Beef 2013
Our beeves are raised on pasture their whole life. We do not forcibly, wean them early from their mothers, so they get to drink milk much longer than commercially raised beef. Their diet consists of what they would naturally eat in the pasture along with kelp, a mineral mix, and salt. We never give them antibiotics, hormones or chemical wormers. Nor do we spray chemicals or poisons in our pastures. While not certified organic, we do use organic practices. Our grass fed beef is raised the way you would raise them if you could.
Each beef is taken to the butcher. If you order at least a half, he will cut to order, package and freeze the meat for you. If you order a split half, the standard house cut will be done since both halves have to be cut the same. All prices based on hanging weight. This will give you more options when choosing your cuts. Hanging weight can vary from 400 – 600 lbs. Our average steers are usually around 550 lbs, which gives you around 398 lbs. finished weight depending on the cuts you choose. Last year, they weighed at the lower end due to the drought for two years in a row Our examples, below, are based on a hanging weight of 550 lbs.
Whole Beef: $2.50 /lb plus processing, Half a beef: $2.60/lb plus processing, and Half of a half beef: $2.70/lb plus processing. All cuts of meat except the ground meat will be vacuum packed and frozen. The ground beef will be frozen but the packaging is different.
Processing Fee: Kill Fee $25 to be split according to portion of animal purchasing. Processing fee starts at 50¢ per pound hanging weight and includes any deboning. Tenderizing and other services are extra. The processing fee total will vary based on the services you choose.
Pick up day to be determined and will take place at a local, family-owned USDA inspected butcher. We anticipate that one beef will be ready in late spring (late May, early June) and another will be ready in the fall. To avoid disappointment, reserve your beef early. Deposit required. You will need to mail us a check.
Frequently we are asked via email or phone about the pricing structure of our beef.
Example 1: Whole Beef
With a hanging weight of 550 lbs. At the hanging weight price of $2.50 per pound, $1,375.oo plus the butcher is currently charging 50 cents per pound hanging weight for a whole beef. $275 plus an initial slaughter fee of $25. Adding up the charges for the whole beef and the processing fees, this comes to $1,675.
A whole beef will yield around 398 pounds of packaged beef, depending on the animal and also on how you have it cut. Dividing 398 pounds into the dollar amount of $1,675 yields a per-pound price of $4.21 per pound.
Examples 2: Side (1/2 beef)
With a hanging weight of 275 pounds. At the hanging weight price of $2.60 per pound, $715, plus the butcher is currently charging 50 cents per pound hanging weight, or $137.50 in the case of our example. The initial slaughter fee (1/2) is $12.50. Adding up the charges for the side of beef and the processing fees, this side of beef comes up to $865.
The 275 pound side of beef will yield somewhere around 199 pounds of packaged beef, depending on the animal and also on how you have it cut. Dividing 199 pounds into the total dollar amount of $865 yields a per-pound price of $4.35.
Example 3: Split Side (1/2 of a 1/2 beef)
With a hanging weight of 137.50 pounds. At the hanging weight price of $2.70 per pound, $371.25, plus the butcher is currently charging 55 cents per pound hanging weight for a split side, or $75.63 in the case of our example. The initial slaughter fee (1/4) is $6.25. Adding up the charges for the split side and the processing fees, this split side comes to $453.13.
The 137.5 pound split side will yield around 99.5 pounds of packaged beef, depending on the animal. Dividing 99.5 pounds into the total dollar amount of $453.13 yields a per-pound price of $4.55.
We are also required to collect sales tax on sides because we are selling to the end consumer. Lawrence County Sales Tax is 2.725%.
