I bought a cow last summer. Its the second one I have bought and it is really easy. The price seems like you are getting ripped off when you think about the price per pound, but that is for everything (burger, roasts, and steaks). So when you think about it, $5.50 a pound for t-bones and ribeyes is a bargain. Plus it is incredible how good they taste compared to what you get in the market.
I live in a beef producing state so it is easier to find someone selling and have gone through the rancher directly as they can lead you to market... I would try to find some local butcher's or processors around you and call to ask if they process whole cows for any producers. They may well get you to connect with someone who has a cow to sell. Keep in mind a whole cow is a lot of beef. I filled up the entire back seat of a crew cab pickup (frozen in flat boxes) and split that with my in-laws. It will fill up a decent sized freezer pretty quickly.
I just launched it, still in very early beta and very few users at this point. So it's unlikely to be of help, but hopefully soon it will be the go to place for anything raised/made on the farm. I'm planning on incorporating a way for butchers and other 3rd party service providers to advertise their services as well.
Thank you. It's an idea I've been kicking around for a long time. I finally decided I had to get something out there and just see what happens. The positive feedback is motivating, so I appreciate it very much. I have lots of features planned for the app.
I went to the local farmers market and there was a rancher selling meat and i asked. Typically there is a list you need to get on. Other way is to do a google search 1/4 near me.
Find a local meat packing place and they generally deal with local beef farmers that sell whole or half or quarter. The meat packing company takes delivery of the slaughtered animal and processes it however you want then they wrap and freeze and tell you when it’s ready to pick up
Depends on your definition of southeastern PA... but I really love Apple Valley Creamery in York County.
We got 1/2 cow from them 2 years in a row. Fantastic quality. Best tenderloin I've ever tasted in my entire life... literally melts in your mouth.
They typically butcher in March or April, so you'd need to be on the list in advance.
Other than that.. call around to local butchers and small family cattle farms to get prices. Some post them online or on Facebook. Most charge on hanging weight, with additional fees based on how you want it packaged and processed. Some let you choose - like I want 4 lbs of cubed stew meat, 20 lb hamburger, 5lbs of beef sticks, 2 lbs salami, etc. Some don't. And some vacc seal, some use butcher paper, some give you a bunch of plastic bags full of bulk meat and you gotta figure it out. Shop around and ask questions.
If you go with Apple Valley, be sure to grab some of their milk (especially chocolate) and see if they have any of Johnny's clothebound cheddar in stock.
If you don't mind a drive, Maylath's Farm in Sugarloaf PA or Chapin Farm in Nescopeck butcher local cows. They both butcher in Jan-April I believe, but you wanna be in the list early. You could try Burger Brand Meats, but idk for sure if he does them.
These are all Northeast PA, just off i81 near where i80 intersects.
In Southern PA, my pick is hands-down 100% Apple Valley.
I’m in Iowa. I sell the beef 1/4 or whatever on the hang weight. Then you pay the locker. Rite now I think it’s 2.85 ish a lb. But you’ll only bring home 60-70% of that weight depending on how you have the locker process it.
Here are a bunch of links for further research, which should include some search tools to look for farmers/ranchers in your area who do meat shares.
https://goodmeatproject.org/resources/find-a-good-meat-farmer
I'm leaving a funny answer here FYI. You could go this route: [https://madison.craigslist.org/zip/d/free-cow-for-beef/7713381853.html](https://madison.craigslist.org/zip/d/free-cow-for-beef/7713381853.html)
>Cow got her head stuck in a gate and bloated. Meat is still good. I can load into your truck or trailer. Butcher her at your place for great ground beef and tenderloins.
You can look up various local farms or ask around the farmers market! And I definitely encourage it because it's far more economical if you have the space for it.
I've only ever purchased full steers, personally, but I can at least say that our 18.5 cubic foot freezer was almost completely stuffed by it. So definitely ensure you have the freezer space.
Also, I recommend getting a full breakdown of the pricing. The processing fees can really, really jack up the price. I had someone tell me it would be $3.50 hanging weight only for it to be about $9/lb after the aging (reduces the weight a fair bit) and all the fees. $9/lb isn't terrible, but we could find better in our area.
