Good morning OB,

I will probably post this on the food board as well, but I assumed this board is full of carnivores and might provide a better response. We've never purchased meat in bulk before (we just buy typical grocery store stuff) but I am interested in buying grass fed beef direct from the source.

Can you folks provide some input with regard to the best places to order from, not only from a cost perspective, but quality as well? I don't have a huge budget, and I'm not sure overall how much more expensive it will be ordering direct versus what the cost would be for the same quantity purchased over time at the grocery store, but I think I want to buy a deep freezer and give it a try. Interested in poultry as well.

Thanks in advance for any input.

Brandt '92

The Katy Prairie Conservancy's Warren Ranch near Hockley sells natural grass fed beef. http://www.warrenranchtx.com/warren-ranch-beef/

I believe you have to be a member to order online, but you can always call and ask. We had some from one of their first sales and it was pretty good. Definitely had a different flavor than beef from the grocery store.

Where are you located? Burgundy Beef is in DFW. They have a great product, and Jon is an Ag. I don't know if they do bulk orders.

Probably not the cheapest option, but check out crowd cow. They put up cattle from ranches and specify what they eat, etc. They then break that cow up into "shares" that you can purchase, i.e. a tenderloin share that comes with tenderloins, ground beef, and maybe sirloins. Or you can buy individual cuts. They usually have 2-3 different ranches up and add a new one every couple weeks. They also have pork and chicken.

We've been pleased with it. Done numerous steaks, short ribs, liver, burgers, pork chops and bacon.

If you're interested, PM me. I'll send you a referral and I think we'll both get a discount.

https://www.crowdcow.com

I'm not sure if you've had grass fed before, but be aware before you go and buy in bulk that there is a difference in taste. Some people prefer it, some don't. I'd suggest trying it (if you haven't already) before dropping a pretty penny on a bunch of it

Thanks for the responses - I was just reading about crowdcow - interesting concept. Birddog, I am in Tarrant County, so I will definitely check out Burgundy as well. NotGibbs - thanks for the tip, because I've never tried it and frankly never thought about the fact that it might taste different. I just want to look at trying meat that is not full of all the preservatives/hormones etc that the commercially produced grocery-store stuff contains.

Bluebonnet Beef in DeLeon.

When I was in Austin, we bought from a co-op who would sell by how much you'd buy. We usually got 20 lbs evenly distributed of every cut.

To me, it tastes much better than beef from the store. You can definitely tell the difference. Much better taste IMHO. Usually didn't even have to spice the steaks.

Quote:

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Usually didn't even have to spice the steaks.

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Dafuq?

Good beef here at 44 Farms

https://shop.44farms.com/collections/steaks

https://shop.44farms.com/collections/franks-ground-beef

Grass fed beef has a different taste for sure. It also doesn't have near the amount of fat, so you have to change your cooking method/heat/times a bit.

Btw, the beef you eat isn't "pumped full of hormones/preservatives/antibiotics" if you're buying good beef... and just because it was grass fed doesn't mean it never had antibiotics or anything. These types of things are highly-regulated and there are USDA limits to how soon a cow can be processed after receiving certain drugs, etc... The levels are inconsequential. The grass-fed, grass-finished beef taste isn't for me.

But, fresh is always better, so if that's your goal (getting closer to the source) then you'll be happy with the results. Just don't expect "grass fed" to be the same taste but better. It's a personal choice each of us makes, but I've found the local butcher or the HEB Plus meat counter to be a good second option if we don't have one of our own non-grass only cows ready for butcher(or already ate all the type of cut I want). Look like lots of good options on this thread, but I don't have personal experience with any of them.

Second thought: how old a cow is when it's butchered has a huge impact on flavor as well. Develop a beefier taste the older they get (but also generally get a bit tougher).

Bookmarked for future use.

We grow grass fed/grass finished black angus who never receive antibiotics or hormones. Our farm is in northern Arkansas but we base sales out of the Houston area. Our beef is USDA inspected (required for sale of meat to the public) and vacuum sealed. Steaks are cut between 1-1.25 inches thick.
Like others have stated: grass fed beef has a different flavor than grain fed beef, fat content is lower, cooking time is very similar to wild game.
We love the flavor because it's a true beef flavor versus a mild meat found at the grocery story.
We are Aggie owned and operated!
Email me info@ caddisblackangus .com feel free to contact s any time if you want to discuss in more detail.

Yonder way farms.

I use Butcher Box. Grass fed, grass finished beef, pork, chicken. It is a subscription service. About 130.00/box. Which includes a variety of stuff with options for add on's and special buys. I get one every other month. They have had boneless leg of lamb and wild Alaska salmon recently

Be aware that there is no standard or regulation on what is "grass-fed beef", unless it is done by a third party organization. If you are able, speak with the producer and ask them what their methods are and decide if that fits with what you want.

The term "grass-fed" could range from 100% grass forage for life to "one time the calf ate grass".

AgEng06 said:

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Be aware that there is no standard or regulation on what is "grass-fed beef", unless it is done by a third party organization. If you are able, speak with the producer and ask them what their methods are and decide if that fits with what you want.

The term "grass-fed" could range from 100% grass forage for life to "one time the calf ate grass".

