Buying a Whole Cow - Freezer Beef - Questions answered!
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- Опубліковано 15 тра 2024
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If you have ever thought about buying a whole or half a beef you know it can be an intimidating task. Today we look at what all goes into getting a freezer beef direct from your local farmer and rancher to your table.
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“The farmer is the only man in our economy who buys everything at retail, sells everything at wholesale, and pays the freight both ways.” - John F Kennedy
The truck driver pays for the freight.
Period.
@@doolittlegeorge no if that was the case there would be no truckers. Best example is look at the window sticker on a new vehicle its called destination charge. Once the farmer pays shipping the rest of the shipping costs are paid by the end user.
@@doolittlegeorge How does the truck driver pay shipping? That truck driver gets paid just like everyone else in that process.
Very true. But not every farmer.
@@doolittlegeorge Wrong. Period
Mike has a promising career as a voice-over or newscaster any time he wants it. I swear I could listen to him read the phone book
Fr thought this was the history channel for a bit almost closed my eyes and knocked out for a bit 😂
No you couldn’t
I just purchased a 1500 pound steer I split in half with my sister, from a local farmer. Grass raised, grain finished for two months. We paid $1.32 pound on the hoof. That was $1980. $990 each. We then had the Amish process it for $600. $300 each. We both received 376 pounds of meat in the freezer. We requested every cut, except for the roast from the round section. That we chose to get ground. So all total we both had $1290 in 376 pounds of prime (yes this is prime beef!) in the freezer. That equates to $3.43 a pound! Heck the cheapest ground beef in the grocery store is $4-5 a pound! And we paid that for ribeye, filet, brisket, etc. in January of 2022. And stored it all in the refrigerator freezer, and a 5 cuft deep freezer. So 7 cuft total. That’s not a lot of space.
That's an excellent deal, where are you located if you don't mind me asking? I live in northern NJ, I buy half a cow every year from a local farmer but it costs me a lot more than that....
@@tartari13 Kentucky
Paid $2.50/lb hanging weight and .65/lb processing in Ohio. Was 2.35/lb but jumped up this year
You got ripped off
Pretty close to the price in South Dakota.
Paid my uncle $1.45/lb on the hoof. And the process $1/lb. 1360 lb animal cost $2948.
And I agree with a 7ct freezer for 1/2 animal.
My step dad used to buy a whole cow and have it slaughtered every year. We had one of those large freezers in the utility closet of our house. That’s how I ended up learning how to cook and learning which cut of meat was the best. The ribeye was always the first to disappear.
Ribeye never lasted long in our house either 😂
How many briskets can u get out of a cow
Ty for that information!!
Short ribs will be your new best friend. I promise you that. It does take a long time to cook but ooooh man it’s like eating butter with muscle fibers on it.
@@peak9985 2.
We just purchased a 1/4 cow from a local farm where they grass feed, raise and finish right on the farm. I have never tasted better quality meat in my life and the fact we are supporting local farmers is the best part! I encourage everyone to give it a try if you have not already. Plus we definitely saved money vs buying from the store when comparing the cost/lb.
So if you go to a farm and buy an animal, the farmer does all that meat processing work and you save money? May I please ask how much money you can save by buying straight from the farm?
Bull 💩or they would go under .
How about sending me a sample? I'm starving.
@@victoriahope8371 i recently also purchased a 1/4, and typically the cow is sectioned in half at the butcher shop. I then went to the butcher shop and as they were sectioning off the cow they ask you how you would prefer your cuts, would you prefer steaks or whole roast. It is good to split a half with another person you know so rationing off each part is easier because splitting certain cuts that are limited is sometimes difficult
@@victoriahope8371 the cow i purchased weighed in at 1,100 pounds, after trimming the total weight came out to around 175 pounds, about 85 pounds of it was all ground beef. $1000 for the meat, $250 to the butcher shop. (1/4)
I have been buying a whole beef from a local farmer for about 15 years or more. The hardest part was finding an honest butcher to process the beef. Some always came up short on what I received from them.
