A beef share means you are purchasing either a whole or half of a cow in it's entirety, and then deciding how to parcel it out with your processor. Beef shares are a great way to customize the cuts you receive. You are also able to save a bit on the historically more expensive cuts because you are purchasing in bulk.
Currently, we do not market our beef shares. We currently retain and grow out two steers per year, which is more than enough for our family (4 adults and 2 young children). All extra steer we will sell to those wanting to raise their own beef. If you are seriously interested in purchasing a share from us, please reach out. As long as you make a deposit, we will retain a steer for you as well and will grow it out for you. We can setup a payment plan however works for you either while the steer is growing out or before they are ready for processing.
Each year, we will list the steers available for grow-out, offering options for those interested in raising their own meat. If you reserve a share before we sell the steer, we will retain it specifically for you and grow it out to meet your preferences.
We charge a per-pound fee based on the final hanging weight, which is the weight of the carcass after slaughter and the removal of the hide, organs, and head. Since we cannot determine the hanging weight until after the animal is slaughtered, we will provide a flat fee for the official sale. Any necessary adjustments will be invoiced after the slaughter.
The buyer is responsible for any processing fees. As of fall 2024, these fees average around $180 to $330 as a flat fee, plus a per-pound processing fee based on hanging weight, typically between $2.00 and $2.20 per pound. Special items, such as sausages and other custom cuts, may incur additional charges.
If you’re trying to estimate what this translates to as a per-pound charge for the final meat, we recommend estimating in the mid-$3 range.
When the steer is ready for processing, we’ll reach out to finalize the details, complete the official sale, and connect you with a local processor. At that point, you’ll have the opportunity to discuss your cut preferences and fill out your cut sheet with the butcher. We're here to assist you with any questions you may have throughout this process!
We base our pricing off of the USDA published monthly grass-fed beef report for the US (reviewed and updated each fall). This per pound fee is based off of hanging weight and NOT final end product weight. A link to the USDA report will be provided below. Because we are just starting out, we are currently pricing our beef at 1/2 the price of the national average. We do not expect to keep our prices at this rate forever. Don't forget to add the estimated processing fee from above.
Initial non refundable deposit of $200 to reserve. Before processing, additional $1,000 charge to finalize sale. After hanging weight is determined, one more invoice to close out the transaction. Please expect to pay a total of $1,700 - $2,000.
A typical family of four can estimate their beef consumption needs at about 230lbs per year. A whole Dexter share should fall roughly within this range. Weight ranges of a finished product are expected to be 180-260 depending on the animal.
Initial non refundable deposit of $100 to reserve. Before processing, additional $400 charge to finalize sale. After hanging weight is determined, one more invoice to close out the transaction. Please expect to pay a total of $850 - $1,000.
Finished product weight range is expected to fall between 90-130 lbs.
USDA Monthly Report:https://www.ams.usda.gov/mnreports/lsmngfbeef.pdf
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