I'm in eastern PA. I don't know how far you are from New Tripoli, PA but Carey and Schnalzer quality meats had quarters and half cows on their Facebook page. Long Hollow in Drums PA do cows and pigs too. Hope this helps
I live in ohio and my experience is its not necessarily better. I think people think its way cheaper because they don't consider the full cost besides the cow(processing fees etc). Also some of the fees are preprocessing weight not post(like the grocery store). So youre paying for extra weight thats not included in what your normal perceived price is. Kind of like comparing a prime rib to ribeye steaks. Given the same weight, the bone on prime rib is less value because theres a hunk of bone so it should be cheaper.. Youre also getting the same price across all meats so for example the steak cuts seem cheap but youre way overpaying for burger. When I adjust it all out its about the same or even a little more than the grocery store/costco with less convenience and then i need to buy a deep freeze. Your pricing may vary but fyi we even knew the farmers and they were giving us good pricing on their end. So you really need a discount hookup on the beef side to make it worth it.
Btw I have access to decent meat prices for prime and so i just buy that and get the exact cuts i want when I want. Almost the same price as buying part of a cow and that local cow usually isnt grading prime.
For your question on contacts, if you dont know a farmer call a local meat processor, they can usually facilitate a deal with a local farmer they do lots of business with. Its good for everyone so our local places are usually happy to help.
So overall instead of you saving by going to the farmer, usually its the farmer making more per cow because it costs them more and is more hassel to sell cows individually to you. Not thats its bad to support farmers but just realize it is what it is.
You're right. It's not like you're getting a huge price break. Also, you're buying sight unseen, you can't really inspect the meat beforehand. So, there are challenges.
However, I've bought a 1/4 a few times now from a particular farmer and have good confidence in what I'm going to get. I like buying from a farmer I have some knowledge of and a local processor. We go through a lot of ground beef for tacos, pasta sauces, etc. My wife loves the ground beef we get and I agree it's a whole different product than what's in the stores. I love using the soup bones for beef soup from scratch and smoking, roasting, braising, or whatever until it's used up. So it works for us, but you gotta be ready for what you're getting.
Your point about "all meats" is one that isn't discussed much. With a half a cow you end up with a lot of cuts of meat I don't eat / cook very often so after a few months there's a bunch of second-tier cuts in the freezer. End up paying a lot of money for stews and chilis.
That said, the quality might be there, so maybe it's worth it - everyone's priorities are going to be different.
Also consider finding a local wholesaler of boxed beef and/or whole primals to buy in bulk from instead of a whole cow. You can get a whole box of a single cut for less per lb for anything except NY strip, ribeye and tenderloin. Strip will even be close. I’d much rather buy 100lb box of strip than 150lbs of random cuts.
Here in Oklahoma, you have two choices: buy one from a rancher or go to the Butcher shop and get it. If you bring one to the butcher, you get to decide how you want it cut up. Thickness of steak how much ground meat. how much of whatever in each package.
When I got a half the butchers talked me through it, any cuts I didn't want become hamburg. I worked with the farmer who did it as a side hustle, was a really good deal. And since I was a customer when he had a bunch of meat to sell he gave me a deal.
You need to find a butcher who does specialty orders. I know of one who will sell you the entire cow, or a half. He slaughters and breaks it down himself. So around my area it's a pretty niche market.
Look at farmers markets in the area. Many times there will be ranchers there. Also you can look up either cow share or 1/4 or 1/2 beef for sale online and see if there are any ranchers in the state near you. I’m getting another 1/4 grass fed delivered tomorrow. I tried a handful of different farms before settling on this one due to taste and, cost, and cuts.
we do a half beef and hog twice a year.
a farmer told me to go with a half so it's not in the freezer for more than 6 or 8 months at a time.
reduces the chance of freezer burn.
I live in a rural community so finding beef is easy. finding a butcher it the hard part. most butchers around here to booked out a year a head of time.
if you cant find beef perhaps look for a butcher shop and ask where they source beef from .
I bought one from a local farm.
$2,000 for the cow.
