Keren Wortham

Keren Wortham is a caseworker for her local Job and Family Services Department in Dayton, Ohio. In her twenties, she began having issues with food intolerance, suffering from chronic migraines and low energy, as well as depression, and anxiety. That set her down a path to define her Good Meat® values. 

Why did you become a Good Meat® eater?

I started having issues with food intolerance in my mid to late twenties. I had always had issues with chronic migraines but this and the food intolerance worsened after I experimented with veganism and after the birth of my son. Then I heard about a presentation called "The Oiling of America" by Sally Fallon. This completely changed everything I thought I knew about nutrition. I found out about “The Gut and Psychology Syndrome Diet” by Dr. Natasha Campbell McBride. I started drinking bone broth and fasting. This dramatically helped with the migraines, depression, and anxiety I was experiencing. I started out buying bones directly from farmers, but eventually I started buying all of my meat directly from farmers who practice chemical-free, regenerative agricultural practices. I've experimented with a lot of different diets and I feel the best after eating a fatty grass-fed steak.

How do you define your Good Meat® values?

For me, it's meat that comes from animals that are not confined and are allowed to roam free in a natural environment. I also take into consideration if the farm where the animals are allowed to graze uses pesticides.

Where do you buy most of your meat?

When I first started making bone broth, I bought beef bones from a vendor at my local farmers market, Carroll Creek Farms in Waynesville, OH. I bought chicken carcasses from a local butcher who sourced their meat from Keener Farm in Dayton, OH. After I moved from Dayton, I found Eat Food for Life Farm in Yorkshire, OH. Once I started buying meat, dairy, grains and vegetables from them, I felt very little need to go to the grocery store. Then I became curious what other foods might improve my health. I started searching for a farm that sold pastured duck eggs. This led me to Dutch Meadows Farm in Paradise, PA. The Maker's Meadow Farm in West Alexandria, OH is the most recent farm I have ordered from. It appealed to me because they are local and offered a price on a whole lamb I thought was fair. I plan on purchasing the largest portion of my meat through them in the future because of the quality, option to buy in bulk, and home delivery.

What meat, or meat dish, do you eat most regularly and what do you eat for a special occasion?

Lately I have been eating ribeye steaks on a regular basis for dinner. I do not feel the urge to eat large meals throughout the day when I do this. I also enjoy salmon and shellfish on occasion.

What is your biggest challenge or obstacle when it comes to beinga Good Meat® eater?

I am a caseworker for the Job and Family Services Department in my county. I do not make a lot of money. This reality used to prevent me from committing to buying a large portion of my food directly from these farmers. However, every time I would deviate from buying from them, my migraines, depression, and anxiety would resurface. After this happened a couple of times, I had to be honest with myself about why I was buying food that was damaging me. When I examine the belief that food from these farmers costs too much, I have to ask, where was I placing the valuation? On the food or on myself? When I buy food that I know will give me clarity of mind, energy, and a deep feeling of satisfaction and nourishment, I am sending a message to myself that I am worthy. It is also an investment in my son's future. I want to do my small part in supporting these farmers now. Hoping they will still be around when my son grows up. I want him to have the option to access food that is life giving not taking.