Okay that's the same way it is here in ID. Only reason I asked is I see a ton of folks posting meat for sale and showing a package of whatever it is there selling and it's clearly stamped "Not for Resale". I'm required to get a license from the state, get inspected annually and use a USDA processor. It frustrates me when I see so many side stepping the requirements, but yet charging a premium price. I have often pondered returning to just selling wholes and halves because then there's no licensing requirements since I no longer own, or store a finished/packaged product that's required to be temperature controlled.
Ideal Cow Condition for all ground beef.
- Thread starter ClinchValley86
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I totally agree with you and think your spot on. Just wish on my end there were more customers that were willing to pay a premium for all the work we do.
Do your sell individual cuts, whole, half, quarters?
Named'em Tamed'em
Well-known member
Here I'm able to sell by the "share" 1# share for $7 10 shares is $70
greybeard
Well-known member
It's strange, that the 'rules' say ya can't sell it if you don't use USDA inspected facility, but it's ok if you eat it yourself, or cook it for a big get together with 20+ friends, neighbors or even donate it to a fundraising bbq for 100 people....
Makes no sense..
Makes no sense..
Hpacres440p
Well-known member
Probably has more to do with tracking of mixed batch hamburger than anything. Can you imagine the issue if the big packers didn't have to keep an inspector on hand
OP
OP
I had an state inspector tell me that if I sold a whole cow and then delivered the cow to the processor for the customer and then delivered it the meat. I would have the same requirements because I was handling a packaged temperature controlled item that was going to a customer. Kinda seems the rules in some places are broad and wide depending on the state or person interpreting the rule book.
kenny thomas
Well-known member
You can start tomorrow. Go over there and tell them I sent you. But no eating ice cream as you drive.
OP
OP
Since it's through a custom exempt processor, I've been doing halves and wholes, with the occasional quarter. Processor doesn't split smaller than a half. So it's on me if it's any smaller than that.
However, i do have some in this group that didn't sell yet. In a week if still not spoke for, I plan to sell 20 pound boxes/shares. It's a gray area legally and mostly in the wording I do believe. I hope it'd be a slap on the wrist amid any issue.
I really like our processor, he really caters to us. Hopefully they'll go USDA soon if it remains a requirement.
Heard yesterday that Congressman Thomas Massey is putting forth a bill that would remove the requirements nationwide. Allows for thr liability to fall on the consumer and producer. The bad stuff will weed itself out I think.
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OP
OP
It is all in how you word things.
Some people have a $1 transaction prior to sell. This legally makes the animal or share owned by the buyer. After that, you're providing a hauling and delivery service. In which case you charge accordingly. You include the real animal cost in the delivery cost since you don't get carcass weight til after its dispatched. Same with delivering the finished product.
It's definitely splitting hairs, but in court it will hold up I think.
It a crying shame they even have a usda requirement. It only helps the big guys.
Peace
Well-known member
I'm sure East Tennessee is different than Tucson Az, but I went to a farmers market there near the end of Jan. Went mostly to buy eggs as $6 at the store just didn't work for me and I paid $7 at farmers market for what a grocery store would call jumbo eggs.
Here are my observations on beef. 3 sellers all selling ground beef for $7/lb and all said it was "about" 85/15. 1 was sold out and only had cuts left, 1 had plenty so I bought a couple along with pork breakfast sausage at the same money...needed to try and it was all good stuff. Last guy I didn't buy any from because I already had purchased. They all wanted in the $15 to $22/lb range for the steaks, 15 for the lesser and 22 for the ribeyes/filets/strips. Didn't check the fancy stuff as I'm not a buyer of that. One guy was selling 1/2's at $11 cut/wrapped/frozen for later delivery. Didn't see any action on that, but who knows. I do know that the USDA shop down there sells at $4.50/lb hanging weight cut/wrapped/frozen. Probably going up with what I'm seeing in cattle market currently.
I'm not sure what to tell you about how to come out on 100% burger. Maybe your cull cows would work as itmight be better than sending to the barn. I do know the flavor of older animals tends to be a little stronger on older animals/cows.
Here are my observations on beef. 3 sellers all selling ground beef for $7/lb and all said it was "about" 85/15. 1 was sold out and only had cuts left, 1 had plenty so I bought a couple along with pork breakfast sausage at the same money...needed to try and it was all good stuff. Last guy I didn't buy any from because I already had purchased. They all wanted in the $15 to $22/lb range for the steaks, 15 for the lesser and 22 for the ribeyes/filets/strips. Didn't check the fancy stuff as I'm not a buyer of that. One guy was selling 1/2's at $11 cut/wrapped/frozen for later delivery. Didn't see any action on that, but who knows. I do know that the USDA shop down there sells at $4.50/lb hanging weight cut/wrapped/frozen. Probably going up with what I'm seeing in cattle market currently.
