FAQ’s
Q: How much space in my freezer will I need?
A: Figure somewhere around 5 cubic feet of freezer space per 1/4 of beef.
Q: Does your beef cost more than buying at the store?
A: Buying our beef does NOT typically cost more! You can make a healthier choice for you and your family and pay comparable prices to that of major grocery store chains and big box stores. How is that possible? The answer is that you are buying in bulk and not per piece. When you consider the wide array of cuts you receive in a 1/4, 1/2 or whole share, the retail per piece price at major grocery stores is almost always more expensive than buying in bulk from us.
Q: Is your beef certified organic?
A: No. Grace Farms beef isn’t “certified” organic by the USDA and more than likely never will hold that moniker. The reason for this is that the regulations and costs to become “certified” are not small producer friendly as they are really meant for larger operations. One thing to note is that the term “Organic” doesn’t mean what a lot of people think that it does! Under USDA rules Organic animals can have antibiotics administered under certain circumstances and the animals can and do mostly come from large feed lot operations. Our goal has never been anything other than to be the best 100% Natural grass-fed beef producer for our clients. Our standards are higher than those of the USDA Organic program and we like it that way. Our customers expect more than simply meeting organic standards and rightfully so! They want to know where their animals come from, what they eat, how they live, how they are treated and how fresh the product is. This is the benefit to buying local! GFCC customers always know where their cow is, what it is fed and stop by frequently to check its development. The difference is a relationship and our goal is to forge long-lasting relationships one customer at a time!
Q: How is the flavor of your beef compared with corn-fed beef?
A: Our customers think that it’s better! One of the steps that we take is one that has been largely lost over time. Dry-aging our beef concentrates the beef’s flavor as it is kept in “the locker” (a low-humidity environment kept at about 36 degrees) During this process enzymes in the beef begin to break down and soften some of the connective tissue in the muscle resulting in a more tender and flavorful cut of meat for your plate!
Q: All of this talk of rail weight, hanging weight and retail weight has me confused. How much beef should I expect to have delivered?
A: Here is a quick recap…..We sell locker beef by “hanging weight”. (Hanging weight or rail weight is the weight of the meat before trimming fat or bone from the carcass after it has aged. Hanging weight is typically 60% of the live weight or the weight of the cow on the hoof.) After processing and breaking down the beef into retail cuts the retail cut yield is typically around 80% of hanging weight. So here is an example… If a steer weighs 1,000lbs live weight, he should weigh in somewhere around 600lbs hanging weight after aging and should then produce approximately 480lbs retail cut weight or the weight delivered per whole beef share. This would mean approximately 120lb quarters, 240lb halves or the 480lb whole.
Q: If grass-fed beef is healthier why isn’t it the method commonly used to raise beef cattle?
A: The answer boils down to one word….PROFIT! Feed lots bring beef to market up to 7 months faster than what we can naturally on grass. When an industry like the feed lot beef industry operates on such low margins the key to profit is volume and speed. When placed on a feed lot and hyped up on growth hormones, antibiotics and a grain/corn ration, the feed lot industry can see a daily growth rate of 3-5lbs! Compare that to a steer finished naturally on grass gaining a healthy 1-2lbs per day. That’s a 60% faster growth rate than what is natural!
Q: What do the USDA Beef Grades mean to you and your budget?
A: One of the most commonly asked questions we get is in regards to the grading system used by the USDA to determine the quality and tenderness of beef. The following is a compilation of some of the best information and answers that we have found to this question! “Grading is typically performed by a third-party organization or by a government agency like the USDA in the United States. The age of the animal and the marbling of the meat determine the grade of the meat. Beef are graded whole so you will find some variance in grades of an individual cut. In the United States grades are prime, choice and select with prime being at the top and select being the bottom. Actually, the lowest rated meats are not for general retail distribution and become things like meat by-products.
Prime grade beef makes up about 2% of all the beef produced in the United States and typically ends up exported or sold to fine restaurants. What you will normally find on the shelves at the store is choice and select. Since prime is difficult to find your best option is to purchase a choice cut. I suggest you try it because you will notice a difference. Since choice is superior to select you can buy a less desirable cut to compensate for the higher price.
Marbling should be thin streaks of fat. Thick lines of fat mean the steak contains a lot of connective tissue that will make it tough. What to look for in a good steak is the color. The meat should be bright red and the fat a creamy white and evenly distributed through the meat. If the meat is free of all fat then the cut has no or little marbling. Though this is leaner and often more tender, it is not as flavorful. Small streaks of fat through the meat will produce a more flavorful steak. When selecting a steak always take a look at the marbling. Remember, generally the more marbling the less tender but the more flavorful. This creates something of a balancing act to find the steak that is both tender and tasty.”*
At Grace Farm we consistently produce grass-fed beef that falls into the choice grade. So, the decision is yours….buy less desireable select grade at the supermarket price or buy our choice grade at the bulk price! Getting more for your money, that’s an easy decision! *excerpt from an article written by Derrick Riches of About.com
