selling freezer beef

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wlhedges

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I have a couple of 14 month old Angus/Hereford steers that's about ready for a date with the butcher, can I get some advice from you guy's and gal's on how you sell your beef to the public, by the hanging weight or a price per pound for the take home meat.
 
I sell mine for $1.00 Per lbs live weight, i haul them to the butcher shop and they pay for the buchering.
 
The ones I sold last fall averaged 1050 lbs. live weight. They were antibiotic & hormone free which is why my customers bought from me. Anyway, I sold 1/4 for $400, 1/2 for $800 and a whole for $1500. I hauled them to the processor (customer pays processing fee also) and then they became the property of the buyer. I collected deposits about 3 months before they were ready and full payment before they went to the processing house. Everyone was happy and I kept one for myself and it was dang good if I don't say so myself. :banana:
 
c farmer":1ts13nat said:
I sell mine for $1.00 Per lbs live weight, i haul them to the butcher shop and they pay for the buchering.

I do the same and I also collect the money before I haul it off the farm. I learned the latter the hard way.
 
Had a 1/4 beef sold to guy south of us, but never heard from him. So I just traded it for 2 tons of hay with a friend.
With the processing it would have been almost $400.00 for 200# of beef.
 
I believe it is illegal to sell processed meat. You need to at least tell your buyer he is buying a live animal, based on $/lb live or based on $/lb hanging weight.
You will find a split number of people - some selling by the hanging weight & some selling by the frozen meat. But, again, I believe you have to be careful about selling processed meat. There are some restrictions, but I'm not fully knowledgeable of them.
If you sell by the hanging weight, be sure to explain that they lose about 1/3 from hanging to packaged.
 
Unless the processor is a USDA certified processor, it and you cannot legally sell any PACKAGED meat.

Even if it is a certified processor, the buyer should pick it up AT the processor. Do not bring it home and then sell it from your freezer. If you do, you have "broken the chain of evidence" unless YOU have a USDA or State Health Dept inspection/approval for you to hold the meat (and liability insurance for same). With our rabid litigious society, to lose the farm over some stupid customer not cooking a piece of meat correct and getting E. Coli (or worse).

JMHO and acquired paranoia...lol.
 
Running Arrow Bill":2287ti0h said:
Unless the processor is a USDA certified processor, it and you cannot legally sell any PACKAGED meat.

Even if it is a certified processor, the buyer should pick it up AT the processor. Do not bring it home and then sell it from your freezer. If you do, you have "broken the chain of evidence" unless YOU have a USDA or State Health Dept inspection/approval for you to hold the meat (and liability insurance for same). With our rabid litigious society, to lose the farm over some stupid customer not cooking a piece of meat correct and getting E. Coli (or worse).

JMHO and acquired paranoia...lol.

Your pretty much right RAB - Let the Customer become the Farmer by buying "Live" then you work as Their Agent
 
Running Arrow Bill":ewnjhtht said:
Unless the processor is a USDA certified processor, it and you cannot legally sell any PACKAGED meat.

Even if it is a certified processor, the buyer should pick it up AT the processor. Do not bring it home and then sell it from your freezer. If you do, you have "broken the chain of evidence" unless YOU have a USDA or State Health Dept inspection/approval for you to hold the meat (and liability insurance for same). With our rabid litigious society, to lose the farm over some stupid customer not cooking a piece of meat correct and getting E. Coli (or worse).

JMHO and acquired paranoia...lol.
Also you have to collect sales tax as you are selling a retail product to an end user if you sell it proccessed and packaged, where if you sell by live weight you don't

I sell by live weight and I charge a $1.25pr lb and I deliver it to the proccessor if they use the same one that I do
 
Angus Cowman":aub0pof5 said:
Running Arrow Bill":aub0pof5 said:
Unless the processor is a USDA certified processor, it and you cannot legally sell any PACKAGED meat.

