Beef

Purchasing beef from a farmer may sound complicated, or expensive, but we assure you it’s not. Once you go through the process you’ll be a pro & grocery shopping is so much better when you can breeze right by the beef section. We believe you get a superior quality of meat, at a better price per pound, when you buy from your local farmer.

Be sure to check out Beef It’s What’s For Dinner! It’s a great site packed full of all things beef including recipes, cooking, cuts, & nutrition .      

IMPORTANT TERMS

    1. Live weight. Live weight is just what it sounds like-the animal’s live weight. 
    2. Hanging weight/dress percentage. Hanging weight, or dress percentage, is what ends up hanging in the cooler after waste materials are removed. This weight is generally between 50-62% of the live weight. Our animals average 600 pounds at this stage.
    3. Carcass yield/cut-and-wrap yield. Carcass yield, or cut-and-wrap yield, is what you take home after the carcass is further deboned (depending on cut choices), the fat is trimmed, & normal shrinkage occurs due to the hanging process.

OUR BEEF BUYING PROCESS

    1.  We require a down payment that covers a large portion of the final price due. Ask about our current rate per pound & required down payment. This is also a good time to schedule an appointment if you want to visit our farm.
    2. We sell by the 1/2 animal. If you don’t have a large family sharing a half is a great option (see chart below for approximate yield per 1/4).
    3. We grass-feed (rotational graze) our cattle & finish them off with grain. If you don’t want your animal finished-off, discuss this with us early-it’s not a problem to eliminate this final stage.
    4. You will work directly with the processor when deciding on cuts, packaging, pickup timelines, & payment of processing fees. Processing fees do vary based on the age of the animal, specialty cuts, or requests that require extra handling. We will provide you with our processor’s contact information when you inquire about an order so you can get all the information that you need in advance.
    5. It is important to understand that there will be two payments, one to us for the animal & a second to the processor for the processing.
    6. You can get on our list at any time, but earlier is better. We have standing appointments every fall (& 2-3 years out) with our processor. If you are interested in buying beef it helps everyone if you make that decision late spring to early summer.

Please reach out with any questions! We understand that buying from a farmer can be confusing the first couple of times & we’re happy to further guide you through the process.