Crowd Cow Review – Is it Worth it?

Looking for high-quality meat with transparency? Read this honest Crowd Cow review to see if Crowd Cow is worth it and the answer to meat with transparency.

This was originally shared July 19, 2019. At that time I was given a gift card to order some items for photos for this post but it was not and is not sponsored. I’m updating this on August 27, 2026 after using Crowd Cow for many years. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I grew up eating grass-fed beef from a local farm that was owned by family friends. My family would buy a share of a cow and we’d go to that farm to pick it up. I got used to that kind of transparency and quality.

It’s still important to me to get high-quality meat and know where it comes from. I used to get a lot of my meat from a local co-op but it sadly closed.

I still get some beef from a local family-owned farm that delivers it to my house. It’s great and I love supporting a farm that I know treats their animals with respect and takes pride in their products.

And now with the Trump administration paving the way for a more imported beef, transparency is more important than ever.

Trump said in a post on social media that the U.S. would “allow up to 300,000 metric tons of product for ground beef to be imported with no out of quota tariff. We have a commitment that this beef will be sold at 25 percent below current market prices.” – NPR, Will Trump’s latest beef plan make your hamburger cheaper? Not much, experts say

And even before announcing the tariff-free ground beef, nearly 30,000 pounds of ground beef imported from Argentina has been recalled.

This has only renewed my commitment to seeking out beef from small US farms. We also have cut back on our meat consumption but for when we do want to eat it, we want to know where it comes from. And that’s where Crowd Cow comes in.

Is Crowd Cow Worth it? My Crowd Cow Review

It was my husband that found Crowd Cow. After our state co-op closed we were looking for a good way to buy some meat from small farms that we couldn’t often find locally.

Crowd Cow has helped with this because it’s an online store where you can buy high-quality meat from small farms. And they give full transparency.

You get to read all about the farms and how the meat was raised. Details you will never get in a grocery store. You are able to pick meat that fits your values. 

Crowd Cow was created after one of the co-founders was in an upscale grocery store picking up steaks and wondering where it was from and why it cost so much.

His friend then told him how he bought beef directly from local farms and how great it was. This is like the experience I had growing up but as is common he found it’s hard to find a good ranch, coordinate payment and pick up, and the idea of having that much beef at once was too much.

That’s how Crowd Cow started, it’s like crowdfunding but for meat. If 50 people each buy a small amount of the beef from the farm then no one has to have a lot at once but you still get the benefits of buying straight from a farm.

We’ve now used Crowd Cow for years so I can give you my thoughts of using Crowd Cow as someone that has purchased straight from farms, co-ops, big grocery stores, local grocery stores, and just about every way you can think of.

How Does Crowd Cow Work?

1. Sign up for an account. 
2. Search for the type of meat you are looking for. They carry beef, chicken, pork, lamb, bison, and seafood. 
3. Read about the farms and choose the one you like.
4. Order your meat and pick your delivery date from the options given. New customers can use the coupon code WELCOME15 and get 15% off your first order of $199+.
5. It will ship frozen with lots of dry ice and ready for you to start enjoying.

Pros of Crowd Cow

• You can read about the farm where your food was raised. You also get the name of the farm so you can do extra research if needed.
• The quality is the best I’ve found outside of straight from a farm. We have had nothing but amazing products from Crowd Cow.
• They let you pick a delivery date. This is important with frozen meat. The days are limited to make sure it’s shipped quickly but there are options. 
• They use dry ice to keep everything cold. My FedEx guy refuses to knock or ring the doorbell even when the package clearly says that it is perishable. Thankfully they pack the boxes full of dry ice which keeps everything very cold. We haven’t had any issues even during our 90+ degree days.
• They use eco-friendly packaging. The packing they use is largely recyclable or biodegradable. They even give you instructions for the best way to dispose of the items.

Cons of Crowd Cow

• It is not cheap. You are getting what you pay for but it’s not going to fit into all budgets. I cut costs in other places and we eat smaller amounts of meat to make up for this. I also feel that meat is a place it’s good to spend a bit more.
• There is a $50 minimum. I have no problem with this because we just order less often to make sure we meet the minimum. 
• You need to spend $99+ for free shipping. Given the weight, need for dry ice, and faster shipping it’s not cheap. We do a couple of things to try and always get free shipping. We order for longer periods of times and sometimes we also check to see if our in-laws want anything and combine our orders.
• They don’t always have what you are looking for. The selection is huge but like any where you are shopping sometimes they may not have something in stock.

Overall, I love this service. We plan to get another box soon and are so happy given the current state of things to have this option.

If you have any questions at all be sure to leave them in the comments below. If I can’t answer your question I will reach out and get the answer for you.

Ready to try out Crowd Cow? Use the promo code WELCOME15 to get 15% off your first box of $199+.