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Charles Whittaker loves to eat steak, but the Richmond, B.C., resident has lost his appetite for the cellophane-wrapped slabs of beef available at his neighbourhood grocery store.

Instead, this summer Mr. Whittaker and a friend are buying half a cow from a local farm. The two intend to split about $1,000 worth of meat and fill their freezers with enough beef to feed their families for at least six months.

Mr. Whittaker said he has been researching various small farms before making his purchase to ensure that the beef his family consumes is raised humanely and is free of hormones and chemicals. Buying it directly from the source, he said, will give him the peace of mind of knowing exactly how it's produced.

"The top [concern] would be the quality of meat," he said.

Amid growing concerns about large-scale meat production fuelled by such recent books as The Omnivore's Dilemma and The 100-Mile Diet, some consumers are bypassing supermarket meat aisles and even the local butcher shop in favour of cowpooling - clubbing together to buy half or whole carcasses directly from local farms.

While the practice is nothing new to meat-eaters who live in small towns and rural areas, buying meat in bulk from farmers is catching on among urbanites striving to eat healthfully and sustainably.

Robert Baxter of West Vancouver first bought a turkey from Family Farm Natural Meats Ltd. in Forest Grove, B.C., about four years ago, when he and his wife, Dulcie, were vacationing in the B.C. interior.

This year, the couple has ordered an entire side of beef, or half a cow, and six whole lambs from the same farm, which they intend to share with three or four friends.

"We know the source and we know that [the meat's] not filled with additives and steroids and stuff," Mr. Baxter said. "The taste is really good, too."

He estimates that he and his wife will polish off two of the lambs themselves over a year.

At about $250 per lamb, which arrives butchered and packaged, the price is comparable to what they would spend purchasing it piecemeal at the grocery store, Mr. Baxter said.

The cost of buying a whole animal varies depending on its size. A whole cow that weighs 675 pounds live can cost about $1,800 to $2,000 and weigh about 410 pounds after it has been slaughtered, cleaned and gutted.

At Beretta Organic Farms, located just outside King City, Ont., a side of beef breaks down to about $4.25 a pound.

The farm's butcher divides the carcass into various cuts, according to the customer's liking. Then the meat is packaged and ready for pick-up or delivery to its Toronto-area clients.

Unlike some small farms, Beretta also sells individual cuts of pre-packaged organic meat. But many customers prefer buying in bulk because they like their meat cut a certain way, said Serena Fletcher, head of retail sales.

Cowpooling, however, is far more involved than simply grabbing a sirloin from the grocery freezer. The custom butchering service, for example, involves a bit of understanding of different parts of the animal.

"If you're going to want a T-bone and New York striploin, you can't really do that because T-bones include New York striploins in the steaks," Ms. Fletcher said.

Then there's the question of freezer space. One of the prerequisites for ordering half or whole animals is adequate storage space, which is why many city-dwellers divvy an order among friends and family.

The Blue Goose Cattle Company near 100 Mile House, B.C., has a minimum purchasing order of one whole animal, so some of its Vancouver-based customers have bought freezers specifically to house the ranch's organic beef. The company also helps pair up individuals who want only a side.

And even with storage and some understanding of butchery, the whole process requires patience. Tina Johnson, owner of Family Farm Natural Meats, said customers should not expect to receive their orders straight away. From the time a cow is slaughtered it can take weeks to age it, butcher it and deliver the final product.

As well, she said, customers need to be aware that small farms like hers have limited livestock. Even though her pastures might be peppered with calves in the spring, she may not have many cows ready for slaughter in the fall.

Unlike buying meat at the grocery store, "when it's gone, it's gone. You have to wait until I grow some more."