Frequently Asked Questions

Our beef will always fall under the following criteria: 

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• They willl be under 30 months of age. There are 5 classifications for beef carcass maturity - A, B, C, & D. All of our animals will be slaughtered at "A" maturity. The deep divers can learn more about these classifications here: Beef Maturity Classifications (Page 4)

• Angus Verified through American Angus Association 

• USDA inspected during processing to ensure food safety

• The animal will have spent its entire life on grassy pastures. The last 100 days before slaughter, the animal will be supplemented with grain while still remaining on pasture. This will "finish" the animal by improving marbling, flavor, tenderness, etc.  The lifetime diet of a grain finished animal is 89% forages and only 11% grain.  

• Will have been raised ethically and humanely by Beef Quality Assurance standards 

• We raise all of our own animals - no market purchases. We know your animal's history from birth.

• Genetically tested and selected for tenderness, marbling, and ribeye size, utilizing our partners at Neogen.

• They will fall under Virginia Verified Beef requirements: born here, raised here, processed here.  

A whole beef falls under the quality standards listed above, but is a great way to buy in bulk and save money. You will average about 350-400 pounds of finished meat, which will be fully packaged and ready to use. About 175-200 pounds of this will be ground beef, with the remainder in steaks, roasts, brisket, stew meat, short ribs, etc. You will need a large (at least 16 cubic foot) freezer to accommodate a whole beef. Our prices always include processing. 

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We will walk you through the entire process if this is your first time purchasing beef in bulk. We take deposits so we know how many appointments to schedule with our processor. Before the appointment, we will be in touch with you to go over how you want your steaks cut, how you want everything packaged, etc. We are currently using Washington County Meats, another local family business, to handle our processing. 

The half will fall under the same standards as the whole, yielding approximately 175-200 pounds of finished product. You will need a 8-10 cubic foot freezer to store this. A half also qualifies for custom processing (steak thickness, how many steaks per package, etc). 

A quarter will yield approximately 80-120 pounds of finished product and require 5-7 cubic feet of freezer space. Custom processing is not available on quarters - you will receive a standard mix of ground beef, steaks, roasts, etc. 

You’re welcome to partner with another family to share the cost of a whole, half, or quarter order. However, we ask that one person place the order and handle the distribution of the finished product after delivery. This helps us manage our limited freezer space and simplifies the process, as we are unable to sort large orders on our end.

We invite our customers to schedule a visit to our farm and see firsthand where your beef comes from. If you’re purchasing a whole, half, or quarter, we can show you "your" specific animal so you know exactly what you’re buying. We take great pride in our operation and the high level of care we provide for our animals.

For retail cuts, USDA has established three grades of beef - Prime, Choice, and Select. Our animals have historically graded Choice or Prime. You can learn more about the grading criteria on the USDA site. Utilizing this data, we set pricing that is based on the USDA retail market reports for Choice-grade beef. If you wind up with a prime animal, you just got a really great deal! We review the pricing on a weekly basis to make sure we are in line with current markets. 

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For bulk orders, we calculate what the animal would bring on a specialty sale, which is where our animals are sold. This averages $2000 per animal at A maturity (described above). After adding in processing costs of $700-900, our time commitment, feed costs for the 100+ days of finishing, and delivery, we reach a price point that is only slightly profitable to us. 

Beef is what we feed our own family on a frequent basis. The beef you purchase is the exact same as the beef we eat ourselves. Beef is a nutrient-dense, high quality protein that supports muscle mass and strength. It is rich in vitamins and minerals, including B vitamins and iron. 

We believe that a healthy lifestyle includes incorporating animal proteins into your diet. Additionally, we are committed to ensuring that our cattle are well-fed, well-cared-for, and stress-free, as we believe this leads to a superior eating experience. Our cattle are regularly monitored, have constant access to fresh grass and water, and even enjoy hand-delivered treats to keep them content.

Just like we get sick and go to the doctor, we treat the health of our animals in the same way. Properly managed and judicious antibiotic use, under the guidance of a veterinarian, helps to ensure that animals receive the care they need without unnecessary suffering. This approach is part of a broader strategy for maintaining high standards of animal welfare. Our herd health vet is Dr. Keirsten Morris, who brings a wealth of knowledge to our toolkit. 

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What many people don't fully understand is that antibiotic use in animals falls under very strict guidelines. We adhere very closely to these guidelines, which set the timeline required after the last dose of an antibiotic before the animal can be slaughtered for meat. This ensures that any antibiotic residues have cleared from the animal's system. We follow all Beef Quality Assurance protocols for use of antibiotics. 

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Likewise, we vaccinate our cattle at an early age just like we vaccinated our children. These vaccinations protect them from a variety of infectious diseases that can impact their health, productivity, and overall well-being.