Missouri Grass Fed Meat For You to Buy - Wholesale Beef by Quarters
(This description is for our own local Missouri production of "custom-exempt" wholesale meat production. But should be close to what you can get anywhere in the country - as long as it's grass-fed.)
Of
course, our beef is special. Everyone's is. But seriously, we work to
constantly improve the quality of the beef we feed here in Missouri as
meat to buy, based on the needs of our clients, our own "taste tests"
and what is good for our resident cows and calves (and the bull, too.)
What you get with Worstell Farms beef is based on how we raise them:
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Only fresh grass and water - all they can eat.
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No growth hormones or additives. They get needed salt and minerals as supplements.
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Antibiotics only when they prescribed by a doctor (vet) to cure an illness.
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Our beef has been selectively bred to thrive on grass, not grain.
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Constant humane treatment in natural environments.
All of these, combined, result in incredibly good-tasting beef. And
meanwhile, these animals are also improving the pastures they feed from,
as part of the circle of life.
We sell by the wholesale beef quarter, half, or whole.
Meaning that we have the cow processed according to your preferences
and what quarter is available for you. The processor calls you to see
what cuts you want. (If you want all the best cuts, it's better to buy a
half and then share it with family and guests.
The average quarter from our beef will vary from beef to beef. There is
no way to guarantee a set amount of beef from each quarter unless you
buy it by the pound in a supermarket or
farmers' market. Buying by the
quarter or half (or whole) is wholesale - which is where you get the
bargains in buying beef. A quarter can vary from over 50lbs. to nearly
70lbs. of beef, to be honest. Our momma cows are different and not
identical, neither are their calves. Only the bull is the same for all
of them. Grazing conditions vary from year to year and this affects size
as well as subtle taste differences.
Packers have been working for years to make perfectly identical beef
cuts. Doing this also lost a lot of the flavor and nutritional value
which is found in traditionally
grass fed beef. While you can go to a
market and come back with how ever many
steaks and pounds of hamburger
you want, you will pay at leat 75% more than buying directly from a
farmer. (Some markets are triple or more.)
Again, we are required by law to sell the
animal before it is
processed. We provide the free service of delivering your beef to the
processor. Our processor is trustworthy and ensures all the parts get to
you that they can get off your animal. We cannot guarantee a specific
amount of beef per quarter, nor specific cuts.
Our grass fed, smaller-frame animals are lighter in weight, but bigger
in flavor.
We've found that an average freezer (stand-alone or
chest-type, not your typical
refrigerator-freezer combo) will hold a
quarter or half easily and give a couple or small family enough to last
them just over half a year, depending on how many parties they host. As
we currently ship our limited amount of beef only during the summer,
please ensure you order enough quarters to not run out.
The reason for quarters is in the way beef is cut (and you can see the parts charts at
What Beef Cuts Are).
The steaks are mostly in the front half and these are the most popular
cuts. While you can have almost anything made into a steak these days,
it won't mean that they won't be tough if they come from a part of the
animal which gets a lot of use. (My personal taste says the beef made
into
cube steak should have been burger all along.)
Again, don't expect to get cuts which are only available on the
front or rear quarter, unless you've specifically requested that
quarter and it is available on your animal.
The processor will call you when your beef is cured to get your cut list. Let them know any special requests at that time.
While separating the various beef cuts expertly can be an art, it's not rocket science.