A co worker and myself split a beef that we bought from a co worker….When I went to pick my half up….the person at the desk said….that beef he brings to us every 6 months has the best liver….I asked my co worker if she got any liver with her order…she said…no….did you get mine??? I said no I didn’t get any either…So we called the butcher shop and asked about it…They acted like they didn’t know where it went….Hmmm….And I always canned my round steaks and half of my roast…I cooked all the bones and canned the broth…Little did this butcher shop didn’t know but we killed our own beef in January every year..so I knew how big a liver was…the heart and the amount of beef we supposed to get…
One place I took a 300 pound hog to gave me two paper grocery bags not full and said that was all it was. Never went back. A few weeks later a friend went there and said they bought some of the best pork they ever had at a really good price. I wonder how that happened.
@@jerrysalgat3406 This sounds completely made up.
Raj Beekie this is absolutely what happened.
@@rajbeekie7124 Happened to me. Same story.
God bless America and our Ranchers and farmers!
"BUYING beef from a farmer might cost a little more..." Finally someone who is honest about this. Can't tell you how many times I have called ranchers and they priced their cows like it is all prime rib. I have found some who are excellent also.
We bought from a local butcher who raised and finished their own animals when we lived in Pennsylvania, we live in Texas now and we so miss that local butcher. I grew up in Georgia and didn't get that experience until we were in Pennsylvania, the taste of the meat and the entire experience was incredible, nothing we have purchased in a grocery store even comes close to local farm raised and finished meats!
What part of pa. Or the butchers details
We live in TX. Don't know what part of tx you guys live but check around you'll probably find a local meat market or rancher that sales on the hoof. 😉😊
@@martinbeirne7621 Aspers/Bendersville, PA. close to New Oxford and Gettysburg.
@@patbroussard8371 We live in East Texas, in Tyler, just haven't had much luck so far.
@@phillipcalhoun9618 check out Rutherford Land and Cattle. Not only do they sell live cattle but they raise and sell their own beef off of their ranch. They are located in Fairfield close to Waco
We always buy from a rancher. Whole cows. Sometimes we go in half with some friends of ours but usually we just do it alone. The meat is way better and keeps longer
Glad to hear that Jess. Support you local Rancher! Thanks for watching
What a phenomenal job explaining this. I know nothing about meat processing but the way it was explained was crystal clear 👌
Thank you very much!
My biggest hurdle to overcome when buying a whole beef was freezer management. Yes, pulling the meat out in the morning to thaw was not always happening. I looked into aging beef and soon learned I can keep beef in the refrigerator for WEEKS. So now I have a few different cuts ready to cook.
Lol. I started "wet aging" years ago. I've had steak in a very cold fridge for up to 2 months. I have to wash the meat well after so long, the liquid smells pretty bad. The meat is beyond tender, but does taste a little metallic. This is just store bought meat. I usually only leave in the fridge for few weeks & it tastes fine. This was unusual to leave for 2 months. Even so, I ate a small piece to taste, gave the rest to the dogs. None of us got sick, & my picky eater loved it.
@@theresam567 Thanks for sharing, that's gross!
Here's a trick that might save you: take the forzen piece you want still in its zip lock bag, fully submerge it in cold water, then run the containing bowl under a slow drip in the sink. It will help thaw a regular sized cut of steak in 30 minutes.
I got in the habit of every night after dinner cleanup, either pull a piece of meat out of the freezer or put some dry beans on to soak for the next day
@@aurora571000 yeh exactly
I haven’t buy beef from the grocery stores in years. I’ve always been taught to live off the land . We buy our beef straight from the farmer and I process all of our meat. The only thing the butcher do for me is slaughter and age the meat for me. I enjoy processing into cuts that I know my family will enjoy. Thank you for the video!
Great video Mike! Very educational, which The world needs right now. Too many folks don't understand the benefits of buying from local farms, however, they will. Farm to Table is growing in popularity thanks to folks like you and Erin who have a really good voice and the knowledge to teach.
Thanks Bill. Happy Birthday to ya also!
@@OurWyomingLife thank you!
@Both of you!
Thanks for sharing 👍
It’s expensive to buy local
@@OurWyomingLife
Hi. I'm in Alberta. I know the answer may vary but, from your experience, how often do you find ranchers open to the idea to selling on the hoof? I'd like to buy at hoof prices and process myself. Do you see that happening often?
