A whole beef costs $6.89 per hanging weight pound.

A half beef costs $7.23 per hanging weight pound.

A quarter beef costs $7.60 per hanging weight pound.

The hanging weight is the weight of the carcass immediately after slaughter, after all the inedible products have been removed (think head, skin, intestines, etc.).  

Hanging weight is NOT the weight of the meat in the freezer. 

You are responsible for paying all processing fees directly to the processor.

You can expect beef to be available in the Spring and again in the Fall.

‍We limit our processing dates to certain seasons for good reason.     ‍

Not all grass-fed beef is the same.

It can be the best meat on the planet but also taste like shoe leather.

We make sure ours stays in the “taste great” category.

Just like people, cows come in different sizes.  So, I cannot guarantee you a certain weight of meat in the freezer.  Some animals are simply bigger than other animals.  So, your animal’s size has a lot to do with how much meat you will get back.

You can expect a normal hanging weight range of 500-650 pounds.  If someone wants a certain size, I try my best to make it happen, but that is not always possible. 

The other huge variable in how much meat you get back is how you fill out your cut sheet.  Your cut sheet is the customized directions you give the processor on how you want your beef cut.  The more boneless cuts you want, the less weight you will have.  If you do not want certain parts back, that will also decrease the weight you bring home. 

The average amount of meat customers takes home (this is called the yield) is normally between 62%-64% of their hanging weight. 

The reason this is not 100% of the hanging weight is that during the dry aging process, there is shrinkage that occurs (moisture loss).  The processor also discards trim that you do not want mixed in your meat.

In my years of doing this, I have seen a wide range in yield (as high as 74%, which was very impressive, and as low as 52%).  This is why I say the way you fill out your cut sheet has a lot to do with the yield you will put in the freezer. 

The best way to increase your yield is to bring as much of the animal home as possible, even if you wouldn’t normally want these cuts.

Some customers don’t want their organ meats, bones for broth or beef fat. I recommend always bringing them home. Even if you won’t use them, they make great pet food, or you may have family or friends who would love to have them. I take several calls from ladies who want fat for their skin care products. It’s not hard to find a home for products like these.

Before you make a reservation, you need to know how much meat your family needs and that you have the freezer space to accommodate it.  The way you do this is to figure out how much beef your family eats, on average, each week.

A general rule of thumb is:

A whole beef will feed a family for about a year, eating 7-8 pounds a week. You will need 24 cubic feet of upright freezer space. 

A half beef will feed a family for about a year, eating 3-4 pounds a week. You will need 12 cubic feet of upright freezer space.

 A quarter beef will feed a family for about a year, eating 1-2 pounds a week. You will need 6 cubic feet of upright freezer space. 

Here are the 4 easy steps you will need to take.

1-Pay your deposit?

Now that you have a good idea how much meat you need, the first step is to pay the nonrefundable deposit.  The deposit for a whole beef is $1,500.00, half beef is $750.00, and quarter beef is $500.00. 

To pay your deposit, we accept cash, personal check, Zelle or Venmo.  For the remaining balance, we accept cash, Zelle or Venmo (no personal checks).

For a personal check, please mail it to 585 Weston Road, Sidney, AR 72577. 

For Venmo, the ID is @jweston2018.    

A couple of months before the processing appointment, I will email to let you know the reservation list is open, and you can pay your deposit at that time.

2-Calling in your cutsheet.

I will have your animal delivered to the processor.  Then, you call the processor and tell them exactly how you want your animal cut up. These “instructions” you give the processor are called the cutsheet.

Things you need to know before doing this are whether ground beef needs to be in 1-pound packages or 2-pound packages, how thick you want your steaks cut and how many steaks per package, and how big you want your roasts cut (example 2-3 pounds or 3-4 pounds). 

If you have never had a flat iron steak, I highly recommend you try it.  It is the second most tender cut on a beef (with tenderloin being the most tender).  If I could make a recommendation, with grass-fed steaks, I always have my steaks cut 1 inch at a minimum, and it’s preferable to have them thicker (I like 1.5 inches).  With sirloins, I will have them 1/2 to 3/4 inch because they come from a normally tougher area on the beef and if the beef is large, have sirloins cut in half. 

3-Paying your remaining balance.

After the animal has been slaughtered, the processor will weigh the carcass.  This weight is known as the hanging weight.  That weight is what is used to finalize your final payment.  I will email you an invoice for the remaining balance.  Once the remaining balance has been paid, I will contact the butcher and let them know they can release your beef to you.  The butcher will not release your meat until I call them.  Because of this, it is very important to pay the remaining balance promptly. 

4-Picking up your meat.

After your beef has been processed, it will be put in the processor’s freezer.  You will need to go to the processor and pick up your meat.  I highly recommend waiting 3 full days after the meat has been put in their freezer before picking it up to ensure that the meat is frozen throughout the box.  During hot weather, the meat can thaw out if it isn’t properly frozen or if traveling long distances.  To prevent this from happening, allowing the meat to freeze throughout the entire box is recommended. When you are at the processor, you will pay the processor their processing fees at that time.