Are you interested in buying local beef, but not sure what to expect... let's walk through the process.
Local farmers and ranchers typically sell beef 'shares' which can be a 1/4, 1/2, or a whole animal. Price can be a predetermined for each share or based on the final hanging weight.
A deposit is typically required to reserve your share, at which point the farmer will let you know what butcher they will be using and any other details you will need.
Depending on the farmer and butcher, you can have your share custom cut. How many steaks do you want in a package? Bone-in or boneless steaks? Do you want roasts or that cut turned into more burger? Soup bones or dog bones? Do you want the offal (the edible internal organs)? Do you want the extra fat for making tallow?
On the scheduled date, the farmer will deliver the live animal to the butcher. The butcher will dispatch the animal humanely. The carcass will be weighed and this is the final 'on the rail' weight. This is the weight that a lot of farmers use to calculate the price of your share. Butchers will also use this weight for determing their processing fees.
You will pay the farmer the balance due on your share, and will also pay the butcher for the processing fees.
The time between the butcher date and when your beef is ready to pick up varies, but is typically around two weeks.
If you made it this far through the long winded write-up, thank you. It is a pretty simple process and a great way to shop local... supporting a local farmer, a local butcher, and all the people involved along the way!
