Buying meat straight from a ranch or farm usually means buying in bulk: a whole, half, or quarter animal. The price per pound is often lower than retail for the same quality. The trade is that you buy months of meat at once, and you need freezer space to hold it.
How the pricing works
Most farms price large animals by hanging weight. That is the weight of the carcass after slaughter, before cutting. The usable meat you take home weighs less than the hanging weight, because cutting and trimming remove bone and waste. On top of the meat price, you often pay the butcher’s cutting fee. Ask the farm to walk you through a real example with numbers. A good farm will.
What to ask the farmer
- Is the price by hanging weight or by finished weight?
- Who pays the butcher fee, and about how much is it?
- How was the animal raised and fed?
- When is the next slaughter date, and when do I get the meat?
- Roughly how much freezer space will my share need?
The cut sheet
Before butchering, you fill out a cut sheet. It decides how your share gets cut: steak thickness, roast size, how much becomes ground. First time? Say so. Most butchers and farmers will suggest a standard cut sheet, and it is a fine place to start.
Start small
A quarter animal is the common first purchase. It tests whether your household eats through it before you commit to a half or whole. Splitting a share with another family works well too.
Find meat and egg producers near you in the directory.
Find a farm near you
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