Question 1

How much beef do I get from a cow?

Accepted Answer

We aim for our hanging weight on the cattle to be between 700-800lbs. After the cow is dressed, this will get you about 350-450 pounds of packaged meat. This will be a mix of roasts, prime cut steaks, brisket, ground beef, short ribs and organs if you want them.

Question 2

What total cost should I anticipate for a quarter, half, or whole cow?

Accepted Answer

We will not know the final hanging weight until the cow is taken to the processor. Therefore, you are not billed until the meat is ready for pick-up. We aim for a hanging weight of 700-800 pounds. As an estimate, we provide the following breakdown using a 750-pound hang weight as an example:

Whole Cow: $4,125 for the meat + $760 Processing Fee= $4,885
Half Cow: $2,422.50
Quarter Cow: $1,221.25

Question 3

How much freezer space do I need to store the meat?

Accepted Answer

A whole cow will use up an entire stand-up freezer OR a whole 20 cu.ft. chest freezer.

Question 4

How long can I feed my family with a half of a cow?

Accepted Answer

A half of a cow will feed a family of 4-5 around 105 meals. Our family of 4 gets a half of a cow each year and it will easily feed us for a year, and that is with cooking it at least 3 nights a week.

Question 5

How does the process work if I order a quarter, half, or whole?

Accepted Answer

We require a $200 non-refundable deposit to place your order. If we have cattle already sent to the processor at the time of ordering, it is about a 3-week turnaround until your meat is ready for pick-up. We will contact you when the meat is ready for pick-up. Meat can be picked up directly from our local processor in Sudlersville, MD during their regular business hours. We will then send you your final invoice via email or a texted link.

We accept all major debit/credit cards, PayPal, Venmo, Apple Pay, or check. If we are in between processing dates, you will be put on a waitlist on a first come, first serve basis. As soon as the next group goes to the processor you will be contacted. We typically anticipate having a group sent every few months in order to have meat available year-round.

Question 6

Based on family size, how much meat do you recommend?

Accepted Answer

We always recommend at least a half beef for an average family size of 4-5 people. This will give you about 250 pounds of meat, which is broken down to about 50-60 pounds in roasts (chuck, rump, brisket etc.), 50-60 lbs of steaks (ribeye, sirloin, filet, delmonico, etc.) and 80-100 pounds of ground beef. You also have the option of getting pre-made burger patties, soup bones, organs and short ribs.

A quarter of beef is usually perfect for a family size of two. The only thing to be mindful of when ordering a quarter is you either get a hind quarter or front quarter. This means you could miss out on a few of the cuts depending on what quarter you get. For example, if you get a hind quarter, you will not receive cuts like brisket, chuck, short ribs, and flank steak. However, if you are mainly wanting steaks, roasts and ground beef, then either quarter is still a great fit.

We also recommend getting together with family and friends and splitting a whole cow, this way you can mix and match what each family wants more or less from the cuts and make it completely customizable to multiple families. We will accommodate billing separately if that is something you wish to do!

Question 7

What does the processing fee cover?

Accepted Answer

This is the expense to have the butcher custom cut your beef to your choices; size of roasts, thickness of steaks, size of ground beef packages, etc. This also includes the cost of all the meat being vacuumed sealed with labels. Our processor is Sudlersville Meatlocker in Sudlersville, MD who have a great reputation in the community and are USDA certified.

Frequently Asked Questions