I did this for 7 years, till I retired from cattle farming. A whole cattle would last my family & myself, around one year.
The cleanest tasting beef my family or I ever had, was what I produced! Also, my formulated feed ingredients produced a no-farting, no belching, low dung production cattle, due to a highly efficient digestion of the nutrients & also, helping the environment by drastically reducing G.H. gases on two fronts! Race or sex were irrelevant for beef quality(it was always uniform). Basically, producing a gourmet quality, eco-friendly beef.
My cattle were always produced in feedlots 100% of the time(no physical land grazing). Birth to slaughter: 13.5 months(avg.) & a weight of about 950lbs. My local feed costs to produce 1lb of beef(be it ground beef or ribeye), was $0.99/lb. A savings of 18.51%(compared to standard feedlot meal).
seems like you could somehow market that feed and make a fortune especially with the going green hype and cows allegedly being a massive issue when it comes to global warming.
@@mech0p Interesting that you would suggest that. As of this November, I´ve been granted the Patent Pending status by the United States Patent & Trademark Office(USPTO) for this process. Given the current Climate Crisis, I would also like to get this done ASAP!
What’s the feed? GMO ?? Grain? No thanks. Grass fed is all I want.
@@stevebulbowmd7142 best of luck Steve! Glad someone's working on it, especially if it's on your own farm!
@@mech0p allegedly? Lol cows release methane in their farts which destroys the ozone layer. Where are the allegations
You just described the whole process from a calf to the meat at a grocery store, just wow and thanks for such detail.
Dad raised Black Angus & Herfords. We never bought grocery beef. Enjoyed your explanation Mike. Shared on my FB page as alot of people have wanted to buy local but didn't understand the process.
Stay safe & great job knowing where Blondie is at, at all times!
Thanks for sharing all that with us. Hope you can educate your friends how to buy locally grown beef! Thanks for watching
We need as a collective group take the meat out of The Butchers hands and I'm talking about the Big 4 they don't understand the consumers are the ones who buy the meat and right now buying it out of the grocery store it's like owning a hundred square miles of property anyway I've been looking around here in Arizona anyone know just let me know out here in Arizona I know have plenty of farms around here but a lot of the old one of the big packing houses out here called JBS and they don't really sell too much privately but if somebody knows within a 50-mile radius or a hundred-mile radius let me know that appreciate it I live in the Phoenix area
What a great video Mike! You really hit the ball out of the park on your cattle processing info, loved it! I think we should all appreciate what everyone's doing and the measures you, your wife, your kids and the entire team go through to get there. Thanks for sharing and I hope you and your family have a great week!
I so glad you posted this video.
Great Video! I just shared it with one of my new customers to help them with a lot of questions they were having. Love seeing videos from another ranch in Wyoming!
Thank you sir for making this video. We have not purchased straight from a farmer before and have seriously been deciding to do so. You gave us excellent information! I honestly cannot thank you enough! God Bless you! Y’all are the backbone of our great country.
I live outside Boston. My neighbours are mostly scientists, engineers, and Harvard and MIT academics. None of them could have put out such a comprehensive video that goes into the depth and breadth of their job or business that you folks put into this video. I now feel I should buy some product in appreciation for the information you passed out. Thanks!
they all could, but sadly our society focuses much more on money than anything else, which is why most academics have no idea how food or animal wellbeing works.
meat goes from the market to the freezer, or it comes from takeout to the stomach.
and then after a few years some discover veganism and go full on radical instead of finding a solid middle ground between good food and respect to living beings.
Strongly disagree. Scientists and engineers work with everything in batches and lot numbers. Any good scientist records all batches in notebooks as they work.
What a stupid comment lol
Another terrific video filled from beginning to end with important, valuable, practical information. Very nice job.
Mike, excellent video!! I’ve been researching this and your video is the best I’ve seen. Thank you for all the information!!
We grew our own beef as well. We're going to get the rest of our 'cow' in Dec. Love looking in the freezer and seeing all that hamburger, roasts and steaks~! Make Winter a bit easier to handle...
Mike, this is one of your best videos. [Importantly, you are a true Pro in your presentations - thanks to you for truth! - and your delivery is impeccable]. Folks need to understand their food production process and you're doing a yeoman's job providing both the beef and the appreciation for the origin! blessings to you all.
