freezer beef price

[Luckiamute]

You might check your state's regulations regarding selling by the piece. In Oregon, for example, the beef has to come from a USDA inspected slaughter facility and the carcass itself must be inspected. And that's just the beginning. There are more rules to follow. It is much easier to sell by the quarter, half or whole.

 

[BrandX]

we get a between $5.50 and $6.50 for quarters of packaged meat.

 

[mwj]

Anything I need to know about selling by the piece? Visited a USDA inspected slaughterhouse. They said print up my labels, bring the steer in, it's inspected and then when I pick up I should be good to go. They do it for other folks, but I don't know if I'm missing something or not. Might be more liability like this, and there are probably a lot of cuts people don't want.

I know that selling by the half is a lot easier, don't know how this is going to work out until I try and I want to know all my options.

When you sell by the cut you need to have a plan ''B'' for the slow selling parts. Most folks do not buy many soup bones and shanks at premium prices. You will also need to make more roasts into burger. Cuts that do not sell cost just as much for you to produce as the steaks!

 

[jscunn]

I disagree with anything over $2.90 being too much.. you get want you pay for. In the south you cant just grab three choice steers at the auction and hauling them straight to the butcher. Plus you have no idea how much growth hormone, antibotics, and other drugs (legal or not) have been used on them.

Our customers pay a premium for single source, natural steers and dont seem to mind the price. We try to include our price and butcher costs and keep it close to the retail price of meat (~$5.80 right now).

If you want to go cheap I can show you that option as well. I personally think guys like this give the beef industry a worse reputation than someone being higher priced to provide a premium product.

Here is the el cheapo option.. someone help me figure out how this guy makes money?
https://www.facebook.com/whiskeyridgecattlecompany/

 

[Kathie in Thorp]

The asking price on Craigslist here runs from $2.90 to over $4.00. The majority running around $3.25 with the buyer paying the cut and wrap. That is more than the commodity market price but those dealing in the commodity market aren't having to deal with the public. Dealing with the public should be worth an extra dollar a pound more.

Dave is on the West Side of the Cascades from us -- the west side equals a lot of Microsoft and other "greenie-weanie," "back to nature," "all natural food" kinda folks. We, on the other hand, get some of that influence, but most of our customers are living right here in the middle of cattle and hay country, in same county we are, where most folks are pretty right-wing thinkers. We've been raising butcher beef, grass fed with a 60-day finish for a number of years. Our price last year for halves (and it will be same this year) is $4/lb. hanging weight, and our customers pay for cut/wrap and their share of the $80 kill fee. A half-buyer can find someone to share with on cutting instructions, which our processor charges 59 cents/hanging weight. We do 4 or 5 of these steers every year; most customers are repeat buyers. If we have a burger cow, that's $5/lb. all costs included. They are repeat buyers because they want to know source and management on their beef; if ours aren't raised on the place, they come from a local rancher. We have never bought or sold an animal via an auction yard. Most won't (don't want to look that beef in the eye and then eat it later), but if they do, the people can come out and look at our cattle/operation. Not everyone buys every year because not everyone eats the same amount of red meat every year. But they refer people. We have folks here in the area doing CSA programs, getting over $20/lb. for specfic cuts; lamb prices are bigger than that, and a pasture raised, dressed/packaged hen is $20 -- they run web sites and travel to more than one Farmer's Market. We don't do that. Not bragging at all, just saying what goes on here, about 100 miles east of Seattle. And yes, dealing w/ the public (the newbies) can be tiresome and takes time to get them "educated" if they've been doing Safeway beef all life long. I think it's worth it to do some baby-sitting with those folks; has been for us. Bottom line, I guess, is to research what's happening in your area -- the demographics can make a big difference in how you market.

West side people will pay more $$ for straight grass feed beef -- we're selling only one straight grass fed this year, but it'd sure be less expensive for us if everyone did that. Nope: Our customer folks like the way we raise our beef, and want us to keep doing it the way we do. We've asked -- they've told us.

 

[Dave]

The asking price on Craigslist here runs from $2.90 to over $4.00. The majority running around $3.25 with the buyer paying the cut and wrap. That is more than the commodity market price but those dealing in the commodity market aren't having to deal with the public. Dealing with the public should be worth an extra dollar a pound more.

