| Author |
Across the Fence:  How to purchase a side of beef???  |
|
|
City Chick
True Blue Farmgirl
1402 Posts
Deb
Chattanooga
TN
USA
1402 Posts |
 Posted - Nov 14 2011 : 05:26:45 AM
|
I'd love to fill my freezer with some beef. However, I am clueless as to go about it. What cuts to ask for? Do I pay per pound of beef or on the hoof? (I'm assuming that means the weight of the cow before butchering.)
Where do I begin to locate a farmer for this? I'm in Chicago.
Love some help - hope someone can educate me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My new blog - http://citychickadventures.blogspot.com/ Come visit me!
Farm Girl #790
http://pinterest.com/debbie_s/
https://twitter.com/EllieFunt
|
|
|
homsteddinmom
True Blue Farmgirl
441 Posts
Brandee
bullard
tx
USA
441 Posts |
Posted - Nov 14 2011 : 06:17:12 AM
|
Not sure where you are from any of these but here are some places
http://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=where+to+buy+grass+fed+beef&find_loc=Chicago%2C+IL
Just call around and ask what they offer and how much it costs. We paid on dressed weight not live weight
Also just ask for what you want. When we had our beef butchered we had the choice of the following(I starred the ones we got)
Roasts *
Ribs *
Brisket *
t-bones *
Cube steaks *
Seven Steaks *
stew meat
hamburger *
fajita meat
Homesteading Mom in East Texas. Raising chickens, Rabbits and goats here on my farm! |
 |
|
|
Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Nov 14 2011 : 06:23:04 AM
|
Don't be afraid to ask questions of the farmer. Some farmers do it differently. Also sometimes you can ask for more of one thing and less of the other- I think it just depends on if they feel they can sell what you don't need/want.
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
|
|
|
|
Calicogirl
True Blue Farmgirl
5216 Posts
Sharon
Bruce Crossing
Michigan
USA
5216 Posts |
Posted - Nov 14 2011 : 07:27:13 AM
|
Hi Deb,
Finally after 4 years of ordering a side of beef I know what cuts I want :)
A couple of things to consider when specifying cuts:
~What recipes do I use the most?
~Am I looking to make meals stretch by getting mostly ground or roasts or do I want steak, ribs, etc.?
Here's what we paid a couple of months ago for 372 pounds of beef:
$744.00 for half a cow (Black Angus Grass Fed)
$186.00 processing fee
$30.00 kill fee
It is a big investment up front but so worth it!
I keep a running inventory of what meat we get each year and that gives me an idea of how long it will last us and what I use the most. There are only 2 of us, BUT we do share with friends and people from church, whoever needs help. The half lasts us a little over a year and that is with having beef at least once a week.
Generally our butcher will ask:
~How much ground beef ?
~Do we want any Italian Sausage?
~How much do we want roasts to weigh?
~Do we want the roast rolled and tied?
~Do we want the ribs or rib roast or steaks?
~Do we want any of the round steak tenderized (for cube steaks)?
We have lesser cuts of meat made into ground. This year we paid a little extra per pound to have some Brats too.
We also asked for the tallow. Since my husband is now making soap, we get the tallow (for free) and render it ourselves. My husband makes soap using it and I have actually tried using some for baking. I know it sounds nasty but it was no different than using lard or shortening (and you can't beat free). I used it for Gingersnaps and you would have never guessed. I also plan on making suet cakes for the birds this winter.
I hope this helps!
~Sharon
By His Grace, For His Glory
http://merryheartjournal.blogspot.com/ |
Edited by - Calicogirl on Nov 14 2011 07:29:15 AM |
|
|
|
sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Nov 14 2011 : 07:45:51 AM
|
yes it can be confusing when ordering beef. remember first you are paying for meat still on the bone. the animal is killed and gutted and skinned. it is not trimmed up. you will have less meat than what it weighed when you bought it. first you loose almost half when skinned etc. then it is hung and aged. we like a 21 day hang.you will actually have weight loss just from the aging process. then when they make steaks and burger you have more weight gone in bone trim. the advantage to buying a half is you get some of all the cuts. if you buy a quarter ask is this a front quarter or a back? we make summer sausage jerky pepperoni sticks also. for selling we do a lot of burger and roasts. 3 pound roasts work well. my favorite is cube steak. so many uses. we also get all the stew meat type trim we can. oh and like sharon we love brats. hope this helps you some have you looked on craigs list around farming in your area? i sell my extra on there. happy days sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
|
|
|
|
sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Nov 14 2011 : 07:47:51 AM
|
i meant to say you pay for your beef to the farmer usually on the hanging weight. it is not live weight. then you pay the butcher by the pound to cut grind or cure.
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
|
|
|
|
FarmDream
True Blue Farmgirl
1085 Posts
Julie
TX
USA
1085 Posts |
Posted - Nov 15 2011 : 3:58:06 PM
|
I looked up a local meat market and they had their packages listed online and what cuts were included and how many pounds it was.
~FarmDream is Farmgirl Sister #3069
Live Today, Cherish Yesterday, Dream Tomorrow
http://naturaljulie.etsy.com
http://julie-rants.blogspot.com |
|
|
|
Forrester Farm
True Blue Farmgirl
703 Posts
Ann
Belmont
MI
USA
703 Posts |
Posted - Nov 16 2011 : 06:21:08 AM
|
Here is a site that might help:
www.heffronfarms.com. They are located in Belding, MI. Denny Heffron raises all of the beef and sells individual products, but also in bundles - from his farm, his 3 market stores and online. On the website under bundles, you'll find a list of options. If nothing else, it is a great learning tool. If you call Denny, he can walk you through the process of ordering too.
I'd been a shopper there for years, and now, due to Forrester Farm's seasonal cycle and having just paid a son's college tuition bill, I'm working for Denny 2 days/week. Great quality products. No growth hormones. Just real food :)!
Ann
Forrester Farm
www.forresterfarm.com
(site, blog & etsy shop)
|
|
|
| |
Across the Fence: How to purchase a side of beef??? |
|
How to purchase a side of beef???
