With all the reports about e-coli, mad cow disease, hormones and overuse of antibiotics on ranches and farms, you would think that there would be an explosion of healthier beef and pork in our area. It's easy to find organic milk, chicken and eggs – all at reasonable prices. But where on earth is the organic beef?

Read on and I will tell you.

To start at the beginning, what exactly does organic mean? According to Wholefoods.com, it is:

• Agricultural management practices that promote healthy eco-systems and prohibit the use of genetically engineered seeds or crops, sewage sludge, long-lasting pesticides, herbicides or fungicides

• Livestock management practices that promote healthy, humanely treated animals by providing organically-grown feed, fresh air and outdoor access while using no antibiotics or added growth hormones

• Food processing practices that protect the integrity of the organic product and disallow irradiation, genetically modified ingredients (GMOs) or synthetic preservatives

The difference between "natural" (the antibiotic- and hormone-free meat) and "organic" is that, to be labeled organic, the feed and the land on which the animals are raised both have to be certified organic as well as the slaughter and processing facility the meat is sent to.

I started my shopping experience with my favorite local grocery store: Trader Joe's. There couldn't be a more friendly, local, healthy grocery. But what of the beef? Well, they do have organic poultry and a small selection of "natural" beef and sausage, but no organic beef or pork.

Stop and Shop has its own brand of "natural" foods called "Nature's Promise." You can find some organic produce, milk, canned goods, grains, chicken and eggs. But at each location (I visited four), there is usually one, maybe two offerings of a Nature's Promise meat which is not labeled "organic," just antibiotic- and hormone-free. So I e-mailed Stop and Shop to request that my nearest locations carry organic meat. A customer service representative just called me to confirm my request so he can send the request to the buyers! Stay tuned.

The new Shop Rite in New Rochelle has been touted by some of my neighbors as being "great," but there is something very "Walmartish" about it. Surely this behemoth of a super supermarket must have organic meat, I thought when I first walked in, but all I found in the organic department was one lonely chicken.

The next day I was determined. Surely one of my favorite Manhattan stores that has opened in Pelham would come through. Fairway, here I come. Upon entering the high end, yet surprisingly affordable grocery, I started to get teary eyed. I was reminded of my carefree (read single and childless) days in the city, shopping at Fairway for all my specialty items.

Yes, they had some organic beef, but only three choices: rib eye, stew meat and flank steak. I couldn't believe that a store with such a beautiful butcher section, a store that ages its own beef, would have such a paltry organic variety - prepackaged and wrapped in plastic and averaging about $17.99/lb.

My neighbor told me about a wonderful butcher, Chrisfield's in Rye, where she gets her organic turkey every year for Thanksgiving.  Yes, they do have organic beef, depending on what gets delivered that week and it isn't packaged in plastic. They cut it to order. My choices today are filet, ground beef and shell steak. I'm on my way! Yes, their meat looks delicious. The organic beef is not in the case, but the organic veal chop is - $23.99/lb.

John at Chrisfield's, who told me the entire history of beef suppliers/buyers and trends, says that much of his regular beef supply is already hormone- and antibiotic-free, which he can now sell at commercial meat prices (about $12.99/lb). Clearly, a man who knows his business. They offer at least two brands of organic poultry and, if you have a special request, this is the man who can get it for you. As John explained, organic beef doesn't look as good as commercially raised because there is very little fat in it. It is harder to cook well, but is nutritious without the cholesterol fest. All at a price, of course, of around $25/lb for organic shell steak.

Ok, I know you've all been thinking, "Go to Whole Foods in White Plains!"

If money were no object, I would do 99 percent of my shopping there. Not only is the store beautiful, clean and layed out to entice your every sense (I stared at the peach jelly beans for a good ten minutes), but the company itself is always rated as one of the most "green" companies in the country.

I looked in the prepackaged case first. There was the best selection of organic poultry and pork thus far. Read the labels though. Some are simply "natural" and some are certified organic.

Spin around and there is the fresh beef, veal, lamb, pork, sausages and buffalo, all displayed in rows and separated by cut in a brilliantly lit case. Everywhere you look are signs reading, "No antibiotics, No hormones, 100% Vegetarian Fed," and some cuts are labeled "grass-fed" - the new media buzz word, according to Whole Foods' Jim Zola.

But organic? Yes, well, some. They did have a few selections of organic beef among the others, but I wound up buying the 100 percent natural rib steaks on sale at $9.99/lb. The grass-fed beef on sale today comes from a farm called Simply Grazin in N.J. Although it is not labeled "organic," this farm does raise their cattle organically. It's all about the certification. Whole Foods inspects all their slaughter/processing facilities and will only buy from a facility that gets very high marks. Believe it or not, the organic boneless eye round cuts were only $7.99/lb and went up from there. 

The bottom line is that a variety of organic meat is very hard to find and it's expensive. So why bother? My friend Elena tries to buy organic whenever possible to "shield her family from the antibiotics and hormones that the animals are forced to eat." She is contemplating ordering meat directly from the farm. Of course it's more economical to buy a side of beef with a few friends, but it could also be the easiest way to find organic beef and pork. One site is Simplygrazin.com. John at Chrisfield's feels that, if demand continues, natural and organic meat might get more inexpensive so retailers will be able to stock more.

So my family's quest for healthier eating continues. Please comment below if you know of a nearby store I may have missed and I'll make sure to take a trip there.