Good video. You always bring things up that will help folks. Good man. Be blessed.
Awesome ! Thankyou for explaining this journey in detail. Your a smart cowboy
Here in MN where I live beef prices are crazy in the stores. Steak prices have gone up by 50% or so in the last year I think. I know a guy who wanted to buy half a beef. He could get the beef but he couldn't get anybody to process it. All the processors here are booked for up to a year out. The one we used is booked a little over a year out. They are not taking any deer this year at all because they are so busy already.
The taste of grain fed beef direct from rancher is the best tasting beef you'll ever have. Incredible the taste difference between store bought and direct from the rancher/ farmer. Even the burger is much better.
hahahaha same with deer. Corn eating deer are tastier too.
Just perfect. Thanks a lot Patriot.
I really appreciate the in-depth explanation of this process.
Great video in support of all local farmers/ ranchers. My friend and I recently split a beef , he bought the calf ( he has 1 acre ) and I raised it I have 55 acres then we split the processing.
I never knew until a friend of mine and her in-laws buy a whole cow every two years. I was so intrigued. Never knew one could do this. A great savings for them, plus they know what they r getting. Great job explaining the process Mike, and thank u for sharing!
I always enjoy learning about ranch life, cattle growth, even now about the cuts of the beef. Thank you for this awesome video.
What a great video from a true and knowledgeable professional! Thank you!
Great information Mike. Thanks for all that you do.
Thanks for watching Robert.
Also folks can gain more or less buy the thickness they choose to cut their steaks. We love you channel, it's helped us to start our own south Alabama home operation to raise our own beef.
Thank you for what your doing for people
So happy your doing this. Just wished you could ship farther than100 miles! Best of luck in your new endeavors and have enjoyed watching your videos for a number of years!
I live in Alberta where my freezer is full of farm fresh beef. I soon hope to get poultry and pork from a farmer too. All the best to you and Erin on this adventure!
Best beef in canada!
The amount of useful information crammed in to one of your videos is amazing. Everyone should watch this. Thanks so much for creating this, and also for the links.
Your welcome, and hope the links are helpful. Thanks for watching
So glad I watched your video it has opened my eyes to what I'll be purchasing soon and yes I'll be supporting a local farmer in my Illinois area. I now have a greater respect to support our local farmers and what they strive to bring to our tables. Thanks 👍
Thanks for the informative discussion..and thanks for what you are doing to meet a great need.
Mike, thanks so much for this information video. Many years ago, my kids were in 4-H. We lived in a “rural” suburb with 1-2acre parcels. Our kids raised pigs and lamb for the annual fair and action. It was great fun with great families, and a rewarding experience for all. Several times, we partnered with our extended family, and bought beef and pig at the 4-H auction. It was the best pork and beef we’ve ever eaten. With the price of beef and pork in the grocery store sky rocketing, we are thinking about buying a 1/4 from a local ranch. I hope I can find a ranch that finishes their beef on grain. I DO NOT like the taste of strictly grass fed. Where we live, grass fed in very popular. Yesterday, I watched The Bearded Butchers (youtube) compare looks and taste of ribeye steaks from: bison, grass-fed beef, grain-finished beef, and Wagu beef. They agreed me me-grain-fed beef has the best flavor over all. My experience with grass-fed beef 🥴, it tastes like metal. I sure enjoy your channel.
Thanks Mike and Erin for teaching all of us where our food comes from. I was fortunate to be raised on a farm, and we raised all of our meat and vegetables. Love what you all are doing, and also love your videos. ♥
Thanks Mike looking forward to doing business with you!!!
Thank You for sharing your knowledge!
Thank God for the few intelligent hard working men that still care about raising & providing quality food with integrity!! And thank you for making this very useful video!! Your work makes your family & country proud.🏆
Good evening to Our Wyoming Life and all others too. Mike it's great to show others how to work and get things together for your lovely family and the big animals too out on a nice farm. God Bless You All .
Thank you Wykeisha.
Excelletnt video. I had been thinking about doing this for several months now and am so glad I found your video. Thank you very much and you answered every question I had.
