Beef FAQ
Farm and Hive has partnered with 242 Ranch Beef to provide you with the best, most delicious local beef out there! Dave Henry has an unrivaled passion for ranching and cows, and it shows in the quality of his beef.
About 242 Ranch Beef
Ranching is in my blood. I grew up on my grandfather’s ranch and I’ve had my own cows since 1990. To me, ranching is freedom. I’m plenty tired at the end of each day, but the connection I have with the animals, nature, and the local community makes it not feel like work to me.
My guiding star has always been doing what’s best for the animals, even if it’s not what’s most convenient for me. Low-stress, gentle handling is a passion of mine because of how much better it is for the cows: less stress means less illness, better growth, and overall improved wellbeing. I learned this firsthand when I worked at feedlots and got to observe the effects of stress and rough handling. To be clear: I am not anti-feedlot. I am simply pro-low-stress handling, wherever cows are worked. Slow is fast, I like to say. Like the tortoise racing the hare, you get much better results in the end by taking it slow and steady with cows.
Corriente cattle are my passion. My ranch is named for the tag number of my first Corriente cross cow, number 242. She was the reason I fell in love with the breed. She was gentle, incredibly smart, hardy, and a great mother. She consistently raised bigger calves than my meat breed cows, despite Corrientes being a smaller breed and using the same bulls. She was savvy and learned my patterns, leading the other cows the right direction when I’d come to move them from pasture to pasture. After meeting number 242 in 2005, I started transitioning my whole herd to Corriente and Corriente crosses. I’ve been selecting for years for the best temperament, growth, manageability, and hardiness, from a couple hundred cows down to about 50 now. They are my pride and joy and I’m so glad to share my beef with Southeast Idaho.
- Dave Henry
Buying a cow from Farm and Hive
Here is an overview of the process when you buy a cow from us.
You make a non-refundable deposit of $200 for a half or $400 for a whole beef. We then reach out to you with the butcher date and an estimated pickup date for your cow. We also provide you with a cut request form, which allows you to choose the cuts you’d like from your animal. The butcher may also call you for additional clarification on your preferences. Once your cow has been slaughtered and weighed, we will send you an invoice with the remaining balance due (this must be paid before you can pick up your beef).
The butcher’s fees are separate and will be paid directly to them. Butcher fees vary, but are typically between $0.70-1.00/lb for the cut and wrap, and an $80-90 dispatch fee (this fee is split between the halves). The butcher will let you know when your beef is ready for pickup (typically 3-4 weeks after the slaughter date). Then you pick it up (bring coolers or boxes to transport it) and enjoy!
The butchering process
Butchering a cow is an involved process. Here is the short version.
Once the animal has been slaughtered, the head, hide, tail, feet, and innards are removed. The carcass is weighed: this is the “hanging weight”. Hanging weight varies by breed and individual and can be anywhere from about 400-800lbs. The carcass is then hung in a cooler for about 3 weeks. This resting period improves the quality and tenderness of the meat as natural enzymes begin breaking down proteins and some water evaporates.
The butchering from this point breaks the carcass down into large pieces and then into the individual cuts you requested. Most bones are removed and excess fat is trimmed and discarded during this process. The weight of the remaining meat averages about 50-60% of the hanging weight. The cuts are wrapped, labelled, and set aside for pickup.
Beef cost breakdown
Here is a cost breakdown of a hypothetical animal.
Let’s say we have a cow butchered which has a hanging weight of 400lbs. You’ve put a deposit down for half of this cow. We sell our meat by the pound based on the hanging weight. The hanging weight is 400lbs, so you are paying Susie for 200lbs of animal. The weight of the final meat after cutting is usually about 55% of the hanging weight, so we’ll say you ended up with 110lbs of meat.
This hypothetical cow is being sold for $5.50/lb on the hanging weight: $5.50 x 200lbs = $1,100.
The butcher’s fees are $0.80/lb on the hanging weight plus an $85 dispatch fee per animal: $0.80 x 200lbs = $160. Add half the dispatch fee, $42.50, and your total paid to the butcher is $202.50.
Your total cost for your half cow is $1302.50 for a final weight of 110lbs of meat. This comes out to $11.84/lb for all your beef: ground, roasts, and steaks.
Is your beef grass or grain finished?
