Faq

We finish all the cattle at our local farms in Lee and Ogle Counties where we control their feed intake finishing them out on grain and grass hay. Each month the steers scheduled for harvesting will be at our home farm and available for viewing if you so choose.

The customer is charged the current market price per lb. for the HCW. The price includes the processing (cut, wrapped and frozen). For example, if the current market price is $3.95 and the HCW is 868 lbs. and you are ordering half a steer, then your cost would be 434 lbs. x $3.95 for a total cost of $1,714.30.

HCW stands for hot carcass weight. Hot carcass weight (HCW) is the hot or unchilled weight of a beef carcass after harvest and removal of the hide, head, gastrointestinal tract, and internal organs. It is sometimes reported as hanging carcass weight.

All beef is sold in quarters, halves or whole. In some cases, there will be bundles of meat available, i.e., bundles of ground beef, steak bundle specials, and roasts. All meat will be cut, wrapped, and frozen at the processing facility. We are not able to cut the beef once we get it back from the processing facility.

This will depend on the finished weight of the steer. We normally take our steers anywhere from 1400 to 1500 lbs. A 1400 lb. steer will have a HCW of approximately 868 lbs. Heavier steers will have a larger HCW and smaller steers a lighter HCW. Thus, a quarter would weigh in the range of 217 lbs. and half steer would weigh in the range of 434 lbs. *Steer weights are approximations and will be determined when harvested. Prices may vary according to current market conditions.

Once the beef is processed (removal of bone and fat trimmed) a quarter of beef would be in the range of 120 to 140 lbs. of finished meat; a half in the range of 230 to 280 lbs. of finished meat; and a whole beef would be in the range of 460 to 560 lbs. of finished meat. Again, this all depends on the weight of the steer before processing.

If you order a half steer the price would be in the range of $1,215.20 ($2.80 x 434 lbs.). 434 lbs. x 60% would give you approximately 260 lbs. of finished meat for a total average price of $4.67 per lb. For a quarter of beef, the price would be in the range of $607.60 ($2.80 x 217 lbs.). 217 lbs. x 60% would give you approximately 130 lbs. of finished meat for a total average price of $4.67 per lb. This price is for all the cuts of meat which includes ground beef, steaks, roasts, stew meat. As you can see, this would be quite a savings to you over purchasing individual cuts of meat at your local food store.

Beef is processed by the side. Once the side is processed into finished, wrapped portions, it is sorted into even quarters.

All meat orders can be picked up at our store at our home farm. Once it is ready, we will give you a call and arrange a pick-up time.

We ask all customers to pay a $50 deposit so we know you are serious about your beef purchase. We have a waitlist and can’t hold meat orders without a deposit. The deposit will be put against your total purchase price.

Once you tell us you want to order a side of beef and you have made the deposit, we will send you a custom cut sheet that you will complete and return to us. In some cases, we will call you to clarify your order so that you get your meat cut to your specifications.

As a general guideline, one cubic foot of freezer space allows you to store between 35 to 40 lbs. of packaged meat. A top freezer above refrigerator (3-4 cubic feet) would hold about an eighth of a beef. A quarter beef would need about 5 cubic feet at minimum but ideally 6-7 cubic feet. 9-12 cubic feet would be ideal for half a beef and 17-21 cubic feet would accommodate a whole cow plus.

Unfortunately… no. At this time we do not have freezer space to accommodate that request.

All meat is processed at either a USDA or IDOA certified facility.

Pork is available and may be ordered by half a hog or a whole hog and individual cuts are also available in the store. The hogs are raised on a local farm. If ordering a hog, the same procedure for ordering beef is implemented. A deposit of $100 is required to hold your slot and you complete a cut sheet according to how you want your hog processed. Hogs are processed at either a USDA or IDOA certified facility. We also have whole frozen chickens that are raised here on our farm. These chickens range in weight from 5 to 8 lbs. The chickens are fed quality feed, no growth hormones, no medications, with a clean environment and lots of fresh air. These birds are processed at approximately 8 weeks of age at a USDA facility. Additional products include lamb, fresh brown eggs, again raised here on our farm. When available we have locally grown produce, plus honey, baked goods, dairy products (milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, sour cream, and buttermilk), plus an assortment of other quality locally grown and/or produced products.