Grass Fed Beef

[Homemaker]

I just read this post on craigslist:

http://chicago.craigslist.org/nwi/grd/2143285891.html

I would love to try grass fed beef. Especially if I could get it in 1/4 or 1/2. We just got a large freezer last year and I would love to stock it. But, I must admit. I don't know much about buying meat in large quantities and I also don't know beans about grass fed anything. Is this a good price? I've read that you have to prepare grass fed meat differently. Is that right? Please help a newbie out. I'm in need of some wisdom.

 

[abifae]

Great price! It'll be about $5/pound after it's butchered. I would call and find out what you can. Do they butcher? What cuts will you get? Are you able to visit the farm?

I'm in Colorado so grass fed is actually pretty easy to get. Lots of folk around here know this niche And we are grazing country.

You'll be amazed at the texture difference!!

 

[AnnaRaven]

I just read this post on craigslist:

http://chicago.craigslist.org/nwi/grd/2143285891.html

I would love to try grass fed beef. Especially if I could get it in 1/4 or 1/2. We just got a large freezer last year and I would love to stock it. But, I must admit. I don't know much about buying meat in large quantities and I also don't know beans about grass fed anything. Is this a good price? I've read that you have to prepare grass fed meat differently. Is that right? Please help a newbie out. I'm in need of some wisdom.

Grass fed beef rocks. Just don't overcook it. That's the biggest problem most folks have with it. Also, it often has more texture than cornfed.

Go for it! You'll never look back.

 

[~gd]

Great price! It'll be about $5/pound after it's butchered. I would call and find out what you can. Do they butcher? What cuts will you get? Are you able to visit the farm?

I'm in Colorado so grass fed is actually pretty easy to get. Lots of folk around here know this niche And we are grazing country.

You'll be amazed at the texture difference!!

On the Eastern slopes, there is a whole industry of taking grass fed beef from the drylands and putting them in feedlots to 'finish' on grain and sugar beet pulp from the sugar mills. The range fed taste and texture is still there but that little bit of extra fat in the meat from the feedlot makes a big difference! IMHO that is the best beef that I have ever tasted!

 

[Shiloh Acres]

That's kind of what everyone here does (at least the cattle folks I've met). They raise grassfed, but finish briefly on corn.

It's supposed to be good. I have a good friend who raises cattle, and I don't have strong enough fences to raise up a calf, so I will probably buy from him at some point.

 

[Kim_NC]

Good price....we raise grass fed beef (NC), and that price is cheaper than we sell. Of course, pricing can be very regional.

We do not finish our cattle on corn. They do get a small amount of grain while growing, but it's more a "treat" than anything and does help them gain weight (in meat, not fat). Customers typically comment on how lean our meat is, and yet that it has "so much flavor".

Also we get comments from customers in their 50s and older that "it tastes like beef we had as children". Or "I haven't had a steak that good in over 20 years." We always point out they recognise the flavor difference because beef was mostly grassfed through the 1950's-80's. The commercial feedlot and cornfed beef started taking over the grocery market in the mid-90's, and the flavor went with it.

Good tip already given on not overcooking....that's important with grassfed meats.

And agreed, you won't want to go back. You'll quickly realize the commercial feedlot beef raised almost exclusively on corn in CAFOs (concentrated animal feedlot operations) is greasy and fatty in comparison.

One suggestion....buy some local grassfed beef steaks or ground beef to try before investing in a large amount. Or maybe start out with a 1/4 cow. Keep your investment low until you've tried the meat and can decide if it fits your family's taste and if you like to cook with it.

 

[Homemaker]

Good price....we raise grass fed beef (NC), and that price is cheaper than we sell. Of course, pricing can be very regional.

We do not finish our cattle on corn. They do get a small amount of grain while growing, but it's more a "treat" than anything and does help them gain weight (in meat, not fat). Customers typically comment on how lean our meat is, and yet that it has "so much flavor".

Also we get comments from customers in their 50s and older that "it tastes like beef we had as children". Or "I haven't had a steak that good in over 20 years." We always point out they recognise the flavor difference because beef was mostly grassfed through the 1950's-80's. The commercial feedlot and cornfed beef started taking over the grocery market in the mid-90's, and the flavor went with it.

Good tip already given on not overcooking....that's important with grassfed meats.

And agreed, you won't want to go back. You'll quickly realize the commercial feedlot beef raised almost exclusively on corn in CAFOs (concentrated animal feedlot operations) is greasy and fatty in comparison.

One suggestion....buy some local grassfed beef steaks or ground beef to try before investing in a large amount. Or maybe start out with a 1/4 cow. Keep your investment low until you've tried the meat and can decide if it fits your family's taste and if you like to cook with it.

Thanks. That's sound advise about starting off with a sample. Maybe I can get someone to split a 1/4 with me?

I called and talked to the man that is selling. He seemed very nice and eager to answer my questions. He said he's having trouble establishing a market in this area because he can't get the word out. Or people don't know what it is. We live in a very industrialized/suburban area so I was happy to find him.
The price just seems to good to be true. He said he can sell me the cow at $2 a lb. and it is about 1000 lbs live weight. He only sells whole, 1/2's and 1/4's. He cannot legally butcher it and sell it. So, then it would go off to a butcher and he would process and package it for me. But, then I would pay him a fee as well (I guess this is what Abifae was talking about) He said it is usually 50 cents a lb. after processing. He said I can let the butcher know what kind of cuts I want. Does that sound about right? Are there any other fees I should ask about?

 

[yardfarmer]

Homemaker, those prices are very resonable IMO, almost exactly what we pay for our 1/2 grass fed beef. We have to pay two additional fees, one for dispatching the cow, and another for hide and other disposal that are split with the other half buyer.

Our rancher schedules the butcher to come out and dispatch the cows, he raises five a year, and they all go to the butcher the same day. We are fortunate that no one else wants the liver, heart, tongue, so if we ask we get all five if they are healthy. We have to pick the organs up the same day.

The processor will usually ask us how thick to cut steaks, whether we want more steaks or roasts, how much ground beef, and if we want bones. If you are going to make broth, get the bones.

Next year we hope to get suet from around the kidneys to render our own beef tallow. Thanks to all who posted about beef tallow, this is something new to me.