We offer both options! Both produce very high quality, healthy beef. As a reminder, all cows are grass fed, but not all are grass finished. Finishing is only the last 3 or so months before slaughter—up to that point, all cows eat grass and/or hay almost exclusively. Grain finished cows still eat grass and hay during finishing—they just get extra supplementation for their last 90-100 days before slaughter. Unlike commercial feedlots, our cows are never fed any soy. Approximately 50-60% of the diet is corn silage, 35% is grass and/or hay, and the remainder is whole grain corn. Corn silage is that whole plant, from stalk to silk, ground up and fermented. Silage has been a traditional animal feed for thousands of years. Remember this too: corn as a species is just a really tall stalk of grass with an extra juicy seedhead.
Grain finishing is done because cows put on muscle faster when they are supplemented with grain. It’s simply a more energy-dense feed. Growing is an energy-intensive process and happens faster with the energy provided by grain. (Side note: making milk is very energy-intensive as well, which is why all heavy-producing, dairy breed cows get a grain supplement while lactating. They would not be able to make milk and stay healthy without it.)
Feed costs (and thus beef prices) vary a lot from year to year depending on the weather, markets, crop yields, and many other factors. Typically, a grass-finished cow is going to cost more per pound simply because it took more days of feeding for that cow to reach slaughter weight. A cow can gain about 1-2 pounds per day on grass, and 3-4+ pounds per day on grain. So if you take a 600lb weaned calf and your goal slaughter weight is 1200lbs, that amount of weight gain could take 500-600 days on grass vs 200 days or less on grain.
Grass finished beef has a richer flavor and a lower omega-6 to omega-3 ratio in the fat. A grass finished cow could be compared to large game like deer, elk, or buffalo. Grain finished beef tastes milder and tends to have more marbling (though all Corriente beef is leaner than that of an average meat cow). Which you should choose entirely comes down to personal preference!
Why buy local?
So glad you asked! This is one of the things we are most passionate about. When you buy local, your money stays in your community, boosting the local economy and supporting small businesses. Your beef didn’t have to be shipped hundreds or thousands of miles across the country, which lowers cost and emissions. You got to look your farmer in the eye and shake hands with the person who tended the animal that now nourishes your family. The money you pay us goes back into our farm and the other small business we work with. That’s a good deal for everyone!
Is your beef organic?
Our beef is not certified organic. Certifications are expensive and difficult to get and don’t actually tell you that much—we can give you far more important detail about how your food was raised. That’s the beauty of buying local! We believe the connection between you and your local farmer is far more important. What we can tell you with no certification needed is that our cows are incredibly healthy. Their diet is wholesome: their feed comes from the crops we and our local partners grow. They are hormone-free and we don’t use mRNA vaccines. Young cows get one vaccine at weaning to prevent upper respiratory infection; and, if a cow does get sick enough to need antibiotics, it’s carefully looked after until it’s healthy again and the antibiotics have fully left its system. And perhaps most importantly, they are handled with love and care and in a manner that causes them the least stress. We maintain a small herd and treat them like family: we can tell you the lineage, history, preferences, and personality of every single cow. Just ask us!
Can I visit the farm/see the cows?
Yes! Some of the cows are here on our property and some are at our sister farm, 242 Ranch Beef, in Blackfoot. Because of our desert climate, we need to have a great deal of space per cow, which means spreading them out and sometimes leasing pasture. We are always happy to set up a time for you to come meet your meat, just give Susie a call at 801-244-6994.
What breed are your cows?
Our cows are predominantly Corriente and Corriente crosses, with the occasional other breed thrown in. The animal’s age and how it was cared for matters far more than breed when it comes to meat quality.
Can I have the bones/organs?
Absolutely—bones and their surrounding connective tissues and organ meats provide valuable nutrition that the muscle meat itself lacks. Liver, for example, has 20-30 times more B12 than muscle meat! Heart is an excellent source of CoQ10, and stock made from bones, joints, and connective tissue is a fabulous source of collagen and gelatin which are so important for your health. If you buy a whole cow, all the organs and bones are available to you if you want them; if you bought half a cow, they can be split between you and the person who bought the other half. Try lengua tacos with the tongue, Vietnamese pho with the oxtail and tendons, or make a steak and kidney pie.
Can I buy individual cuts?
We have individually wrapped beef cuts for sale by the pound in our farm shop. Choose grass or grain-finished. Our quality and prices beat the grocery store!
I don’t live near you, can you ship beef?
Shipping beef is just not cost effective and we don’t believe it’s necessary. We are focused on providing meat to our immediate community and there is almost certainly a local beef producer near you who feels the same way!