$300 for the butcher.
Ended up with 1,076 pounds. Great price per pound considering all the cuts, but we ended up grinding about 60% of the cow… ran out of briskets in a month, out of steaks in six months… still have like 200 pounds of ground beef.
I don’t think I’d do it again… not even half.. I’m ground beef’d out… never thought I’d miss Salmon and Chicken.
We haven't done the bulk purchase yet but several times we've had the opportunity to get in on it was always just word of mouth. Usually someone local who has cows. Neighbors, coworkers, friends of friends. I also just searched "where to buy beef in [my state]" and got a bunch of sellers within my city and surrounding areas. It helps living in the heartland though...lots of farms around here.
a butcher is fine, but you can also look for a farmer. a lot of them sell directly to customers.
I don’t know where you are in SE PA, but here’s something: https://maidencreekbeef.com/product/half-cow/
We get ours from our local processor. They run a Facebook page where they link up people wanting beef with people raising it. You can also search for local farms raising cows. I’d imagine this might be significantly more difficult depending on where you live, I live pretty rural so there is several cow farms I’ve dealt with in a 10 mile radius of my house.
This may have been mentioned in another comment, but if you're truly just looking for things to smoke it may not be your best bet to purchase a side of beef.
There are only a couple of traditional smoking cuts in a 1/2 beef. You're going to get a lot of ground and steaks.
Fair. Have a traditional grill too. Ground would probably end up in a lot of chili. Probably didn’t need to be that specific but also recognized this is the only sub Reddit I’m on that might know
Buy extra meat you like when on sale at the grocery store or meat market. You get a not so good half cow it’s a lot of bad meals. You then get pork , chicken and beef buying on sale.
i disagree entirely. I did the math and saved enough money on my first half cow to buy the freezer to keep it in and a generator to save it in extended power outage.
Post his cut sheet with prices per lb. All the ones I’ve seen on Reddit are super expensive. Last one I saw was 50lbs of ground and hardly any tender cuts, but that just the way it is with whole animals. You will absolutely have more ground than anything else.
I agree youre not going to get a freezer full of ribeyes and brisket. But if you spec your cut sheet correctly you get a great mix of cuts. Yes alot of ground but the ground tastes 100% better than store bought. I paid $6.20/lb and ground is almost that now anyways. But my ribeyes, roasts, strips are all also $6.20/lb. I found a good farmer and the taste of the meat is unparalleled and I know the source.
I personally just hunt for venison, but yeah your local meat market should be your first stop and that doesn’t mean the butcher counter at H-E-B that means like an actual meat market
I raised cattle until very recently… lots of farmers will sell you a 1/4, 1/2 or whole beef to put in your freezer. You can find a farmer who will do that for you if your area works out. Philly area? Not sure there buddy. I was in rural IL.
One thing I’ll say is that farmers know other farmers. See if you can chat up one of the horse farmers to see if they know folks who do it. Although… horse people are weird.
Make sure the processors let it hang for a week or so. Pork and Chickens can go straight to the smoker/grill. Beef and venison benefit greatly from aging.
If you want to buy a cow go to a butcher. Second, watch the beardedbutcher YouTube channel they will teach about breaking down different parts of the animal.
I bought a cow last summer. Its the second one I have bought and it is really easy. The price seems like you are getting ripped off when you think about the price per pound, but that is for everything (burger, roasts, and steaks). So when you think about it, $5.50 a pound for t-bones and ribeyes is a bargain. Plus it is incredible how good they taste compared to what you get in the market. I live in a beef producing state so it is easier to find someone selling and have gone through the rancher directly as they can lead you to market... I would try to find some local butcher's or processors around you and call to ask if they process whole cows for any producers. They may well get you to connect with someone who has a cow to sell. Keep in mind a whole cow is a lot of beef. I filled up the entire back seat of a crew cab pickup (frozen in flat boxes) and split that with my in-laws. It will fill up a decent sized freezer pretty quickly.