This was one the most informative and well put together videos on buying beef from a farmer I have seen. Thank you for sharing.
Great video Mike. We as well sell Farm Direct Beef, and I can honestly tell you 99% of our customers are blown away by how much better the quality of our grass fed beef 🥩is straight from a smaller family run farm opposed to a large feedlot fed animal. Cheers 🍻from Prairie Sunset Ranch
Miss my Great uncle who had a ranch in Gillette. Every year we had our family reunion at Glendo and he would bring a bunch of meat. Was amazing. I don’t think I’ve had Wyoming meat since he passed 😢 RIP
Moving to that area next spring, were looking forward to shoping at a local farm store. keep warm this winter
Thank you for sharing!
Great video! Just a guy here in Idaho, been raising dexter cattle cow calf and finish beef, was to hard to sell, people will pay 1200 for a pet dog but have a hard time paying 1000 for a steer on the hoof grain feed ready for butcher, lots of love and care on our place for the animals but this is the last year, going to start growing blackberries now hopefully they will sell better
Great info Mike! Thanks so much!
Stoney Ridge Love your channel!!!
Hello Mike, I have bought a half, and I have never looked back.... It is fantastic.... Thank you much for sharing ..
The best, most honest, informative video on a cows life. Thank you!!! 👍
I just bought a half cow from an Alberta rancher. I'm so thrilled to have that connection with the farmer. The meat is grass fed and delicious. Thank you for all you guys and gals do❤️🇨🇦
how much was the price for half cow?
Do you have a recommendation for a farm near Edmonton?
Better believe it's 100% 'Berta beef there bud.
A buddy of mine mocked me cause I buy grass fed/finished beef until I had him try it and he found himself eating the fat where he normally trimmed off that fat and did not eat it. Whew! Those ribeyes are amazing.
Cows are sentient beings . They are sweet and beautiful creatures , NOT meat!!
Thank you for providing a way to find local farmers. I have been searching for a way to find fresh produce and local beef
Your welcome Margaret. Hope you can support your local Rancher.
Excellent presentation. NICE WORK
this is for people with good planning, respect to those who can implement this well. Great stuff
also interesting insight into the real world behind the meat we all love to eat
This Bostonian has started buying beef from a Maine Farmer. The flavor and quality is superb and the price is reasonable for grass fed, grass finished, natural beef. It is nice to know that we are not consuming hormones but it’s especially rewarding to know I’m supporting a local Farm.
Great explanation, thank you for doing what you do.
I’m gonna start doing this and buy direct from a farmer. Hopefully, more people do the same. Maybe it’ll force the big companies to treat animals better or lose business entirely.
Really i think i just need to shop local and as often as possible go direct to the source (the farmer, gardener, rancher) … and when possible grow myself (a garden).
@@lynetteledoux2845 yeah it would be nice to have land to have a garden, even desert land, then use those techniques to bring the land back to life. We have enough of those around anyway
We just did. We got a massive prime rib roast, two chickens, a ton of chicken quarters, an assortment of steaks, and ground beef. Enough to fill the second freezer just about. We went into it willing to spend about $130, thinking we’d just buy maybe a few roasts, some steaks, etc. The amount of meat we got was INSANE and they ended up sending $40 back because we literally couldn’t buy anymore due to storage.
lol lose business entirely? I hope you understand that 100,000s of jobs will be effected and MILLLLIONS of americans will be effected. We're already seeing meat as high as 17.99 a lb when it used to be 7.99 a lb. That's with major companies producing cheap meat for americans. This is with our nation producing a lot of corn and our government money helping produce more corn. So we can feed animals without losing money. Think of it this way. Eggs went from 1.29 a dozen to 4.79 a dozen after covid-19. Beef like lets say a ribeye will be over 40dollars a lb pretty soon in my area. What do you think happens when companies get shut down? They are the ones able to move meat around for a cheaper price. If farms and everyone did their own thing. You'd still have a low supply of meat. While prices shoot up dude. Do you know how devastating that is to americans? We have 45,000,000 million people who will be directly impacted by beef companies bankrupting. IF you have money to afford alternative food then that's good for you. you do NOT want 45,000,000 or MORE americans panicking when they can't afford anymore beef. The thing is beef correlates with chicken and eggs. It's because of corn. With that said our nation would purchase worse beef from another nation if that happened. Did you not think it out? Kind of like protesters wanting everyone to stop using oil or gas for car. Like...what?
be the middleman and represent your local farmers to your people
Great video! This is fantastic information that most people do not understand well enough and you made it very simple and easy to understand. Thank you!
