Anyone here buy beef from a local farm?

WyoBob · 03-19-2011, 09:09 PM

Some odds and ends:

As an example, with a live weight of 1,200 lbs., a steer at $1.10/lb with yield of 63% (average yield, at least in the old days) would give you a hanging carcass weight of 756 lbs. for a cost, before any processing (with attendant bone wt. loss) of $1.75/lb.

If buying quarters, the rear half has higher quality cuts.

After processing a quarter or half, you'll end up with way less meat than you were expecting and you'll have lots of hamburger.

If you get a bad one, it will be a long way to the bottom of your freezer!!!

I was in the cattle business for 35 years and we fed around 20-25,000 head per year. I rode into a pen of fats and cut out a nice fat one every once-in-awhile for various family member's and employee's so got to pick the best finished animals in the pen. Most of these animals graded prime with a few high choice (this was before the grading standards were "dumbed down") and they were exceptional eating but I do have vivid recollections of one steer that just wasn't very good. Don't have any idea why but it was a long way to the bottom of the freezer, that's for sure. BTW, we always aged our beef for 21 days.

There's a lot of trust involved when buying cattle from locals, on the hoof.

The "organic" label means nothing.

Grass fed beef doesn't taste very good. (That is, to say, it sucks when compared to corn fed beef.)

We eat very little beef, anymore. I never could get used to supermarket beef, especially around here. We eat lost of chicken and pork. When we buy good beef, we buy it in Valentine, NE (wife is from there and we go back to visit her dad) and freeze it and haul it back here.

I think you're better off to find a good meat market and establish a relationship with them than to buy from an unknown, especially on the hoof unless you have recommendations from friends. (And, if they're good friends, you'll have a chance to eat their beef before you "buy in".) A good meat market will stand behind their product if you get some bad cuts and make some "adjustments".

WyoBob

03-19-2011, 09:09 PM	#13
WyoBob Still Watching My Back Join Date: Oct 2008 First Name: Bob Location: Buffalo, WY Posts: 155 Trading: (1)	Re: Anyone here buy beef from a local farm? Some odds and ends: As an example, with a live weight of 1,200 lbs., a steer at $1.10/lb with yield of 63% (average yield, at least in the old days) would give you a hanging carcass weight of 756 lbs. for a cost, before any processing (with attendant bone wt. loss) of $1.75/lb. If buying quarters, the rear half has higher quality cuts. After processing a quarter or half, you'll end up with way less meat than you were expecting and you'll have lots of hamburger. If you get a bad one, it will be a long way to the bottom of your freezer!!! I was in the cattle business for 35 years and we fed around 20-25,000 head per year. I rode into a pen of fats and cut out a nice fat one every once-in-awhile for various family member's and employee's so got to pick the best finished animals in the pen. Most of these animals graded prime with a few high choice (this was before the grading standards were "dumbed down") and they were exceptional eating but I do have vivid recollections of one steer that just wasn't very good. Don't have any idea why but it was a long way to the bottom of the freezer, that's for sure. BTW, we always aged our beef for 21 days. There's a lot of trust involved when buying cattle from locals, on the hoof. The "organic" label means nothing. Grass fed beef doesn't taste very good. (That is, to say, it sucks when compared to corn fed beef.) We eat very little beef, anymore. I never could get used to supermarket beef, especially around here. We eat lost of chicken and pork. When we buy good beef, we buy it in Valentine, NE (wife is from there and we go back to visit her dad) and freeze it and haul it back here. I think you're better off to find a good meat market and establish a relationship with them than to buy from an unknown, especially on the hoof unless you have recommendations from friends. (And, if they're good friends, you'll have a chance to eat their beef before you "buy in".) A good meat market will stand behind their product if you get some bad cuts and make some "adjustments". WyoBob