using a credit card form?

The third party we use to manage our subscriptions charge a rate of 2.9% + $.30 per transaction, which means this is the rate you are charged each time a recurring payment is made. We have adjusted the prices on all of our credit card forms to reflect these fees. If the convenience is not worth the cost for you, fill out the membership form for check payment and pay with a one-time check or post-dated checks.

Your credit card will automatically be charged for the first installment as soon as you place your order.  After that, charges will proceed the 1st day of the following 12 months (you will receive an email notification each time). Meat distribution will not begin until June. Therefore, as an example: if you complete your order in April, the first two installments of your subscription will be charged before distribution begins. Not to worry, your subscription will end after 12 months no matter what time of year you subscribe.

If you wish to pay with credit card in different installments, or don’t want to be charged before we begin distribution, then send us an email or indicate so on your order form and we will send you a digital invoice.

How do I set up a payment plan for a monthly membership (CSA) by writing post-dated checks?

We prefer members to make recurring payments in monthly installments, even if they are paying via post-dated checks. Simply send us a stack of checks for the monthly amount of your share, post-dating them however you would like them deposited. We will deposit each check at the beginning of the corresponding month (for example, 6/1, 7/1, 8/1, etc.)

Can I cancel my monthly membership (CSA) subscription at any time?

Short answer, No. In keeping with the spirit of CSA, we ask all members to sign a covenant that says they are committed to our farm through the year. We understand that sometimes major life events happen that make it too difficult, or impossible, for members to follow through on their covenant. We are willing to make accommodations in those extreme circumstances.

Where and when do I pick up my monthly membership (CSA) share?

We are in the process of coordinating with hosts to confirm pick-up locations. We will make our best effort to offer enough sites that most people won’t have to travel farther than five miles from their home for a pick-up. Most pick-up times are between 5-8pm.

Would you like to be host? Please email us. Generally, it is ideal to have a minimum of 5 members per pick-up (so rally a few friends in your neighborhood). In addition to supporting a local farm and having food delivered directly to your porch, hosts receive a $10/month credit.

  • Durham:  TBD
  • Chapel Hill : TBD
  • Hillsborough: TBD
  • Raleigh: TDB
  • Cedar Grove: Edens Meats 9811 NC 86 N, Durham, NC 27231

Drop-off sites for Ten Mothers CSA members only:

  • Cedar Grove: Tues, 1:00-7:00pm, at Ten Mothers Farm 
  • Chapel Hill: Tues, 2:00-7:00pm, at Lake Hogan Farms
  • Carrboro: Tues, 2:30-7:00pm, off of Hillsborough Road (near James St)
  • Chapel Hill: Tues, 3:00-7:00pm, off of Old Forest Creek Drive
  • Chapel Hill: Tues, 3:00-7:00pm, on Indian Trail Rd (near Lake Ellen)
  • Durham: Thurs, 2:00-7:00pm, on W. Club Blvd (Watts-Hillandale)
  • Durham: Thurs, 2:30-7:00pm, on Arnette Ave (half-mile from the Durham Co-op)
  • Durham: Thurs, 2:30-7:00pm, on Minerva Ave (Trinity Park)
  • Durham: Thurs, 3:00-7:00pm, on Edward St (Old North Durham, about a mile from downtown)
  • Durham: Thurs, 3:30-7:00pm, in Hope Valley Farms (near S. Roxboro and MLK)
  • If you pick up in Hillsborough (downtown) or at the Self Help Credit Union in Durham, ask us about a drop-off site near you.

What if I am unable to pick up my monthly membership (CSA) share one week? Or what if I forget to pick it up?

If given at least 24 hour notice, members can change their pick-up day or location up to three times a season. We will send a text message reminder to each member every pick-up day. If we don’t receive advanced notice, your site host has been given permission to either donate your share or use it themselves. 

Often times, CSA members will coordinate with another household to pick up their share for them or enjoy it for themselves while they are out of town. Eggs are the only products that are delivered weekly. It should be possible to arrange an alternate time to pick up a share that includes pork or chicken.

Is it possible to deliver additional items with my monthly membership (CSA) share?

Not at this time. Sorry.

Do you offer any vegetables?

We do not offer any veggies, but we partner with excellent farms who do. Currently, we are partnering with Ten Mothers Farm. Their CSA membership is closed for 2020.