Dave is on the West Side of the Cascades from us -- the west side equals a lot of Microsoft and other "greenie-weanie," "back to nature," "all natural food" kinda folks. We, on the other hand, get some of that influence, but most of our customers are living right here in the middle of cattle and hay country, in same county we are, where most folks are pretty right-wing thinkers. We've been raising butcher beef, grass fed with a 60-day finish for a number of years. Our price last year for halves (and it will be same this year) is $4/lb. hanging weight, and our customers pay for cut/wrap and their share of the $80 kill fee. A half-buyer can find someone to share with on cutting instructions, which our processor charges 59 cents/hanging weight. We do 4 or 5 of these steers every year; most customers are repeat buyers. If we have a burger cow, that's $5/lb. all costs included. They are repeat buyers because they want to know source and management on their beef; if ours aren't raised on the place, they come from a local rancher. We have never bought or sold an animal via an auction yard. Most won't (don't want to look that beef in the eye and then eat it later), but if they do, the people can come out and look at our cattle/operation. Not everyone buys every year because not everyone eats the same amount of red meat every year. But they refer people. We have folks here in the area doing CSA programs, getting over $20/lb. for specfic cuts; lamb prices are bigger than that, and a pasture raised, dressed/packaged hen is $20 -- they run web sites and travel to more than one Farmer's Market. We don't do that. Not bragging at all, just saying what goes on here, about 100 miles east of Seattle. And yes, dealing w/ the public (the newbies) can be tiresome and takes time to get them "educated" if they've been doing Safeway beef all life long. I think it's worth it to do some baby-sitting with those folks; has been for us. Bottom line, I guess, is to research what's happening in your area -- the demographics can make a big difference in how you market.

West side people will pay more $$ for straight grass feed beef -- we're selling only one straight grass fed this year, but it'd sure be less expensive for us if everyone did that. Nope: Our customer folks like the way we raise our beef, and want us to keep doing it the way we do. We've asked -- they've told us.

Kathie, you are actually located closer to Microsoft and those "greenie weanie", back to nature, and all natural food people than I am. Not all of western Washington is Seattle and King County. I know people who real do well hauling things up there but it is against my religion to go north of Olympia.

 

[Kathie in Thorp]

The asking price on Craigslist here runs from $2.90 to over $4.00. The majority running around $3.25 with the buyer paying the cut and wrap. That is more than the commodity market price but those dealing in the commodity market aren't having to deal with the public. Dealing with the public should be worth an extra dollar a pound more.

Dave is on the West Side of the Cascades from us -- the west side equals a lot of Microsoft and other "greenie-weanie," "back to nature," "all natural food" kinda folks. We, on the other hand, get some of that influence, but most of our customers are living right here in the middle of cattle and hay country, in same county we are, where most folks are pretty right-wing thinkers. We've been raising butcher beef, grass fed with a 60-day finish for a number of years. Our price last year for halves (and it will be same this year) is $4/lb. hanging weight, and our customers pay for cut/wrap and their share of the $80 kill fee. A half-buyer can find someone to share with on cutting instructions, which our processor charges 59 cents/hanging weight. We do 4 or 5 of these steers every year; most customers are repeat buyers. If we have a burger cow, that's $5/lb. all costs included. They are repeat buyers because they want to know source and management on their beef; if ours aren't raised on the place, they come from a local rancher. We have never bought or sold an animal via an auction yard. Most won't (don't want to look that beef in the eye and then eat it later), but if they do, the people can come out and look at our cattle/operation. Not everyone buys every year because not everyone eats the same amount of red meat every year. But they refer people. We have folks here in the area doing CSA programs, getting over $20/lb. for specfic cuts; lamb prices are bigger than that, and a pasture raised, dressed/packaged hen is $20 -- they run web sites and travel to more than one Farmer's Market. We don't do that. Not bragging at all, just saying what goes on here, about 100 miles east of Seattle. And yes, dealing w/ the public (the newbies) can be tiresome and takes time to get them "educated" if they've been doing Safeway beef all life long. I think it's worth it to do some baby-sitting with those folks; has been for us. Bottom line, I guess, is to research what's happening in your area -- the demographics can make a big difference in how you market.

West side people will pay more $$ for straight grass feed beef -- we're selling only one straight grass fed this year, but it'd sure be less expensive for us if everyone did that. Nope: Our customer folks like the way we raise our beef, and want us to keep doing it the way we do. We've asked -- they've told us.

Kathie, you are actually located closer to Microsoft and those "greenie weanie", back to nature, and all natural food people than I am. Not all of western Washington is Seattle and King County. I know people who real do well hauling things up there but it is against my religion to go north of Olympia.

Sorry, Dave. I shouldn't be lumping all the west-siders into the same cart!

 

[skruzich]

And don't forget.... 600 lbs hanging weight DOES NOT equal 600 lbs take home.
Butcher uses the hot carcass weight as the hanging weight...before it it shrinks from aging, deboning and trim losses.
People who don't understand this have for over 100 years falsely cried out.... the butcher stole my meat!

yeah i agree but.... I all the bones, liver heart and tounge. Those bones have fed me for many weeks! Just wish i could afford to process the current bull i have in the pasture. 700 dollars to do processing. And my SS check isn't going to even come close to being able to afford that.

 

[Kathie in Thorp]

And don't forget.... 600 lbs hanging weight DOES NOT equal 600 lbs take home.
Butcher uses the hot carcass weight as the hanging weight...before it it shrinks from aging, deboning and trim losses.
People who don't understand this have for over 100 years falsely cried out.... the butcher stole my meat!

yeah i agree but.... I all the bones, liver heart and tounge. Those bones have fed me for many weeks! Just wish i could afford to process the current bull i have in the pasture. 700 dollars to do processing. And my SS check isn't going to even come close to being able to afford that.

Skruzich -- what does your processor charge for kill fee and cut/wrap? What do you think your beef will weigh, hanging?