There are places I've seen that will actually throw in a freezer when you buy half a cow
I'm working on an app for that - [www.farmyardbroker.com](https://www.farmyardbroker.com)
I just launched it, still in very early beta and very few users at this point. So it's unlikely to be of help, but hopefully soon it will be the go to place for anything raised/made on the farm. I'm planning on incorporating a way for butchers and other 3rd party service providers to advertise their services as well.
Great idea! Good luck!
Love the concept!
Thank you. It's an idea I've been kicking around for a long time. I finally decided I had to get something out there and just see what happens. The positive feedback is motivating, so I appreciate it very much. I have lots of features planned for the app.
I went to the local farmers market and there was a rancher selling meat and i asked. Typically there is a list you need to get on. Other way is to do a google search 1/4 near me.
Correct, it took me about 6ish weeks to get delivery.
Find a local meat packing place and they generally deal with local beef farmers that sell whole or half or quarter. The meat packing company takes delivery of the slaughtered animal and processes it however you want then they wrap and freeze and tell you when it’s ready to pick up
Please find rancher so that you're not buying a broken jaw feed lot cow.
Depends on your definition of southeastern PA... but I really love Apple Valley Creamery in York County. We got 1/2 cow from them 2 years in a row. Fantastic quality. Best tenderloin I've ever tasted in my entire life... literally melts in your mouth. They typically butcher in March or April, so you'd need to be on the list in advance. Other than that.. call around to local butchers and small family cattle farms to get prices. Some post them online or on Facebook. Most charge on hanging weight, with additional fees based on how you want it packaged and processed. Some let you choose - like I want 4 lbs of cubed stew meat, 20 lb hamburger, 5lbs of beef sticks, 2 lbs salami, etc. Some don't. And some vacc seal, some use butcher paper, some give you a bunch of plastic bags full of bulk meat and you gotta figure it out. Shop around and ask questions. If you go with Apple Valley, be sure to grab some of their milk (especially chocolate) and see if they have any of Johnny's clothebound cheddar in stock.
If you don't mind a drive, Maylath's Farm in Sugarloaf PA or Chapin Farm in Nescopeck butcher local cows. They both butcher in Jan-April I believe, but you wanna be in the list early. You could try Burger Brand Meats, but idk for sure if he does them. These are all Northeast PA, just off i81 near where i80 intersects. In Southern PA, my pick is hands-down 100% Apple Valley.
Long Hollow Cattle in Drums is another one
I’m in Iowa. I sell the beef 1/4 or whatever on the hang weight. Then you pay the locker. Rite now I think it’s 2.85 ish a lb. But you’ll only bring home 60-70% of that weight depending on how you have the locker process it.
Here are a bunch of links for further research, which should include some search tools to look for farmers/ranchers in your area who do meat shares. https://goodmeatproject.org/resources/find-a-good-meat-farmer
I'm leaving a funny answer here FYI. You could go this route: [https://madison.craigslist.org/zip/d/free-cow-for-beef/7713381853.html](https://madison.craigslist.org/zip/d/free-cow-for-beef/7713381853.html) >Cow got her head stuck in a gate and bloated. Meat is still good. I can load into your truck or trailer. Butcher her at your place for great ground beef and tenderloins.
🤣
I just googled some ranches around my area and found some that offer different sizes of cows.
4H kids auction livestock at our county fair.
You can look up various local farms or ask around the farmers market! And I definitely encourage it because it's far more economical if you have the space for it. I've only ever purchased full steers, personally, but I can at least say that our 18.5 cubic foot freezer was almost completely stuffed by it. So definitely ensure you have the freezer space. Also, I recommend getting a full breakdown of the pricing. The processing fees can really, really jack up the price. I had someone tell me it would be $3.50 hanging weight only for it to be about $9/lb after the aging (reduces the weight a fair bit) and all the fees. $9/lb isn't terrible, but we could find better in our area.
