Question 1

Why purchase Grass Fed Free Range Beef?

Accepted Answer

There are many benefits to purchasing local beef that has been grass fed and free ranged.

#1 - It is a higher quality, healthier choice (I will get more into that later)
#2 - Saves you money
#3 - Provides food security, no worrying about inflation, meat shortages, supply 
         chain issues 
#4 - Get a variety of cuts, the beef is custom order so you choose the cuts you 
          want
#5- Better for the animal and the environment
#6 - Supports local farmers

Typical store bought beef are raised in feed lots where they are being fed a diet high in grain for most of their life. These are not the happy cows wandering in the green pastures, rather these are the ones wandering on dirt lots. What does this do to the health of the beef? Well the Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratios in this type of beef is approx 20:1. This is very different from the make up of beef that has been free ranged and grass fed. Free range beef has Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratios of approx 3:1.

Now why is this important? Omega 3's are brain food and a diet rich in Omega 3's is essential for good health. Now Omega 6's in and of themselves are not "bad" however the typical western diet is heavy in Omega 6's which causes these ratios to be quite off balance. High ratios of Omega 6's have been found to increase inflammation in the body and lead to increase risk for cardivascular disease, diabetes, IBS to name a fee. Sunflower Oil, Corn Oil, Canola Oil, Soybean Oil : all of these are high in Omega 6s. By purchasing higher quality beef you are not only purchaing an animal that has lived a happier life, you are also ensuring you are not further saturating your body in Omega 6's. This is important because we all want a deep fried meal from time to time (hello french fries!) by consuming grass fed free range beef you are helping your body tip the scales and decrease your risk of these inflammatory diseases.

Question 2

What is the difference between beef that is grass fed/grain finished and grass fed/grass finished?

Accepted Answer

You have two options when you purchase local beef from us. Grass fed/Grass fininished and Grass fed/Grain finished. Both of these options are beef that have been free ranged eating grass as the primary source of nutrition. The difference takes place prior to processing. The beef that is grain finished will be offered grains in addition to the grass they have been raised on. Whereas, the grass fed/grass finished will continue to soley eat the grass they have always consumed.

What does grain do to the beef? Beef offered grain during "finishing" will grow larger in size. This is because the grain helps the beef to put on fat which adds to the marbling you see throughout the meat. This added fat increases the flavour profile giving the meat a "sweeter" taste.

Grass fed/grass finished beef are generally leaner, which gives their meat a more robust flavour and texture, and needs a bit more care to cook perfectly because they are more lean.

When choosing between the two options keep in mind that BOTH options are delicious, healthy, and highly nutritious choices! Each of them just has a slight edge on the other in different aspects of their flavour & nutrition profiles.
So choosing between grass fed/grass finished and grass fed/grain finished beef comes down to which is more important to you — if you want the most tender and sweet beef, choose grass fed/grain finished.  And if you want the absolute maximum in natural health and nutrition, choose grass fed/grass finished beef.

Question 3

Is purchasing a quarter or side of beef for me? What do I need to know?

Accepted Answer

We believe anyone can benefit from purchasing free range beef for your family, however there are a few factors to consider prior to purchasing to ensure you are making a informed choice for your family.

First off, do you own a deep freeze of some kind? Plan to be bringing home anywhere from 80-220 lbs of meat (the amount you take home depends on whether it is a quarter or a side of beef and how large that beef is).

It is an investment to purchase a quarter/side of beef. Are you prepared for the upfont cost? Purchasing in bulk will definetly save you money in the long run, however there can be some sticker shock at the initial cost. Plan to pay between $880 - $3485 (again this amount depends on whether it is a quarter or a side you have purchased). This is no small investment, if your not sure if an entire side is right for you we have many people who opt to purchase a side with another family, splitting the cost and the meat. It is a great way to break into purchasing in bulk and lets you see for yourself the benefits of having a stocked freezer.

Question 4

Okay so I have purchased a quarter/side of beef, what should I expect?

Accepted Answer

This is the question we get most frequently from people who are new to puchasing a quarter/side.

