Local butcher

Certainly, as @ColtsFan says, you should be able to get a straight answer from any reputable butcher. But the source might not be local. There's a processor in the next county that has a shop open to the public 2 days a week. AFAIK, they are Mennonite, and draw from Amish farms also. But they have said in the past that their steaks come from Iowa, 'cause those are better. Might be the same producer that some Wal-marts use, but given the quality, probably a higher grade.

Most of the places I buy from, if the meat is pre-processed and frozen, the packaging will state both the farm (sometimes their own) and the processing facility.

One place, now closed, got their beef from the husband's mom's herd, until mom got too old to take care of the farm.

After thinking about the question yesterday, I wondered "where" does Wal-Mart" get its meat. Some of the stuff I read was that Wal-Mart does tend to buy from regional producers to keep the transportation cost down, the main saving is from having the meat pre-cut at the production facility, and packed in trays w. a gas mix to maintain freshness longer. The saving is such, it shifted markets away from having anyone working in the meat department, other than those who stock the trays.

One article mentioned that IGN, now a part of Tysons, is a major supplier.

Another article mentioned that if there was no one in the store available to grind burger as you want it, its likely everything is pre-packed, and only broken down, if not still in plastic trays from the plant.

There are a couple of low cost places near me that do their own cutting and grinding, but they also are starting w. select, not choice.

pretty easy to tell here, the butcher shops all marinate their own kabobs, grind and stuff their own sausages, make their own corned beef, meatloaf for deli sandwiches, bake meat pies. theres alot of pride in a small butcher shop.

some even buy from the guy in the parking lot selling meat out of the van