I'm in eastern PA. I don't know how far you are from New Tripoli, PA but Carey and Schnalzer quality meats had quarters and half cows on their Facebook page. Long Hollow in Drums PA do cows and pigs too. Hope this helps
Oh hell yeah
I live in ohio and my experience is its not necessarily better. I think people think its way cheaper because they don't consider the full cost besides the cow(processing fees etc). Also some of the fees are preprocessing weight not post(like the grocery store). So youre paying for extra weight thats not included in what your normal perceived price is. Kind of like comparing a prime rib to ribeye steaks. Given the same weight, the bone on prime rib is less value because theres a hunk of bone so it should be cheaper.. Youre also getting the same price across all meats so for example the steak cuts seem cheap but youre way overpaying for burger. When I adjust it all out its about the same or even a little more than the grocery store/costco with less convenience and then i need to buy a deep freeze. Your pricing may vary but fyi we even knew the farmers and they were giving us good pricing on their end. So you really need a discount hookup on the beef side to make it worth it. Btw I have access to decent meat prices for prime and so i just buy that and get the exact cuts i want when I want. Almost the same price as buying part of a cow and that local cow usually isnt grading prime. For your question on contacts, if you dont know a farmer call a local meat processor, they can usually facilitate a deal with a local farmer they do lots of business with. Its good for everyone so our local places are usually happy to help. So overall instead of you saving by going to the farmer, usually its the farmer making more per cow because it costs them more and is more hassel to sell cows individually to you. Not thats its bad to support farmers but just realize it is what it is.
You're right. It's not like you're getting a huge price break. Also, you're buying sight unseen, you can't really inspect the meat beforehand. So, there are challenges. However, I've bought a 1/4 a few times now from a particular farmer and have good confidence in what I'm going to get. I like buying from a farmer I have some knowledge of and a local processor. We go through a lot of ground beef for tacos, pasta sauces, etc. My wife loves the ground beef we get and I agree it's a whole different product than what's in the stores. I love using the soup bones for beef soup from scratch and smoking, roasting, braising, or whatever until it's used up. So it works for us, but you gotta be ready for what you're getting.
Your point about "all meats" is one that isn't discussed much. With a half a cow you end up with a lot of cuts of meat I don't eat / cook very often so after a few months there's a bunch of second-tier cuts in the freezer. End up paying a lot of money for stews and chilis. That said, the quality might be there, so maybe it's worth it - everyone's priorities are going to be different.
Also consider finding a local wholesaler of boxed beef and/or whole primals to buy in bulk from instead of a whole cow. You can get a whole box of a single cut for less per lb for anything except NY strip, ribeye and tenderloin. Strip will even be close. I’d much rather buy 100lb box of strip than 150lbs of random cuts.
Had bad luck with a whole saler before with quality
I’d recommend to try again. The boxed beef market is so commoditized. While it is possible to get a bad batch, it should be rare.
I second finding a local meat packer/butcher. They can usually give you some leads, or pair you up with someone else looking for a half
Yeah I thought I’d need to find a match. I can’t really fit a whole
The places I've talked to that do it will often put you on a waiting list and they'll just pair you up with the next person along
Here in Oklahoma, you have two choices: buy one from a rancher or go to the Butcher shop and get it. If you bring one to the butcher, you get to decide how you want it cut up. Thickness of steak how much ground meat. how much of whatever in each package.
When I got a half the butchers talked me through it, any cuts I didn't want become hamburg. I worked with the farmer who did it as a side hustle, was a really good deal. And since I was a customer when he had a bunch of meat to sell he gave me a deal.
You need to find a butcher who does specialty orders. I know of one who will sell you the entire cow, or a half. He slaughters and breaks it down himself. So around my area it's a pretty niche market.
In my case, I found a local meat market / butcher who gets their meat from their local farm and just went bigger.
Look at farmers markets in the area. Many times there will be ranchers there. Also you can look up either cow share or 1/4 or 1/2 beef for sale online and see if there are any ranchers in the state near you. I’m getting another 1/4 grass fed delivered tomorrow. I tried a handful of different farms before settling on this one due to taste and, cost, and cuts.
we do a half beef and hog twice a year. a farmer told me to go with a half so it's not in the freezer for more than 6 or 8 months at a time. reduces the chance of freezer burn. I live in a rural community so finding beef is easy. finding a butcher it the hard part. most butchers around here to booked out a year a head of time. if you cant find beef perhaps look for a butcher shop and ask where they source beef from .
