What to Get When Getting Half a Beef Processed

Each year for the concluding four years, our family has purchased a quarter or half side of beefiness from a local farmer to fill our freezer. There are so many advantages to buying beef this way, simply I know it'south not ever easy to figure out how to source, purchase, store, and use that much beef. In this post, I hope to provide some helpful guidance and answer mutual questions so you tin feel confident buying a side of beef for your family.

Is Buying a Side of Beef Right for Me?

I believe anyone can benefit from buying a side of beef, just there are a few factors to consider before yous start the process. Outset, do you have the space to shop the beef? In my feel, a deep freezer is necessary for this purchase. I'll go into further detail near the amount of beefiness you lot tin can expect to receive later in the post, but I recommend planning for 175-200 lbs. of have habitation beef in a side, and 80-100 lbs for a quarter.

Secondly, can yous afford the upwardly front investment of ownership a side of beefiness? To be sure, buying beef in bulk can save you a lot of money in the long run (more on that subsequently), only it definitely requires a substantial up front investment.

Of class, if you don't have the freezer space or upfront investment available, you tin still benefit from buying beefiness in bulk. I definitely recommend rounding up a few friends to purchase a side together. Yous'll have to divvy upwards the meat yourselves, but you'll still get all the benefits of buying locally, saving coin, and having some leftover freezer space for those very necessary ice cream sandwiches. 🙂

How the Process Works

So you're ready to buy a side of beef! Wahoo! Here's how the procedure usually works.

1. Inquiry and telephone call a few different farmers, and decide on one who fits your values and budget. The farmer will let you know when their next sides will be available for butchering.
2. When cattle are ready for market place, it volition be taken to a processor or butcher to be harvested and processed into the cuts of meat you're used to seeing at the grocery shop. Some farmers might accept their own processors, others might refer you to their favorite processor. The butcher will hang the carcass to historic period for 10 days to 2 weeks. This aging process helps with tenderness and flavor. Most farmers accuse by the pound for the hanging weight of the steer, which is usually almost lx% of the live weight. For instance, if the steer was 1,000 lbs., the total carcass would have a hanging weight of nigh 600 lbs. or 300 lbs. per side.
3. Most farmers have a standard price per pound for the hanging weight of the beef, plus a separate per pound accuse for processing. Some processors might offer special cuts (like pre-made burger patties, for case) that would incur an actress charge.
4. You volition work with the processor to decide what cuts you would like. Most processors take a standard club that includes all of the whole cuts (roasts, steaks, curt ribs, brisket, etc.) available in a side plus ground beef.  However, if in that location is a certain cut your family doesn't like, yous tin can opt to have that made into ground beef instead. Some processors will also let you specify the number of pounds of meat you'd like in a bundle (two-3 lbs. for roasts, ane lb for ground beef, etc), the thickness of your steaks ( we similar three/4 inch thickness), and if you'd similar burger patties or cube steaks fabricated.
5. After the beef is candy, your butcher will vacuum seal information technology or wrap it in freezer paper, and and so it'south ready to exist taken home. Depending on your farmer, yous may pick upwardly the beefiness directly from the processor, at a local store, or some might even bring the beef to y'all.

Questions to inquire your farmer

If you're prepare to buy a side of beef, it's time to notice a farmer! Here in Ohio, we're lucky to have 17,000 beefiness farming families, including many who offer sides of beef for purchase. If you're in Ohio, you lot can use the Ohio Beefiness Council's Freezer Beefiness directory to find a farmer in a county near you. In other states, I would start by googling your country'due south beefiness council, but y'all can also google "freezer beefiness nigh me" or "buy a side of beefiness inyour land."

I recommend calling a few different farmers to compare prices and make certain you're getting exactly what you want. Near farmers are very happy to talk nigh their process with you lot. Here are some questions to get you started.

