The Local Butcher

The Local Butcher Our goal is to provide superior animal processing services utilizing our experience to increase access to quality meat products in our community.

04/26/2025

“Save the farm” is more than just a phrase—it’s a call to action, a rallying cry for the future of Vernon Family Farm and for countless other small, community-rooted farms fighting to simply exist.

Right now, our farm—and many others across the country—is under threat not because we’ve broken laws, but because a few neighbors don’t like how we’re using land that has been zoned and protected for agriculture.

In states like New Hampshire, the legal definition of agriculture includes agritourism—because hosting educational events, on-farm experiences, and opportunities for the community to engage with local food is not separate from farming. For first-generation farms like ours, built on passion, purpose, grants, loans, and sheer willpower, this work is a lifeline.

When a farm like ours is sued just because someone dislikes our events, our animals, or the vibrant, lawful way we operate, it sets a devastating precedent. It says that personal preference can override the law and that farmers—already working 80-hour weeks to feed their communities—can be dragged into costly, exhausting legal battles.

This is not just about Vernon Family Farm. This is about every small farm in New Hampshire and beyond.

If we allow this kind of opposition to dictate the future of agriculture, we’re not just threatening a single farm—we’re putting the entire local food system at risk.

Supporting us is supporting the right of all small farms to exist, to thrive, and to do the hard, honest work of feeding people and building an inclusive and sustainable community for all to thrive. 💪

SHOP THIS WEEK AT THE FARM STORE, we can’t wait to see you. 📸

New drop location here at the shop!
04/26/2025

New drop location here at the shop!

For 30+ years, family-owned selling natural, non-GMO and organic foods and products. Bulk sizes, too. Orders delivered to your doorstep or to one of 3,000 community pickup locations across the USA.

04/17/2025
🚨🚨🚨BREAKING NEWS🚨🚨🚨Due to increased demand, we have added staff!We now have open appointments available throughout 2025!...
03/14/2025

🚨🚨🚨BREAKING NEWS🚨🚨🚨
Due to increased demand, we have added staff!
We now have open appointments available throughout 2025!!! Including Sunday drop-offs. Call now to schedule.

Happy Friday!
03/14/2025

Happy Friday!

We have appointments available throughout 2025!!! We have added staff in order to accommodate the increased demand. Call...
03/07/2025

We have appointments available throughout 2025!!! We have added staff in order to accommodate the increased demand. Call now to schedule.

02/24/2025

In addition to accepting your 2026 preferred dates, we have openings in 2025 for those that have missed the scheduling window.
We have excellent new team members that are ready to help make high quality meat accessible in our community.
Contact us today to get on the schedule!

Our goal is to provide superior animal processing services utilizing our experience to increase access to quality meat products in our community.

Position filled!!  -Part time cleaner.  Responsibilities are cleaning the cutting/packing room at the end of the day. We...
07/01/2024

Position filled!! -Part time cleaner. Responsibilities are cleaning the cutting/packing room at the end of the day. We will provide all supplies that’s needed. Hours are 3:30-5:30. Call us at 603-813-2054

Buy Local!
05/29/2024

Buy Local!

BUSINESS: Hilltop Farm in Mason offers New England Wagyu

Cheryl Moran with one of the newest cows at Hilltop Farm. STAFF PHOTO BY CAMERON CASHMAN

Hilltop Farm New England Wagyu

https://www.ledgertranscript.com/Mason-Hilltop-Farm-New-England-Wagyu-55219356?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0WccSPpBVWfqN31nb4uncXPsvvETjSXd5WACHPOj6w4K-2oIFQy2q3FQQ_aem_AbU5OCgBtw6toOtWXeKazFQMSnlN42oWJ3on18lvRWz-su_vuZGHGd7XF4YmJvS3x2cwQ_Q3DGpzz9QRLrY_xikh
The words “Wagyu beef” might bring to mind expensive cuts of high-quality beef at an upscale Japanese restaurant. And while Wagyu does translate to “Japanese cattle,” residents of the Monadnock region can get authentic Wagyu beef that has been raised locally from New England Wagyu, whose products can be found at their Hilltop Farm store in Mason.

“My husband and I got into the Wagyu beef business because we were really curious about where our food was coming from,” said co-owner Diana Templeton. “Not only that – this may sound weird – but we wanted to know what breed of animal we’re eating.”

When it comes to beef, “of course you see Angus in the store so often,” she said. “The Angus industry has done a really nice job promoting that breed. So we started delving into that.”

They settled on Wagyu for its rich flavor and relative scarcity in the United States. Wagyu is known for its higher fat content, which is more evenly spread out throughout the cut of meat, resulting in the signature “marbling” that Wagyu is known for.

Authentic Japanese Wagyu, which has been raised in Japan to strict standards, can be hard to acquire in the United States, but it is possible – although expensive. There are farms that specialize in what’s known as American Wagyu, although these cows are usually cross-bred with American breeds and not raised to the same standards as Japanese Wagyu.

05/21/2024

We have them at the butcher shop too! Same great price. 😀

Hilltop Farm in Mason, New Hampshire. We offer a beautiful selection of pasture raised Wagyu Beef

With New England Wagyu – I just got recognized as one of their top fans! 🎉
05/19/2024

With New England Wagyu – I just got recognized as one of their top fans! 🎉

Address

536 South Barnstead Road
Barnstead, NH
03225

Opening Hours

Monday 7am - 3pm
Tuesday 7am - 3pm
Wednesday 7am - 3pm
Thursday 7am - 3pm
Friday 7am - 3pm

Telephone

+16038132054

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