Even if it is a certified processor, the buyer should pick it up AT the processor. Do not bring it home and then sell it from your freezer. If you do, you have "broken the chain of evidence" unless YOU have a USDA or State Health Dept inspection/approval for you to hold the meat (and liability insurance for same). With our rabid litigious society, to lose the farm over some stupid customer not cooking a piece of meat correct and getting E. Coli (or worse).

JMHO and acquired paranoia...lol.
Also you have to collect sales tax as you are selling a retail product to an end user if you sell it proccessed and packaged, where if you sell by live weight you don't

I sell by live weight and I charge a $1.25pr lb and I deliver it to the proccessor if they use the same one that I do

Do they really tax food in Missouri?

In Texas, "food" is non-taxable unless prepared by a restaurant or related. However, "non-food" items such as dog food, toilet paper, sodapop, etc., are taxable.
 
Let me clarify my opening post, I'm taking in 2 beef, quarter of beef number 1 goes in my freezer, and I'm selling the other 3 quarters to family, beef number 2 gets sold to the public, just wanted to know how you guys sell to public. sorry I didn't explain myself better.
 
Angus Cowman":1aayzm89 said:
Also you have to collect sales tax as you are selling a retail product to an end user if you sell it proccessed and packaged, where if you sell by live weight you don't

I wouldn't do that if I were you. Afterall, all the government will do is give it to some junkie who is going to end up increasing his habit and when the money isn't enough he is going to rob a store and shoot the sales clerk and possibly even a police officer. So the best thing to do is not collect the tax so you will save the life of an innocent clerk and a police officer. I mean, you don't want to be an accompliss to murder do you?
 
Running Arrow Bill":11msrxoh said:
Unless the processor is a USDA certified processor, it and you cannot legally sell any PACKAGED meat.

Even if it is a certified processor, the buyer should pick it up AT the processor. Do not bring it home and then sell it from your freezer. If you do, you have "broken the chain of evidence" unless YOU have a USDA or State Health Dept inspection/approval for you to hold the meat (and liability insurance for same). With our rabid litigious society, to lose the farm over some stupid customer not cooking a piece of meat correct and getting E. Coli (or worse).

JMHO and acquired paranoia...lol.

Hey, can you tell me how this is illegal. I'm a farmer studying to be a lawyer, so I know it's a federal law. I'm trying to figure out what exactly makes it illegal. And, why is the "chain of evidence" important? Thanks for your help! -Milam
 
I know some people in Rolla Mo who sell freezer beef no sales tax on quarters, halves or whole carcasses. But they also sell baskets of packaged meat and they do collect sales tax on the packaged meat. That may have changed since i have talked with them.
 
a search would get you alot better responses you may like more..but that being said..i sell mine by the half at 3$lb hangin wieght. i do get 100$ dep on the live animal before i call the butcher. ive got about 400lb of burger comin in aug and itll go for 1.50 lb since its a cow and all they bring is 48 cents last week i called the butcher to come kill her and grind it all. im sure ill sell it all soon as werd gets out. 2lb pkgs for 3$ ea or 2 for 5$
 
If you want to sell to the public the best place to start is selling to friends.
Find a USDA shop that does the slaughtering for the inspection. The butcher shop we use doesn't have a USDA inspector.

As for the rest, I pick up all of the beef, divide it up to who is buying it and I deliver it and pick up the payment. One guy picks up his own. The only other person I let pick up their own never paid me. :mad:
 
Most beef up here is sold by the 1/4 or 1/2. Hanging weight. Burger is often sold by the pound wrapped and frozen. The processors are small family owned type operations. Not federal inspected, but tons of rules and regulations. Government inspectors may visit monthly or now and then. If things are not in order the place can be fined or shut down. If laws are broken selling processed beef then it is widespread and overlooked. I know of at least 10 processors within say 50 miles and they will all process beef this way. I can't believe if it's illegal they would chance doing it?
 

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