I’ve Used Walden Local Meat for 8 Years: Here are My Thoughts

Picture this: It’s eight years ago, and I’m standing in my kitchen frustrated after opening a package of supermarket meat that smelled off. Between the fact that those quality issues were happening every so often, and that the supermarket was somewhat limited in their cuts – I decided to explore another option. Enter: Walden Local Meat shares.

After almost a decade of being a customer, I can say that I’m still super happy with my decision to try them and it’s one of the best purchases I make each month. Here are my honest thoughts on what makes them stand out, how the subscription works, and whether it’s actually worth the cost.

Note: This post contains my referral link; we both receive a $75 credit if you sign up through the link. (Referral bonus may expire at any time, but should show in a banner at the top if it’s still valid!). I have also partnered with Walden in the past, though this particular post is not a partnership post.

What Exactly is a Walden Local Meat Share?

They offer two different types of shares:

Curated plan – A traditional style meat CSA; they select the meat for you each month. This is what we order. They offer shares from size “starter” to “large”. Their complete share includes assorted cuts of beef, pork, and chicken, with the option to add on lamb for an additional $10/month (I *highly* recommend the lamb; it’s our favorite part of the share and we get cuts that are often not readily available at the grocery store).

Build your own share – You can customize the monthly box you’ll order according to what you like. (Note that I’ve found cost-wise, the curated plan is a better option, but I know some folks love the choice in the build your own share model.)

Sample Share

Here is a picture of our November 2025 share (large size), which might help give you context as to the variety you may receive:

This share included:

• 4 pounds of 100% Grass-Fed Ground Beef (if you’re looking for a fun recipe with this, try my lean green cheeseburger protein muffins)
• 1 pound of Ground Pork
• 2 ½ pounds Beef Picanha
• 1 package of Garlic & Ginger Sausage
• 1 package of Sweet Italian Sausage
• 2 pounds Heritage Breed Chicken Breast (great for DIY power bowls)
• 3 pounds Heritage Breed Bone-In Chicken Thighs
• 2 pounds Lamb Loin Chops
• 1 ¼ pounds Lamb Stew Meat
• 3 pounds Pork Brisket

Things I Love About Them

Here are the highlights for me:

• I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but I like being surprised with different cuts each month. A pork brisket? Denver cut beef? It’s fun to experiment with new options and encourages creative cooking.
• The meat is humanely raised on local independent farms throughout the Northeast that are prioritizing regenerative agriculture.
• The beef is grass-finished, offering a slight nutritional edge (though honestly, all beef is great nutritionally).
• My share gets delivered right to my door each month in convenient frozen packages. Our large share fits just fine in a standard size top freezer.
• The lamb is incredible. In the past when I tried to purchase lamb from the store, I ended up with gamey flavors, most likely due to the age of the animal being sold. Every single piece of lamb I’ve gotten from Walden has been fresh tasting and not gamey at all (to my taste buds).
• You can skip a month anytime as needed, which comes in handy if we’re traveling and won’t be eating at home much that month.

The Elephant in the Room: The Cost

For a curated Walden Local share, the prices are currently as follows:

• Starter (6.5-8lbs) – $99.99
• Small (10.5-12lbs) – $149.99
• Medium (15.5-17lbs) – $204.99
• Large (20.5-22lbs) – $259.99

You can also add on lamb or seafood for an extra $10/month each.

Depending on the size of the share you’re buying, the price per pound of meat ends up being somewhere between $12-$14/lb.

Is that more than you will spend at the grocery store if you bought an equivalent cart? Probably (though with some of the prices I’m seeing these days and some of the cuts you get in your Walden share, it may not be as different as you’d expect). And if you’re on an extremely strict budget, it might not be the best fit for you.

But – because of the benefits that I outlined above, and fact that the flavor of all the meat is definitely superior (IMO), it makes it worth it to me. I’m 100% OK with paying a bit of a premium for it. We do the large share with lamb each month, which is all the meat we need for our family of three for the month (and sometimes we’ll have extra leftover going into the next month). It’s just something we prioritize as part of our total grocery bill.

FAQs

Here are some helpful FAQs that I remember looking into when I was considering buying from Walden Local:

The Bottom Line

The TLDR version? Walden offers high-quality, local, humanely raised meat that tastes amazing. If you’re on a very strict budget or you generally only stick with the same few cuts of meat, it might not be the best fit for you. But if you don’t mind prioritizing that aspect of your grocery bill, if you enjoy the creativity of cooking with different cuts, and/or if you prioritize their agricultural practices – it is well worth the cost for the quality. If you want to give it a try, please do check out Walden Local here.

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Chrissy Carroll

Chrissy Carroll is a Registered Dietitian, RRCA Running Coach, and USAT Level I Triathlon Coach. She specializes in sharing training tips, sports nutrition information, and healthy recipes for runners, triathletes, and active women.Chrissy holds a Bachelor's Degree in Nutrition, a Masters Degree in Public Health, and is also an ACSM Certified Personal Trainer.

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