Pricing Information
Until the 1950’s most cattle were grass-finished, and today around the world, most cattle are still grass-finished. Grain finishing in feedlots was created to utilize an excess production of cheap corn, and to mass produce beef in a structured location, close to the point of corn harvest, on a year-round basis. It was and still is an excellent industrial model; however, we are working with a ruminant animal, with 4 stomachs, designed by nature to eat and digest forage.
The old saying “you are what you eat” is simply stated, but true. Grass-finished beef is 40% lower in fat than grain-finished. Health professionals recommend a balance of 2 to 1 of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids. Grass-finished beef has this ratio of 2:1 while grain-finished beef has a 5:1 ratio. Grass-finished meat has double the concentrations of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a cancer-fighting compound found in meat and dairy products of ruminants. Grass-finished beef is also higher in Vitamin E and beta carotene. If you want to learn more, please utilize our links to explore the scientific evidence of the amazing health benefits of grass-finished beef over grain-finished beef.
How can we sell our grass-finished product to you for approximately the same price as you would pay for feedlot grain-finished beef at the grocery store? We raise it from birth to finish here on our farm, we take it to a local processing facility where it is processed, dry-aged, custom cut, vacuum-packed, and frozen, then delivered or picked up. There are series of middlemen transporting cattle across the country adding costs at each stop without adding value to the end product.
Our grass finished beef is sold in bulk as a whole, half, or split half of beef. Bulk purchase provides you a much more effective outlet for purchasing quantities of beef. We also offer family packs of 20 lbs and 40 lbs. Our hamburger has no fat added and comes from the same prime animal as your other cuts.
We also offer all-natural hotdogs made from the same ground beef from young prime animals, with no nitrates or nitrites. Ground beef and individual cuts are sold by the pound. Go to Mikie's 7th for price sheets (pork products and our custom sausage - available in patties and links by the pound). Catch us on Saturdays at the Blacksburg Farmers Market. You can also purchase our meat, pork, and eggs at Mikie's 7th in Newport.
One concern we often hear is how much storage space is needed. Typically, a split half of beef will require about four cubic feet of frozen storage space, and a beef half will require about eight cubic feet.
The amount of meat you will receive depends on the size of the animal, and thus can’t be specifically designated beforehand. Typically, the “hanging weight” of the beef will be about 60% of the live weight of the animal. From that weight, you can expect to receive about 65 to 70% of the hanging weight in packaged meat due to trim loss, bones, etc. The following chart estimates what you would normally expect from a typical 1,100 pound live weight animal. Please remember this is only an estimate, as each animal works out differently.
WHOLE BEEF |
HALF BEEF |
SPLIT HALVE |
|
| LIVE WEIGHT | 1,100 |
550 |
275 |
| HANGING WEIGHT | 640 |
320 |
160 |
| PACKAGED MEAT WEIGHT This estimates how many pounds you take home |
416 |
208 |
104 |
| How much does it cost for finished product? | $5.05 |
$5.25 |
$5.45 |
| TOTAL COST OF MEAT Total paid to Shadow Chase Farm |
$2100.80 |
$1092.00 |
$566.80 |
Approximately what you would pay at the grocery store for feed-lot beef.
Family Packs We also offer family packs of smaller quantities. This beef is USDA inspected and sold by the pound. Our family packs contain about 25% steaks, 25% roasts, and 50% ground beef by weight.
20 lb Family Pack @ $7.00/lb 40 lb Family Pack @ $6.50/lb
Hotdogs, hamburger, and individual cuts are priced by the pound. Contact us for pricing.
Our bulk grass finished beef is sold as a whole animal, by the half, or a "split half". Since all of our products are now U.S.D.A. inspected, we have now simplified our pricing system. We no longer charge by the hanging weight, but by the finish weight. You only pay for what you receive, and not for excess trimming or dry aging shrinkage.
2010 Prices for Finished Product Split Half $5.45/lb
If you choose to purchase a whole or half of beef, you can provide instructions to the processor of exactly how you want the meat cut and packaged, to assure you get the correct serving sizes for your family and that your favorite steaks are included in the processing order.
We also sell "split halves". If a full half of beef is too much for you, we can provide you with a quarter of a beef as a split half. Unfortunately, the back quarter of the beef contains different cuts than the front quarter, so simply purchasing a quarter doesn't give you the full selection of cuts you would expect. Thus, our split halves are partially from the front quarter, and partially from the back quarter, for a full selection. If you choose to purchase a split half, then you will not be able to provide specific cutting instructions, but instead will be required to take our normal cutting and packaging specifications (two steaks per package, hamburger in one pound packages, etc).
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