Ask Your Farmers

Are those buffalo?

This is one of our most commonly-asked questions. Perhaps when looking at our logo or photos of our cattle, many people see the horns and shaggy hair and their first instinct is that it looks like the American bison. However, after a closer look, people recognize that they are not American bison and instead they are another breed: the Scottish Highlander. We are happy to have Scottish Highland cattle as they are smaller and much more mild-tempered than the American bison. Read more about why we chose the Scottish Highland cattle breed here.



Are your cattle 100% grass-fed?

Yes, they are! We don't necessarily advertise as 100% grass-fed just because it turns into a mouthful. But, yes, from start to finish, our cattle are either rotated in pasture during the spring, summer, and fall or fed supplemental hay that is harvested from our own farm during the winter months. Their diets are never supplemented with grain.



Do you sell quarters, halves, or whole animals?

We do, and we encourage it! This is the best way to use all different cuts of the animal, and the most cost-effective way to get grass-fed beef in your freezer. For beef, we offer quarters, halves, and whole animals to be butchered. For pork or lamb, we offer halves or whole animals. When you order in advance, you can have your quarter, half, or whole cut custom to your liking!



How much does a quarter, half or whole animal cost?

For a quarter-beef, we charge $6.50 per pound of take-home meat. A half-beef costs $6.00/lb, and a whole beef costs $5.75/lb. We charge by processed weight, so that you are only charged for meat you actually receive. You also pay the butchering and processing fee, which varies depending on the animal and how you have the animal processed. For beef, expect to pay about $120 per quarter in processing fees. Expect to pay about $750 total for a quater beef, $1,440 total for a half-beef, and $2,780 for a whole beef (which includes the butchering/processing fees). A half-lamb costs $5.25/lb + about $40 processing (about $120 total), and a whole lamb costs $5.00/lb + $80 processing (about $230 total). Whole and half-lambs are available in the fall of the year. A half-hog costs $5.00/lb + about $60 processing (about $360 total), and a whole hog costs $4.75/lb + about $120 processing (about $690 total). Whole and half-hogs are available in the fall of the year.



How much freezer space will I need for a quarter beef?

For a quarter beef, it usually runs about 100 pounds of take home meat. This should fit in a standard refrigerator-freezer combo, but without room for anything else. If you're interested in buying in bulk, but don't have the freezer space, you can consider our Steakholders Club, our smaller packages, or sharing a quarter with a friend.



Do you butcher your own meat?

No. State and federal regulations require us to bring our animals to a butcher to be state- (Minnesota Department of Agriculture) or federally- (United States Department of Agriculture) inspected in order to sell you retails cuts. Most of our animals get butchered at Belgrade Meat Center in Belgrade, Minnesota to be state-inspected. We are extremely pleased with how Belgrade Meat Center treats our animals and processes our meat. If you have a preferred butcher or need meat that is federally-inspected, we may make exceptions for large orders or whole animals.



What is the fat-content of your ground beef?

We estimate ours to be about 85% lean. We can't be sure, and there may be slight variations between animals, but the important thing is that your ground beef packages contain meat from only one animal, something that can't be said about most grocery store beef! We also think beef that is 85% lean is perfect for meatballs, hamburgers, and anything else you enjoy using ground beef for!