Buyer FAQ

What am I actually buying?

A share of a whole animal — a whole, half, or quarter — raised by the farm and cut to your instructions by a local processor. You're buying the animal by weight, not picking packages off a shelf, which is why the price works the way it does below.

What is hanging weight?

Hanging weight (also called rail weight) is what the carcass weighs at the processor after slaughter, before cutting. It's the standard way farms price shares because it's an exact scale weight. Your final take-home meat weighs less than hanging weight — typically around 55–65% of it, depending on your cut choices (bone-in keeps more weight; lots of boneless cuts and trim keeps less).

Why do I pay a deposit now and a balance later?

Nobody knows the exact weight of the animal until it's processed. The deposit reserves your share; after the animal is weighed, your balance is calculated from the real hanging weight: your share's weight × the farm's price per pound, minus the deposit you already paid. You'll get an invoice with a payment link when the weight is in.

What if the animal is lighter than estimated?

You pay for what the animal actually weighed — that's the point of settling on real weight. If it comes in so light that your deposit more than covered your share, the farm refunds you the difference.

What is a cut sheet, and do I have to fill it out?

The cut sheet is your instruction list for the butcher: how thick to cut steaks, roast sizes, how much ground beef, and so on. You'll get a personal link by email as soon as your deposit is paid. It comes prefilled with standard choices, so if you do nothing you'll still get a sensible, classic selection — but it's your meat, so make it yours. Cut sheets lock when the animal goes to the processor, so make any changes before then.

What's the difference between a front quarter, a rear quarter, and a split half?

A front quarter carries the chuck and brisket — roast and ground country. A rear quarter carries the loin and round — most of the premium steaks. Farms that sell them separately usually price the rear a little higher.

A split half quarter means you get a cross-section of the whole animal — a quarter of everything, front and rear alike — so every quarter buyer gets the same mix at the same price. Your farm's product page shows which style they sell.

How much meat is it, and how much freezer space do I need?

Rules of thumb for beef: a quarter share yields roughly 100–150 lbs of packaged meat and fits in a small chest freezer (about 5–7 cubic feet). A half is double that; a whole animal generally wants a full-size chest freezer. Hogs and lambs are much smaller — a whole hog is commonly 120–160 lbs packaged, a whole lamb 35–50 lbs. Plan on about a cubic foot of freezer per 35–40 lbs of packaged meat.

When and where do I pick up my meat?

After the animal is processed and your balance is paid, you'll get a pickup email from the farm with the details. Bring coolers — frozen meat holds fine for the drive home, but you don't want boxes loose in a hot car.

Who do I contact with questions?

Just reply to any email you've received about your share — replies go straight to the farm, not to a robot.