Great job explaining the process, thanks for sharing
Here to to let ya know Our Wyoming Life got a big shout out on Millennial Farmer. And we've always tried to bud directly from a rancher or cattle producer. For those in Southeast WY or the Colorado Front Range that want to support a local meat butcher. Go to 307 meats in Laramie. It's worth the drive and price for local beef, pork, and lamb
That was good to hear about Millennial Farmer. Matt told me too. Support your local Rancher!
Love how you explained everything, I use to buy local beef when we were raising a family that did not have any hormones in it, great taste. Keep up the great work and may God bless you and your wife as you expand your meat growing from birth to freezer. Yum!!!!🇨🇦
I have never noticed any difference in taste. Not with beef, chicken, or eggs.
Thanks Mike, we enjoy your videos! This is what we do here in South Willard Utah, sell beef by the whole, half and quarter. I'm going to send your video to our beef buyers, they will think this is great.
Thank you very much for this video. And everything that you do, and any other farmer that read this.
Thanks for this video Mike! It was very informative and I have been sending my own customers to it since you produced it. Our prices have gone up in the past 5 years, but are still right in line with yours. I actually thought about making a channel like yours, for our family ranch, but I don't have the equipment and quite frankly charisma to make a videos. I tried, but never published the results. You are awesome.
You are absolutely correct. Know where your food comes from and how its grown/raised. This is my intention when I can get out of the big city. Thank you!
Good Luck to ya getting out of the city, and your new home! Thanks for watching.
Great video as we are about to get a half here in about two weeks. Thanks for the additional info.
This was a well put together and informative video. Thanks for sharing!!
Highly 8nformativevand no doubt about it's accuracy! Mike good for you putting the facts right out there. You know I pray for your business and continued success for your family! God Bless you!
Thanks Jas appreciate that.
For the average person in the city, buying a whole steer or a half is generally a bad idea. First, most people these days do NOT know how to prepare the less tender cuts of a steer. It is not uncommon for me to have 50-100# of said cuts in my freezer that have been given to us for free. Therefore, they are not getting the true value of the purchase. Second, you are limited by the processor in many cases when processing the steer. Many of the older guys have a limited knowledge of the cuts that they are used to using. Third, I do not like the risk of eating from one animal for 12-18 months. You can get a steer that is tougher than you expected and all your eggs are in one basket. I would rather take my chances purchasing parts from many steers.
I come from a family of farmers with a large dairy and veal operations. We would have some of the dairy cows processed into three categories - ground beef, beef for canning and bones for roasting and soup.
“ It is not uncommon for me to have 50-100# of said cuts in my freezer that have been given to us for free.”
Can you introduce me to some of your friends?
Thanks for the link on buying direct from the farmer. I found one right here in my own town in NE Missouri! I had no clue they were even there. Such a fantastic find. Sugar Creek Piedmontese.
Thank you for keeping us fed with the best beef around
I've already started looking into finding a rancher in Central Florida that sells directly to the public. There are several within a 100 mile radius. Planning to continue researching this option.
Adams beef. Fort Pierce.
Thanks Mike, we retired just over 2 1/2 years. Now raising a small Fold of Registered Highland's. We are scheduled to slaughter our first steer on Dec 19th.
Your video was very helpful and answered many questions. Everything from Freezer size to amount & estimated weight from each portion of the steer.
Thanks!
Blessings to you & your family and ranch.
I’d really like to know what you think of the highlands. I’ve been looking at raising a couple. I also would like to try the meat. I too buy freezer beef. Just left a comment on my most recent experience.
We are really enjoying raising Highlands. We processed our first Beef on Dec 16th and report. Delicious! Highlands are slow growers, = 28 to 29 months vs 18 to 20+. Thus you do not see Highlands in large commercial operations. They are wonderful to be around, easy birthing. Highly recommend Highlands. Thanks
@@garyjrsonny Highlands are cute, but I find the meat lacks marbling and tenderness. I wouldn’t even bother with the breed besides having them around for being cute.