Why is all of the meat frozen?

Frozen meat is safer and less perishable, making it an optimal solution for both us, as the producer, and our members, as the consumers. The ice crystals that form around frozen meat actually splinter and kill harmful bacteria during the thawing process, significantly reducing the risk of food borne illness.

Frozen meat also allows us to slaughter/butcher animals less frequently, creating more time for good animal husbandry (and day jobs). Larger, less frequent slaughter days also allow us to invite members who want a closer relationship with the sacrificial process of procuring their meat.

Your frozen meat will easily last a month. And if you thaw a cut for less than 48 hours and decide to freeze it for later, that is safe to do as well.

I want a closer relationship with where my food is coming from. How can I be a part of husbandry, slaughtering, or butchering?

Our business, and particularly our Monthly Membership/CSA, is dedicated to facilitating meaningful opportunities for people to connect with their meat.

In 2020, we’re hoping that the pandemic doesn’t prevent us from the following activities:

  • (Free) Horse-drawn wagon tour of the farm
  • (Free) Walking tours of our partner farms
  • (Free) How to part-up a whole chicken workshop
  • (Member discount) Fire feast: Private dinner featuring meat and veggie dishes prepared over fire
  • (Member discount) Whole hog butchery workshop: A weekend dedicated to the culinary craft of cutting meat
  • (Member discount) Camping and Glamping (in canvas tents) on the farm with a farm-to-table breakfast and hikes to nearby sustainable farms

Subscribe to our newsletter or join our Facebook page to receive updates about upcoming events.

What’s the difference between a one-time order, a monthly membership, and a bulk order?

Our long-term goal is to distribute all of our meat through bulk orders and a monthly membership (CSA) because we believe that this is the best way to maintain a close relationship with the community and educate them about the values of good husbandry and whole animal utilization. We have listed the pros and cons of each option below. Feel free to contact us to talk through the options as well.

Monthly Membership (CSA) Pros Cons
Cost The cost is distributed  throughout the 12-month year either with recurring, automatic payments on your credit card or monthly check deposits. There is also a 5-10% added value for the membership because distribution weights are based on an average (for example, 4.5 lb chicken or 6.25 lb of pork) but we skew higher so that you’re never getting less than the average, and usually about 5-10% more. Now that our Monthly Membership is customizable, there are very few cons to this option (in our opinion). Perhaps one is that you’re locked in to a year-long commitment. However, the flip side, which is significant in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic is that you also have a secure supply of meat for the entire year.
Delivery/Distribution You only have to remember to pick up your share once a month over the course of the eight month season, and we’ll help you remember by sending out text message reminders the day of distribution. We have multiple drop off locations throughout Durham, Chapel Hill, and Hillsborough, so you should be able to find one within 5 miles of your home. You have to remember to come pick up your share inside of a three-hour window. The drop-offs are only once a month, but sometimes they conflict with work or vacation. We make accommodations for this by allowing folks to request a hold on their share to pick up another time. It’s important to note that unclaimed shares will be donated.
Storage We store the meat for you and distribute it incrementally throughout the season in variety packs so you don’t have to tie up freezer space storing a lot of meat. You will only have access to the cuts of meat that are available in a given month, though we work hard to ensure that there is good variety.
Sustainability We believe that the Monthly Membership is the most sustainable option for the following reasons: utilizing the whole animal reduces waste; committing to purchasing every cut supports us, the farmers, because it guarantees that we can sell the whole animal–this makes pasture-based meat more economically viable; delivering multiple shares to drop-offs once a month limits the amount of driving we have to do and builds community between share members There is an energy cost associated with storing frozen meat over the course of the season.
Quality We guarantee that all of our meat is premium quality. All meat is sealed and frozen and should easily keep in the freezer for up to 12 months. If, for any reason, you are unsatisfied within the first 90 days we will replace your meat or give you a full refund. We guarantee that all of our meat is premium quality. All meat is sealed and frozen and should easily keep in the freezer for up to 12 months. If, for any reason, you are unsatisfied within the first 90 days we will replace your meat or give you a full refund.