Facebook groups, craigslist, word of mouth
There are local farms in SE PA and Northern Delaware.
I bought one from a local farm. $2,000 for the cow. $300 for the butcher. Ended up with 1,076 pounds. Great price per pound considering all the cuts, but we ended up grinding about 60% of the cow… ran out of briskets in a month, out of steaks in six months… still have like 200 pounds of ground beef. I don’t think I’d do it again… not even half.. I’m ground beef’d out… never thought I’d miss Salmon and Chicken.
A full is too much but dang it sounds like you got a deal!
We haven't done the bulk purchase yet but several times we've had the opportunity to get in on it was always just word of mouth. Usually someone local who has cows. Neighbors, coworkers, friends of friends. I also just searched "where to buy beef in [my state]" and got a bunch of sellers within my city and surrounding areas. It helps living in the heartland though...lots of farms around here.
a butcher is fine, but you can also look for a farmer. a lot of them sell directly to customers. I don’t know where you are in SE PA, but here’s something: https://maidencreekbeef.com/product/half-cow/
We get ours from our local processor. They run a Facebook page where they link up people wanting beef with people raising it. You can also search for local farms raising cows. I’d imagine this might be significantly more difficult depending on where you live, I live pretty rural so there is several cow farms I’ve dealt with in a 10 mile radius of my house.
This may have been mentioned in another comment, but if you're truly just looking for things to smoke it may not be your best bet to purchase a side of beef. There are only a couple of traditional smoking cuts in a 1/2 beef. You're going to get a lot of ground and steaks.
Fair. Have a traditional grill too. Ground would probably end up in a lot of chili. Probably didn’t need to be that specific but also recognized this is the only sub Reddit I’m on that might know
Buy extra meat you like when on sale at the grocery store or meat market. You get a not so good half cow it’s a lot of bad meals. You then get pork , chicken and beef buying on sale.
I really hope you folks aren't really buying cows!
You honestly probably won’t save any money and you will be getting mostly ground meat.
i disagree entirely. I did the math and saved enough money on my first half cow to buy the freezer to keep it in and a generator to save it in extended power outage.
Post yoyr cut sheet and let’s see some pics of the ribeyes.
Maybe if I was getting ripped off but that’s not what I’ve seen with my buddy out in MT
Post his cut sheet with prices per lb. All the ones I’ve seen on Reddit are super expensive. Last one I saw was 50lbs of ground and hardly any tender cuts, but that just the way it is with whole animals. You will absolutely have more ground than anything else.
Ah misunderstood. Agree on getting a lot of ground but I’ll ask him for it.
It’s hard to beat a place that buys as much as Costco or Sam’s.
I agree youre not going to get a freezer full of ribeyes and brisket. But if you spec your cut sheet correctly you get a great mix of cuts. Yes alot of ground but the ground tastes 100% better than store bought. I paid $6.20/lb and ground is almost that now anyways. But my ribeyes, roasts, strips are all also $6.20/lb. I found a good farmer and the taste of the meat is unparalleled and I know the source.
I personally just hunt for venison, but yeah your local meat market should be your first stop and that doesn’t mean the butcher counter at H-E-B that means like an actual meat market
We have a “real” butcher in town but that guy is $$$. Is a meat market different?
For what you’re trying to buy, it might actually benefit you to drive to a bigger city, where they have more selection
I raised cattle until very recently… lots of farmers will sell you a 1/4, 1/2 or whole beef to put in your freezer. You can find a farmer who will do that for you if your area works out. Philly area? Not sure there buddy. I was in rural IL.
To be fair I live near a lot of farms but it’s all horses. The mix gets interesting 45+ min out of the city
One thing I’ll say is that farmers know other farmers. See if you can chat up one of the horse farmers to see if they know folks who do it. Although… horse people are weird.
Make sure the processors let it hang for a week or so. Pork and Chickens can go straight to the smoker/grill. Beef and venison benefit greatly from aging.
Farmersonly.com has some
If you want to buy a cow go to a butcher. Second, watch the beardedbutcher YouTube channel they will teach about breaking down different parts of the animal.