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And need to be aware that all grass is not the same. Location, type of grass, etc. will all play a factor in the end product.

buy as local as possible and know your farmer rancher. that way you know exactly what you are getting.

most comments here are fairly accurate. the comment about hormones/antibiotics etc is referring to the USDA mandated withdrawal period.

an animal cannot be slaughtered and sold unless it
has been through the proper withdrawal period. that doesn't mean there are no ab's.... just that the levels are considered safe by the feds. look it u0 and make your own judgement. hormones increase growth, but are generally safe. the amount is minuscule. again, your judgement call to make.

personally, i prefer the taste of GFB and i like the idea of supporting the small-scale, local producer. Family farming is nearly dead compared to mid 20th century. If we don't support it, there will not BE another option.

AgEng06 said:

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Be aware that there is no standard or regulation on what is "grass-fed beef", unless it is done by a third party organization. If you are able, speak with the producer and ask them what their methods are and decide if that fits with what you want.

The term "grass-fed" could range from 100% grass forage for life to "one time the calf ate grass".

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there is no GOVERNMENT standard. there are at least two voluntary GFB certification bodies. AGA, and Animal Welfare Association.

depends on where you put your trust i guess

Right. Those are the third party organizations I was referring to. And I agree with you.

Och26-58-87 said:

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Be aware that ]And need to be aware that all grass is not the same. Location, type of grass, etc. will all play a factor in the end product.

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true statement

rgr..... just clarifying

Professor of meat science in the Department of Animal Science at Texas A&M University, Dr Stephen Smith

https://www.theland.com.au/story/3899048/beefs-healthy-fats-trumpeted/

I didn't want to throw that out there yet and set off the bomb and fallout that will ensue...

I had too. Growing up on a cattle ranch, still raising commercial and show cattle, the whole PR on grass fed is overblown. All our cattle including our show cattle are fed on grain which is a high quality performance ration, but they also graze in our fields and eat native grasses. We also add round bales of Coastal to the pens and also have BMR-6 Hay-grazer as well.

ag-hunt94 said:

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We grow grass fed/grass finished black angus who never receive antibiotics or hormones. Our farm is in northern Arkansas but we base sales out of the Houston area. Our beef is USDA inspected (required for sale of meat to the public) and vacuum sealed. Steaks are cut between 1-1.25 inches thick.
Like others have stated: grass fed beef has a different flavor than grain fed beef, fat content is lower, cooking time is very similar to wild game.
We love the flavor because it's a true beef flavor versus a mild meat found at the grocery story.
We are Aggie owned and operated!
Email me info@ caddisblackangus .com feel free to contact s any time if you want to discuss in more detail.

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Can confirm that these guys do not disappoint! The family is great and the farm is beautiful. The steaks were some of the best I've had.

Semi-loaded question: What do you do when cows/calves get sick or injured?

In the eariy 70s was in North Dakota and went by to visit a friend who was a rancher in the western part of the state. He raised and butchered his own cattle which were black and grass fed. He grilled some nice sirlions for supper.,he and hiswife had finished theirs and I was still working on the last 1/2 of mine,he looked at me and said you Texans just aren't used to chewing grass fed beef.Nuff said, 1st and last experience with grass fed beef.

Not a loaded question at all. If any of the cattle get sick or injured, regardless of age, they are put on high watch. If no improvement happens, they are immediately sold to neighboring farms who can administer adequate treatment that is outside of our medicinal guidelines.

My wife has relatives in Australia. Every time they come to visit they want to eat as many American steaks as they can, because our beef tastes so much better than the grass fed stuff they get at home...

its less about the "health benefits" for me and more about knowing exactly where it comes from and supporting small producers. I also prefer the taste.

YMMV

Look at Katerra Exotics, in Katy ( www.katerraexotics.com ).

Their main thing is bison, which are 100% grass-fed, raised on their ranch in Katy. They also have beef, chicken, boar, eggs,... but bison is number one. They sell at several Houston area farmers' markets, and also have a storefront in downtown Katy.

I went to high school with the owner, and I've helped him work the bison a couple times on his ranch. If you want local, grass-fed, hormone-free, all that, they are the real deal.

BurnetAggie99 said:

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Professor of meat science in the Department of Animal Science at Texas A&M University, Dr Stephen Smith

https://www.theland.com.au/story/3899048/beefs-healthy-fats-trumpeted/

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shocking....not shocking......generally .beef is beef. there are more and better reasons to go the GFB route IMO.

BurnetAggie99 said:

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Professor of meat science in the Department of Animal Science at Texas A&M University, Dr Stephen Smith

https://www.theland.com.au/story/3899048/beefs-healthy-fats-trumpeted/

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Ok so this article was interesting. In reading this thread through after my initial post, one thing that stuck out to me was the responses that said "grass fed beef is lower in fat" which is not exactly what I want. I've been eating a ketogenic diet for a while now and thus I look for meats with a higher fat content. Not to mention, good marbling makes steak taste better, in my opinion.

Maybe the "grass fed" part of my request was not entirely accurate as far as what I should be looking for. It seems I am more interested in "locally produced" and straight from farm-to-freezer.

Thoughts from those of you who are much more well-versed than I am?

I am sure you can get grass or grain fed locally produced (farm to table or farm to fork/F2F).

I'd say try both, see which you like better, and then support your local producers.