Firstly, we will receive your quarter/side of beef. It will then be hung in the cooler for a minimum of 10 days (on average 14 days). Why? hanging beef allows the moisture within the protien to evaporate which adds flavour to the beef. The process of hanging beef also enables the natually occuring enzymes to breakdown some of the fibres, creating more tender meat. While your beef is hanging you will be asked to complete cutting instructions where you get to choose how you would like your beef cut (check out the Beef Cutting instructions section in the FAQ page to review this process)

A typical side of beef can weigh in anywhere from 250-410 lbs. On average you can expect to get 55-65% of the total weight back in cuts. Wait, what? where did the rest of it go? First off there is always some shrinkage that occurs due to the loss of moisture during its time hanging in the cooler (keep in mind this moisture would be lost during cooking anyways so its better to lose it at the start when it increases the flavour of the meat). In addition to this shrinkage the animal is made up of a great deal of bones, fat and trimmings most of which you cannot use so it becomes waste (again see the FAQ page on Cutting Instructions, there is always the option of utilizing as many bones as possible via soup shank, soup bones, dog bones etc.). Overall you can expect to get back between 125 lbs - 266 lbs in cuts and ground (this amount depends greatly on the initial weight of the beef and whether or not you have purchased a quarter or a side of beef)

Below is an example of what cuts/how many of each you could expect to receive (averages are based on a side approx. 275 lb – 325 lb side)

1 Brisket whole (or can be cut into 2) 
Short Ribs 
50-100 lbs ground beef 
8-10 lbs stew meat (could be more depending on how much stew you would like)

Steaks (1" thickness)
12 NY Steaks & 6 Tenderloin Steaks OR   12 T-Bone Steaks 
6-8 Sirloin Steaks 
4-6 Ribeye Steaks (with 1 Prime Rib Roast)   OR   8-10 Ribeye Steaks (no Prime Rib Roast)
1 Flank Steak 
6-8 Round Steaks 
10-12 Chuck Steaks (with 2 Shoulder Roasts)  OR  3-4 Shoulder Roasts (3-4lb) with no Chuck Steaks

Roasts
1 Prime Rib Roast (with 4-6 Ribeye Steaks)
2 Cross Rib Roasts 
3 Top Roasts (3-4lbs)
2 Bottom Roasts (3-4lbs)
2 Sirloin Tip Roasts (3-4lbs) 
3-4 Shoulder roasts (or 2 roasts and 10-12 Chuck Steaks)

Question 5

Cutting instructions, what are they and how do I know what I want?

Accepted Answer

Once you have purchased a quarter/side of beef you will need to complete the cutting instructions (this document can be found on the website underneath the cutting instructions tab).

This document gives you the ability to choose: 
- how would you like your products wrapped? Our standard process is to double 
   wrap, first in plastic then in butcher paper and secured with paper tape. 
   However you also have the option of vaccum packaging.
- what kind of steaks would you like? T-bones, Chuck steaks, NY steaks, Sirloin 
   Steaks?
- steak thickness
- how many steaks per pack
- how much ground beef per pack
- what kind of roasts would you like and what size would you like your roasts to be 
- would you like short ribs
- would you like brisket, if so would you like this as 2 briskets or one large one
- would you like soup shank, soup bones, dog bones?

If you aren't sure exactly what you like we are always happy to complete this document with you and provide some guidance. We also have the option of choosing a "butchers cut" where we cut the beef side as we would cut it for our own family maximizing the amount of cuts you receive.

Keep in mind, when purchasing a side of beef, not all roasts can be made into steaks! (we get that a lot). Also, there is a lot of ground beef! You can minimize the amount of ground beef you receive by maximizing your other options such as choosing all roast options, all steak options as well as stew meat and brisket. However, we do not like to be wasteful so we trim as much of the meat off the bones as possible which means you will still end up with a lot of ground beef (who doesn't love taco night, meat loaf, meat balls, maybe a generous serving of beef on your nachos? the options are endless).

Frequently Asked Questions

Why purchase Grass Fed Free Range Beef?

What is the difference between beef that is grass fed/grain finished and grass fed/grass finished?

Is purchasing a quarter or side of beef for me? What do I need to know?

Okay so I have purchased a quarter/side of beef, what should I expect?

Cutting instructions, what are they and how do I know what I want?