Custom, One-Time Orders Pros Cons
Cost One-time orders are invoiced once a month using FreshBooks. This means that if you place two orders in the same month, you will only billed once. With a one-time order, you pay our full retail price for each item but you are also able to select the exact cuts that you want. If you want all bacon, then you can get all bacon. The average prices are listed on the order form but each order is weighed seperately and your invoice will correspond with the exact weight of your order. There is not an option to spread out payments over the course of the season with installments the way there is with our monthly membership.
Delivery/Distribution We offer free home-delivery for orders of $50 or more which means that you don’t have to remember to pick up a share at a centralized drop-off location. This is also the only way we sell eggs. We aim to deliver each custom-order within five days but unlike the monthly membership you have to rememember to place an order each time/month.
Storage You can customize your order to fit your freezer space at any given time You will need adequate freezer storage for the entire order because you will receive all of the meat that was ordered at one time.
Sustainability If you live far from one of our centralized monthly membership drop-offs, this prevents you from having to drive long distances every month to pick up your share. We are happy to fill custom orders, but our passion is to connect people with the beauty of utilizing the whole animal the way that our great grandparents would on the subsistence farm. By selecting only the cuts that you most desire, you leave us, the farmers, with the burden of finding an outlet for the other cuts, and often, some meat gets wasted or under-utlized in the process.
Quality We guarantee that all of our meat is premium quality. All meat is sealed and frozen and should easily keep in the freezer for up to 12 months. If, for any reason, you are unsatisfied within the first 90 days we will replace your meat or give you a full refund. We guarantee that all of our meat is premium quality. All meat is sealed and frozen and should easily keep in the freezer for up to 12 months. If, for any reason, you are unsatisfied within the first 90 days we will replace your meat or give you a full refund.

Bulk Orders Pros Cons
Cost Our bulk orders are priced 15% lower than our retail prices for whole shares and 10% lower for half shares. Even if you only want a quarter share, the most economical option is to go in with friends and family on a whole or half share. This does not mean that we will break out a full share into four quarters for you: you will be responsible for disitributing these evenly. There is not an option to spread out payments over the course of the season with installmens the way there is with our monthly membership.
Delivery/Distribution We offer free home delivery within a 60 mile radius for bulk shares of any size. In addition to the convenience of home delivery, you don’t have to remember to pick up your share every month at a centralized drop-off. You cannot customize your order. You will get everything that comes with a quarter, half, or whole hog, or for poultry, everything that comes with a chicken.
Storage You will have all of the cuts available in your share at once: so if you have a hankering for pork chops, you don’t have to wait for them to be delivered with your monthly membership share. Go to the freezer and cook ’em up! You will need to have the freezer storage capacity for your whole share all at once.
Sustainability We believe that bulk shares are the most sustainable option we offer because it minimizes that amount of energy that’s required to organize and distribute meat individually. in many ways we feel like this is closer to the tradition of whole animal butchery when a family, or group of families, would get together and harvest an animal and then share ALL of its parts. We can’t think of any downside to the sustainability of placing a bulk order. It’s great, you should do it! And get your friends and family to do it, too. 🙂
Quality We guarantee that all of our meat is premium quality. All meat is sealed and frozen and should easily keep in the freezer for up to 12 months. If, for any reason, you are unsatisfied within the first 90 days we will replace your meat or give you a full refund. We guarantee that all of our meat is premium quality. All meat is sealed and frozen and should easily keep in the freezer for up to 12 months. If, for any reason, you are unsatisfied within the first 90 days we will replace your meat or give you a full refund.

Contact & Directions Newsletter Facebook Instagram Email us anytime

edensmeats

Chas Edens
News Flash: This cuteness is happening at Botanist News Flash: This cuteness is happening at Botanist & Barrel right now.
We need your help! We've been trying to get our he We need your help! We've been trying to get our hens to lay after a drop in November and December, and now we have lots! If you'd like some, or have a suggested donation outlet, we will deliver to drop off points in Durham, Carrboro, Hillsborough, and Cedar Grove on Monday. Suggested donation $6/dozen.
Good eggs + good @boultedbread = good French toast Good eggs + good @boultedbread = good French toast. Bon appetit!
Did you know that you can put a whole, frozen chic Did you know that you can put a whole, frozen chicken in an Instant pot and have dinner ready to eat an hour later?
Load More... Follow on Instagram
This error message is only visible to WordPress admins

Error: There is no connected account for the user 8693416886 Feed will not update.

Copyright © 2021 Edens Meats · All Rights Reserved · Website by Tomatillo Design