Grass Raised and Grass Finished
Don’t believe the propaganda coming out of California. We’ve got the happiest cows right here in Oso. Now, they don’t get fed beer and receive massages like Waygu beef over in Japan, but these guys have it pretty good. Our cows graze our pasture during the spring and summer when the grass is growing. In the fall and winter we feed them round bales of hay. Aside from salt licks, mineral blocks, and kitchen scraps the only real additional food source they have are the hundreds of excess apples we get from our orchard each fall. It’s like crack to them and they come running to the fence-line every time they spot us around the trees, hoping for a treat.
We have 2 Highland steers set for slaughter April 6, 2024.
HOW IT WORKS
We use North Fork Packing here in Oso to process our beef. They have tons of good information on their website and Facebook page. They will have updated pricing information and have cut lists for whole, half, and quarter sides of beef. All the information below is educated guesstimating. You will not know the true amount and price until butchering is complete.
STEP 1: Pick the amount that you want and will fit in your freezer.
1/4 Beef: 4-5 cubic feet of freezer space
1/2 Beef: 6-9 cubic feet of freezer space
1 Whole Beef: 10-15 cubic feet of freezer space
STEP 2: Understand the hanging weight versus take home weight of the beef.
The price is based off of the hanging weight of the animal. Hanging weight is the weight of the animal after it has been slaughtered and cleaned so that what is left is mostly bones and meat. Hanging weight is typically 60%-65% of the live animal weight before slaughter. Every animal is different. Our cattle are generally smaller than other beef cattle. I would estimate our steers to be in the 500lb-700lb hanging weight range. Last year we had a bull turned into hamburger. He was 700lbs hanging weight and we took home 443lbs of hamburger and 22lbs of tenderloin after North Fork was done processing him.
1/4 Beef: Roughly 125-175 pounds hanging weight Approximately 75-105 pounds take home beef
1/2 Beef: Roughly 250-350 pounds hanging weight Approximately 150-210 pounds take home beef
1 Whole Beef: Roughly 500-700 pounds hanging weight Approximately 300-450 pounds take home beef
STEP 3: Calculate total price.
-We (Oso Highlands) charge $5.00 per pound hanging weight for the animal itself and to cover the slaughter fee of $200. -North Fork Packing charges $1.15 per pound hanging weight for processing, disposal, wrapping, labeling, and boxing. The total cost to you will be $6.15 per pound hanging weight. For example, let’s say you order 1/4 beef from us. The entire steer turns out to have a hanging weight of 800 pounds. The butchers expertly carve 1/4 beef off the total for exactly 200 pounds. (200lbs X $6.15 = $1,230). You will pay Oso Highlands $1000 and North Fork Packing $230 for a total of $1,230.
STEP 4: Understand the order of events and send us an email to get things started. The order of events are:
1.) Send us an email with your name, telephone number, and size beef you are wanting. 2.) We will reply if we still have available beef and let you know the tentative butcher date. Currently, we are scheduled for slaughter on April 6th so butchering would be 12-18 days later. 3.) The animal is slaughtered and then ages for 2 weeks-ish. North Fork Packing will report the hanging weights to us and we will contact you with the hanging weight and invoice for your portion at $5.00 per pound. The email will have instructions to go to North Fork Packing’s website to fill out your cut list. Enter ‘Oso Highlands’ and the tag number we provide in the ‘Purchased From’ section. 4.) Once the animal is butchered, North Fork Packing will notify you that your order is ready for pickup. Payment must be made in full to Oso Highlands before going to North Fork Packing to pickup your meat or the butcher will not release it. Payment can be made in person at the farm or through a secure credit card processing link sent with the invoice. 5.) Pickup your wrapped and boxed beef at North Fork Packing and pay them their cut and wrap fee of $1.15 per pound hanging weight.
If you have further questions or need clarification please call us.