Healthy Meats

Before Healthy Meats opened its doors to the public in 2003, it was a simple farm in Newcastle owned by a Mennonite farmer. When Jim took over, he wanted to keep strong ties to the Mennonite community because he liked their humane treatment of animals, so he started off exclusively offering Mennonite-farmed meat.

In the years since, Jim’s business has undergone three key changes. First was a name change from Acres of Blessings Mennonite Meats to Healthy Meats in 2013. Second, a move from Newcastle to downtown Whitby, and third, expanding product sources to include local farmers who have adopted sustainable farming practices. “We still have Mennonite suppliers,” says Jim. “They’re just not the majority anymore.”

Amidst many developments and changes, Jim has held on to one practice over the years: personally visiting each farm to see firsthand where his products are coming from.