Great information!! Thank you! I grew up working on a produce farm. The farmer is very important! I will always support the farmer!
Thanks to you I was able to find a rancher near me, well a couple hours away. I love the beef they produce and will buy from them from now on.
I grew up like this. My dad would pack the garage freezer every year.
To this day I HATE steak lol. I’ve had way to much of it
But the meat you get this way is 1000x better than what you get at the grocery store there really is a huge difference
Bro say. “ To this day I hate steak. 🤣🤦🏾♂️
Very informative - Thank You!!! I remember years ago the wife and I purchased a black angus calf and raised it in a small shed ( that was "fun" going in a feeding and cleaning out the manure and hay) - had a local butcher cut him up for us and paper wrap - we bought a chest freezer and packed all the meat in tightly - as you can imagine - we lost a lot of meat because by the time the two of us got to the bottom of the freezer the meat had spoiled because it never completely froze because we packed it to tight. A LOT of work and expense for a little bit of meat that did freeze.
Sorry to hear that you lost so much, but heah ya learned frim that experience. Thanks for watching
Your meat should have been put in Food Saver bags that make your meat last a year… all the air has been removed..no freezer burn like it is with paper wrapping…
@@deborahlewis5964 Meat wrapped in plastic and then paper will last for at least a year without losing its flavor, or freezer-burning.
@@deborahlewis5964 There wasn't freezer bags back then - we vacuum seal today
@@OurWyomingLife Yes we did - vacuum seal today
My coworkers family does this. Such a brilliant idea.
this is a great video and now it's more important than ever
Great video Mike.We did research, and found a local farmer who feeds his beeves 100 % grass (only) to finish. We were able to go directly to the farm, and see his beeves, and get samples. We were also taught how to properly cook grass fed beef since it's different then that bought at the grocery store. We picked up our cow last Monday. I recommend buying directly from your local farmer after doing your research.
Used to be a meat cutter at Safeway many years ago and actually have bought a whole beef, where a colleague and I cut that up with each taking half and had meat for months. Those questions you mentioned are great, and I love that chart you give to each patron of your sales. What most do not understand is the tender or toughness of a cut of meat. Most understand "RibEy" or "Chuck" "New York Strip" or Bottom Round" and Rump Roast. Not many are versed on where a "London Broil" comes from, or short ribs or even a Cross-Rib roast. That should also be part of the information they'll need to know if this is a first time purchase of a side of beef, or the whole enchilada ! Great video my friend. I also worked on a dairy for eight years in my teens and early to mid twenties. I went directly from dairying to meat cutting and is one of the reasons they took me on as an apprentice in 1975
Hi, I am coming from another video where someone posted this comment. Would you be able to help him?
I was watching a video about beef ribs by the channel 'the bearded butchers' and this was one of the comments posted there.
Ostilogoth - when I was a kid, back in the 70's and 80's, we used to go to our favorite BBQ place. At the time, they sold a 'short rib' unlike any I have ever seen since.
The bone was roughly 2.5" long. The meat attached was approximately 6" or more. I can only surmise that they left the chuck meat attached.
The end product was bone with meat attached, then a small layer of fat which was smoke cooked down close to almost not being there, followed by meat, then fat, then meat, then fat, then meat one more time.
Of course being a kid I didn't know this was some special cut. I thought everyone made short ribs that way. The BBQ place is under new ownership and nobody there knows about the old short ribs I used to get. I don't know what to tell the butcher to get the cut I want. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.
@@sohinam9738 Their description doesn't leave me much to go on. I have no idea what he is trying to describe. Sorry. The only thing I can come up with is that they left the meat and fat on the ribs. Just under the hide there are layers of fat and meat before you actually get to the bone, so I can only assume that the cutter did not strip off the cap which also goes up over the prime rib. They then ran it through the band saw cutting it into small two foot long group of 2.5" rib bones with all the fat and meat attached. We don't eat fat like that any more and probably the reason they put the meat and some of that fat into ground meat instead of leaving it on the ribs. More than likely this was a special cut which was asked for. Different parts of America cut their meats and label them differently, such as Jewish Fillet, Flat Iron, Tomohawk steaks, crossrib roast etc. Good luck and keep looking, sorry I couldn't help more.