I'm not sure what to tell you about how to come out on 100% burger. Maybe your cull cows would work as itmight be better than sending to the barn. I do know the flavor of older animals tends to be a little stronger on older animals/cows.
OP
OP
Appreciate the info on what you saw. The only way to be competitive with ground is to take the cuts and sell them retail. Grinding whole animals isn't going to pencil out it appears.
You say they were getting $11 per finished/packaged pound on half beefs?
The $4.50 per carcass pound is what we get currently. It pencils out to roughly $9 per packaged pound.
Saw someone trying to get $6 per hanging pound yesterday. Made me feel good about what we get.
As to the older animal flavor... a month or two on corn helps mitigate it, but to be honest I think I like the flavor of older animals that ive tried. I'm going to try one this Fall that's grass fat, no corn. And see how she eats. Never tried one that way.
I don't care for pure grass-fed beef ate quite a bit of it.
I've never seen high marbling beef that was just grass-fed and not corn finished.
Growing up in Southern Illinois in the middle of a cornfield grass-fed beef just don't taste right to me.
I've never seen high marbling beef that was just grass-fed and not corn finished.
Growing up in Southern Illinois in the middle of a cornfield grass-fed beef just don't taste right to me.
Peace
Well-known member
I'm not a fan of pure grass fed myself. For some reason it just seems a little on the gamey side. Personally, I really like the flavor of old cow beef, just a little more rich and thorough in my opinion. The premium steaks aren't too bad either, ribeyes and T-Bones and the roasts do well in the low and slow method, the rest just ground beef for me.
OP
OP
There is a difference in grass fed and grass finished though. A grass fat and finished animal, taken to 1200 to 1400 pounds, can and should have plenty of marbling. Anything less than 1000 ish pounds likely hasn't reached the growth stage that allows for intramuscular fat deposits.
Lots of grass fed animals are pulled off a big open pasture. Their plane of nutrition is vastly different than an animal moved a few times a day onto a fresh and diverse mix.
I butcher many head that have only gotten enough corn for the flavor change. If they're truly fat, the marbling will be there. Look for the happy lines. If they're there, it'll be a beautiful beef I feel like.
That's my take on things. Could be wrong.
I'm on the same fence. We dropped off a cow and a steer to pack for direct sales.
The cow including transport/pickup costs (90 minutes each way) ended up at $3.28/pound of product just for processing and looking at the cull cow price average at the sale barn, my total cost on 330 lb of hamburger ended up at $6.65/lb actual cost. This sounds high but to me, this is the best hamburger I have eaten in a long time and I think selling it for $8.50/lb is a real possibility - it is that good compared to boring hamburger from the store.
The steer ended up at $2.82/lb in processing and $6.43/lb packed actual cost. OF course, the steer wasn't all hamburger so that gives some added retail value that makes it a clear winner. The hamburger for the steer is a 9 out of 10 to me.
I am aware that I can get processing done cheaper but requiring a USDA facility for direct sales and the 9-14 month booking window, this is what I can do currently.
The cow including transport/pickup costs (90 minutes each way) ended up at $3.28/pound of product just for processing and looking at the cull cow price average at the sale barn, my total cost on 330 lb of hamburger ended up at $6.65/lb actual cost. This sounds high but to me, this is the best hamburger I have eaten in a long time and I think selling it for $8.50/lb is a real possibility - it is that good compared to boring hamburger from the store.
The steer ended up at $2.82/lb in processing and $6.43/lb packed actual cost. OF course, the steer wasn't all hamburger so that gives some added retail value that makes it a clear winner. The hamburger for the steer is a 9 out of 10 to me.
I am aware that I can get processing done cheaper but requiring a USDA facility for direct sales and the 9-14 month booking window, this is what I can do currently.
Travlr
Well-known member
I never finish mine in an enclosed space where they can't be on pasture. A couple of three pound coffee cans of sweet feed a day for a couple of months keeps them friendly and puts a decent fat cover on if you know how to breed/pick them for easy finishing. It doesn't take much feed to get rid of the game taste.
Peace
Well-known member
I'm sure it does, but now it's no longer 100% grass fed either.
To me it's all about personal preference and who are you trying to cater to or what niche are you trying to fill. If your market is asking for and not getting 100% grass fed, then there's a niche to be filled. If your market wants locally raised beef and is willing to pay for it, that's also a niche. If they just want cheap beef and don't care from where or what, I'm pretty sure the grocery store is filling that market and there is no reason to try to compete with them, (unless of course you're either nuts or like losing money) it's a totally different customer.
Travlr
Well-known member
The only "niche" I'm trying to fill is my own... but I have sold halves occasionally and had return customers.
Personally "grass fed" and "feedlot finished" means very little when something in between is the better product.
We tried one that we had that was older and grass fed. Everything tasted good! Only thing was the steaks were a little tougher.
