Everything You Need To Know About Ordering Grass Fed Beef Shares From Us
Purchasing beef directly from the rancher is an experience on its own compared to a typical trip to the grocery store's meat department. There are evident distinctions, as well as some less apparent ones. We've made every effort to provide you with comprehensive information on how to navigate and enjoy the process of buying beef through our website. However, if you happen to have a question that isn't addressed here, please don't hesitate to reach out. Your satisfaction and confidence in your beef purchase are our top priority
Buying Custom Whole, Half, Or Quarter Beef Shares
When buying custom shares, you're essentially purchasing a share of a live animal. The pricing for the beef is based on the "hanging weight," which refers to the weight of your chosen share (be it a quarter, half, or whole) after the animal is slaughtered but before it's broken down into individual cuts. Beef that is sold this way is not required to be slaughtered under USDA safety inspection. It is typically offered under the "WSDA Exempt" program. Although we have most of our meat cut by a USDA inspected facility.
Our custom beef is primarily available between September and November, with occasional availability extending into January and March. After you've made your deposit, SMR will email you to provide more details regarding the timing and guide you on customizing your cutting order. This includes preferences for steak and roast cuts, thickness, and more.
The period between slaughter and the availability of your beef for pickup typically spans from 10 days to three weeks. This allows for aging in the cooler before the beef is cut.
Putting Down A Deposit
When you purchase a deposit through our store, that deposit orders your chosen beef share directly from us and will be applied to the total amount due by pickup date or before. The total cost, including cutting and wrapping, is based on the hanging weight of the share you've purchased.
Refunds and Cancellations
Custom beef deposits are non-refundable at this time. There are exceptions to this in each product description on how to get your deposit back. Your deposit will be applied to the total amount due. Due to limited freezer space at any professional processor, once your meat is freezer ready, you will only have 2 to 3 days to pick up your meat or risk losing your deposit and beef. Each processor has different pickup time rules, so please don't hesitate to contact us with questions.
Exception: When we get beef cut at a USDA-inspected facility, we can store your beef for you until pick up. Although, we also have limited freezer space so we ask that you take no longer than 5 days to pick up your meat.
If, for some reason, you are unable to pick up your meat within the days a processor specifies, please get in touch with us right away. We may be able to help you. We want you to have your meat as much as you want to have it, too. So, we are here to help.
If you are unsatisfied with your beef purchase for any reason, we offer a refund of the returned meat, so don't hesitate to contact us so we can meet your expectations. Just don’t wait until you are on your last package of steaks.
Pickup Only
At this time, we cannot ship beef shares. You will need to pick up your beef from the processor, or make arrangements with us to help deliver within a reasonable distance. We do offer shipping for the smaller beef boxes; as of the date of this post, we are still trying to figure out the logistics to offer free shipping, but until then, shipping costs will automatically be calculated at checkout.
When Can I Expect My Beef To Be Ready For Pickup?
Your whole, half, or quarter beef will be ready in as little as 2-3 weeks.* You can also contact us in anticipation of needs and get on our waiting list. When you order, we will contact you about a specific pick-up schedule or arrange for possible delivery at one of our drop off locations or further at an additional cost.
PLEASE READ: Exactly How Much Beef Will I Get?
The average weight of a steer at slaughter is about 1,300 pounds. Grass-fed can weigh less, but for example, sake, let go with the 1,300 pounds. After the hide and organs are removed, the total weight of the carcass is around 800 pounds. This is called the "hanging weight", which the cost of your share (whole, half or quarter) will be based on, but it's not the pounds of beef you will receive.
Extra bone and inedible connective tissue are removed by cutting roasts, steaks, and ground beef. The average weight of the cut and wrapped beef you receive will be approximately 640 pounds for a whole, 320 pounds for a half, and 160 pounds for a quarter. You will fill out a cutting order to pick the roasts and steak cuts you prefer, the size of ground beef packages, etc.
*Beef weights vary in size; the weights mentioned here are examples only and do not reflect the exact amount of meat you will receive due to the various sizes and ages of each steer.*
Contact Us
Please feel free to email contact@smr-cattle.com or call (509) 485-7676 with any questions. After the deposit is paid, we will contact you with the potential harvest date and cut sheet options (selecting cuts of steaks, roasts, steak thickness, roast weights, ground beef package weights, etc.).
Beef Share Purchase Agreement
When you purchase a deposit for a beef share, we will send you a Beef Share Purchase Agreement to fill out and sign. Here is a sample of our purchase agreement.
