About our BEEF

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If this is the first time you are buying directly from a farmer or rancher, you will be amazed at the difference in the taste and quality of the beef versus that you may get at the grocery store, and you will have the comfort of knowing what you are feeding your family and how your beef was raised, produced, and fed.  

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Garlon and Travis have been “finishing” and butchering their own meat for many years for their family and friends. 

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Here are a few things you should keep in mind when going through the process of purchasing a beef and questions that need to be asked if you are buying from your local rancher: 

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WHAT WEIGHT will the animal be when it is slaughtered?  Most ranchers like to slaughter at a live weight of 1000lb – 1500 pound. Weight can be important. A 700-pound steer or heifer is not finished enough. It will not yield much meat and quality will not be as good (marbling.) 

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WHAT is the AGE of the animal?  Age is important. The normal age for an animal to be butchered is 1.5 to 2 years old. A cow is usually only good for hamburger and that is only if she isn't too old or in bad condition. The older the animal gets after this the tougher the fancier cuts (steaks) will be. 

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WHAT is the SEX of the animal?  If an animal is finished correctly, you will never know the difference.  However, if it is a steer, you will want it to be cut, as a bull can be tougher meat due to the hormones. A heifer will be a smaller animal.

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HOW were they fed?  The way an animal is fed can make a huge difference in how they taste.  Simple answer, they are grass fed or grain fed. Our meat is a combination of both. Our animals are started in the pen at 300-400 pounds for a couple of months and then to grass, and then the animals that are going to be butchered are put back on grain to get the good fat content and marbling. Grass fed beef is leaner. Grain fed has more marbling and therefore has more flavor.

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HOW will the animal be processed?  Most ranchers will give you the option to buy a whole, half, quarter, some offer 1/8’s.  The processors will sort so that each quarter will get the same amount and divided evenly. 

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WHAT can I expect to pay?

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HOW does grading work?

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WHY would the rancher sell the animal directly instead of on the market?  It is a win win for the rancher and you the buyer.  By skipping the packing plants, the rancher can process and sell at what to him is a premium price and still a great bargain for the customer, and the buyer knows he is getting a premium product for much less than you would pay in the grocery.  It is also a great way to keep our money local.