• Practice you offer sides or quarters of beef for purchase? If then, when will the beef be available?
• Can you tell me almost how your cattle are raised? Are they grass finished or grain finished?
• Do you use any growth hormones?
• What is your cost per pound for hanging weight?
• Do you butcher the cattle yourself or practise y'all work with a local butcher?
• What is the price per pound for processing?
• Will you deliver the beefiness or volition I demand to pick it up from the butcher?

A Real Life Scenario

Curious how all of this really plays out? I recently bought a quarter side of beefiness from Dusty Rose Farms, owned by the Jepsen family (pictured higher up) and located in Fairfield County. I had the pleasure of meeting and touring their farm this spring, and was thrilled to be able to purchase directly from their family unit. All the pictures you run across in this post were taken on their subcontract.

The steer nosotros purchased had a hanging weight of 595 lbs, of which we got i quarter, or 149 lbs. Their price per pound is $2.50, so we paid $372.l. They work with a local processor, Bay'southward Meats, who charges $.65/lb. which cost an additional $97 plus a butcher/disposal fee of $15. We besides opted to have some patties fabricated which added $7.50, for a total price of $119.l. In full, we paid $492 for our quarter.

The actual take home weight is usually well-nigh 60% of the hanging weight. For us, that meant a take habitation weight of nigh 88 pounds. We opted to get all of the whole cuts we could, which meant a total of vii roasts, 3 packages of sirloin steaks, one packet of T-bones, 1 parcel of porterhouse steaks, 1 package of ribeyes, 2 packages of round steaks, 1 package of skirt steaks, one package of flank steak, three packages of short ribs, ane big brisket,  3 packages of stew beef, two packages of cube steak, ane beef liver, and virtually 25 lbs. of ground beefiness.

For reference, our steer was on the slightly smaller side, and our quarter filled up ane and 3 quarters of two large chest coolers.

If we take the total price of $492 and the approximate take home weight of 88 lbs, you'll come across our price per pound was about $5.threescore.

Advantages of buying beef in majority

Now that you've got an thought of the overall process, cost, and product yous receive from buying beefiness in majority, I'd similar to share some of the reasons why we continue to practise this, year after yr.

• Supporting local farmers- I accept had the pleasure of meeting several beefiness farmers over the years, and I am ever inspired past their love and treat their animals.  Buying beefiness this way reminds me of the incredible amount of energy and dedication information technology takes to raise cattle to provide food for our tables. It is important piece of work, and I'm so grateful for the farmers who have dedicated their lives to it.
• Get exactly what y'all desire- Ownership straight from a farmer ensures the beef you're consuming was raised in a style that aligns with your values, whether that means it was grass or grain finished, with or without growth hormones, or on a large or small farm.
• Salve coin- The total cost of a side of beef can vary greatly depending on your state, the farmer's practices, and the butchering options you cull. Just on the whole, I find ownership beef this manner to be a big coin saver. I did a piffling comparison shopping at my local grocery stores and found footing beefiness ranged anywhere from $3.l-$8 (for grass-finished, organic beefiness), roasts range from $5.50-$7/lb. and steaks went from as low as $5.50/lb. for sirloins to as loftier as $13/lb. for T-bones. With bulk beefiness, you pay one price for every pound, whether it's made into ground beef or ribeyes, so while your toll may exist comparable on ground beefiness, it's outstanding on steaks and other whole cuts.
• It's convenient! I just love knowing I accept a freezer full of beef at the gear up for easy weeknight meals. I don't even accept to recall almost comparing prices or seeking out weekly sales at the grocery store.
• You get some fun extras- I got several packages of soup bones with my social club, which volition add amazing flavor to recipes like Beef Pho Bo or French Onion Beef Stew. They also make not bad dog treats!

I hope this post has been helpful equally you consider if and how to purchase a side of beef. Now if y'all're wondering how you'lluse all that yummy beefiness, stay tuned. I accept a collection of recipes coming later this week that will put every concluding flake of it to proficient utilise!

This mail is sponsored by Ohio Beefiness. As e'er, all opinions are my own. Thanks for your support!

jonessullumeent.blogspot.com

Source: https://neighborfoodblog.com/buying-a-side-of-beef/

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