06/13/2022
We are getting ready to send a few to the processor. I do have a few 1/2s already spoken for, but if you are interested in a whole, 1/2, or even 1/4, please let me know. $2.25/lb live weight. They will weigh anywhere from 1000-1400lbs.
I got a beef with you all today. Not in the sense of frustration or anger but rather a literal beef to discuss. I get a lot of questions about buying beef, selling beef, why people should look at buying local and what’s different about local beef compared to supermarket beef. This post is going to be long but it will addresses most of what you folks need to know about beef.
The beef industry is majorly dominated by a few large producers. They dictate price and supply. This brings me to the first and most important point. If you establish a relationship with a local producer you cut out many middle men. Something that the majority do not realize is much of the USDA stamped beef in the supermarket is not actually a product of the USA but rather an animal that was raised and killed in South America. That animal that spent its entire life in another country, once broken into butcher cuts, magically turns into a product of the USA. Make sure and thank your politicians for this sneaky and confusing policy. My issue with this is, how much do we really know about the standards being kept in another country? Are the animals being given appropriate withdrawal times from wormers and antibiotics? What was the condition of the animal prior to slaughter? How was the meat handled after the animal was killed? These all are important questions, especially considering there is constantly a report circulating detailing some food borne illness like E. Coli or Salmonella.
I believe that keeping the beef market close to home eliminates or at least reduces many of these issues. Beef butchered by the individual rancher can be done so one of two ways. It can be done at a USDA inspected facility. If done so, the meat can be sold by the cut, by the rancher, to whomever they please. It may be taken to farmers markets, sold from the farm, or delivered to your doorstep. If the butchering process occurs in a non-USDA inspected facility, otherwise known as a custom processor, the animal cannot be sold by the cut to individual buyers. However there is a loophole. A rancher may sell the entire animal or a portion of the animal to multiple buyers. Those buyers may choose to have the animal butchered. So in this scenario, I could sell a quarter beef to 4 different families. I deliver the beef to the custom shop where it is processed and the buyers come to the custom shop to pick up their 1/4 beef.
Beef can be raised a variety of ways. The two most common are grass fed/grass finished and grass fed/grain finished. Cattle that are never exposed to grain have a healthier cholesterol content. The meat is richer with omega 3 fatty acids which are said to be heart healthy. It takes longer for the beef to get to butcher weight meaning the turn around time takes longer so therefore the meat is more expensive. It is still delicious despite the difference in marbling. Grain finished beef on the other hand is exposed to more carbohydrates near the end of its life and therefore has more fat marbling. Many people prefer the taste of the marbled beef over that of the leaner grass fed beef. It does have a higher percentage of omega 6 fatty acids which are considered less heart healthy however.
I believe buying locally has several distinct advantages. Number one, there are no disruptions in the supply chain and less fluctuation in price. If you establish a relationship with a seller and are a consistent buyer you are a valued customer. Consistency is valuable to me and I make a point to take care of my consistent customers. Second is you can have the beef raised to your specifications. If you want beef grain fed 30, 60, 90, or even 120 days, you can work out the exact details with your rancher. If you get to know your rancher, you’ll find out what is important to them. Are they liberal with antibiotics? Do they graze over pastures that have been sprayed with chemical? Are their cattle treated humanely? You can align with ranchers that share similar values.
Once you’ve decided to buy local and have established your relationship, the next thing to think about is what you are going to get once an animal is butchered. A 1000 lb live weight steer will weigh about 610 lbs on the rail. That means the hooves, head, and internals have been removed. Once on the rail, it is broken into butcher cuts. This is where you get your t-bones, ribeyes, sirloins, roasts, burger, etc. A buyer can expect around 430 lbs of meat from a 1000 lb live weight steer. One could expect somewhere between 90 and 120 lbs per quarter.
Of course freezer space is a concern for buying bulk beef. You need about 4 cubic feet per quarter. The best processors will vacuum seal cuts for prolonged freshness. I recommend buying enough beef to last no more than 1 year otherwise you may run into freezer burn issues. I recommend placing your freezer in a place where you will see it daily. There is nothing worse than having a breaker blow or power surge leading to the loss of freezer contents. I hope you find this information to be helpful and remember, “know your rancher, know your food.”