@@benth162 Thank you so much for replying, I will let him know.
great information, and a very good video. I wish I lived closer to your farm. TY!!
I can listen to meat talk all day every day! Thank you for excellent information subbed!
Mike is correct that knowing where your beef 🥩 comes from and how it’s raised is a great thing. When I was a kid one of our relatives owned a ranch and we got our beef by buying either a half or whole cow. That meant that we had incredibly good beef all of the time. The only downside is that it is so much better than store bought beef that you will have withdrawal from it should you start buying beef in a grocery store again. There is simply no comparison.
Thanks for sharing that with us Brad. I agree once you've had the best- store bought comes up short. Thanks for watching.
Great info! I raised a Hereford cow in FFA that we grain fed and had processed. It was the best beef I have ever eaten and it was superior to anything store bought. Having said that, it seems if you cut out several middle men that there would be a significant savings buying farm to table. To add to the story, the cost of beef has skyrocketed in the grocery stores and you stated that the ranchers are getting the same money for their cattle, therefore someone down the line is making significantly more money. This should create an even larger discount for farm to table beef. The math isn’t adding up somewhere. Either farm to table beef sells at a hefty discount compared to stores or the rancher is getting way more money for their cattle in today’s market! By process of elimination it’s obvious which scenario it is. I do appreciate ranchers hard work and raising higher quality beef, but I am a little upset at the fact that I love me some ribeye steak but can only afford $0.99/lb chicken thighs!
Having purchased beef from a relative for the past 20 years, the producer is getting the short end of the stick.
Outstanding video. You have a great voice and delivery for this sort of thing.
Very effective.
Very educational and exactly what consumers who care need. I’ve been in contact with one of my local ranchers here where I live in Seminole County Florida and now I’m about to by a new upright freezer. Supporting the rancher is just the right thing to do. Thank you for the videos.
I got one I’m buying in April from a local farmer.
$1.50lb live weight, + ~$250 for butcher and packaging for the whole cow. Works out to around 4.50lb once everything is done
My 1/4 beef came out to right around $3.50 per pound after it was all said and done. Good investment on my part and the meat is outstanding!
A lady on tik tok said she paid $1700 for a half cow. In my opinion that is a little too expensive. 😂😂😂 I had to edit this comment because you just said $1750 for a half. Yeah that's expensive. I need to raise my own cattle to escape these crazy rates.
4.50 a lb .
About half price for most cuts .
Problem is buying a year supply instead of weekly
If you have a couple of acres you can rotate graze cheaply
@@tomrobertson3236
Yeah I don't have storage for a whole or half cow. Not right now anyway. I'm a OTR truck driver. I'm ready to be a small homesteader with the cost of food from producer's and how people treat eachother to achieve their lifestyle. The world has lost its mind.
@@Jeff_2362 I'm a regional driver
Dune had one Corp called choam .
It's the ultimate end game of capitalism .
They get involved in politics to make laws for themselves
Welcome to the best govt money can buy .
Koch brothers spend a billion every election
They fund think tanks
Heritage Foundation spent 400 million to stack the courts
Every Supreme Justice is a member
Trump to win their improvale. Let them appoint Kavanagh and barret.
Yeah dems get money too. But nowhere near Koch brothers .
Their dad founded the John birch society
After drilling oil for Stalin
@@tomrobertson3236
Thats insane. There's so much going on in this world. People have no idea. It's too much for people to even comprehend on purpose. I'm ready for this world to collapse. Freedom doesn't exist. It's a mind controlling made up word. You can't even talk to someone without paying a bill 😂😂😂 I'm over it all. Humanity has gotten worse and it's not going to change.
@@Jeff_2362 all we need is public financing of elections.
We will always have the best govt money can buy .
For our freedom we must be the ones buying the votes .
Not the rich .
All other issues come down to that .
Thanks for explaining this in simple terms . I'm ready to buy
Thank you for this video! I have been looking for information on how to buy direct. This video is packed with valuable information.