Brennan’s local

Because the meat tastes better! Don't get us wrong, we have read the same things you have. We started out as a small homestead operation on under an acre of land - we aren't some crazy big corporation fattening up our cattle because we can. We've eaten grass-fed-and-finished beef and it's honestly too lean. Fat brings flavor (think, using olive oil to roast your homegrown veggies and putting butter on homemade sourdough bread). Our cattle are raised on pasture and supplemented with grain. Part of that grain is spent grain from local breweries in our area. It's giving waste from the beer-making process a new life, and our cows love it! The marbling and flavor of our beef is second-to-none.

Grain finishing cattle helps them reliably gain appropriate weight. The ration we feed has extra starches sugars and vitamins that are specifically regimented for beef cattle to ensure proper nutrition before slaughter. We also see better marbling quality and fat content making our beef extremely tender.

We encourage you to come check out our operation! We started our business for our family so that our kids were eating the best possible meats we could offer. We trust ourselves and we raise our animals the way we like them to taste! We did our research and relied on decades of experience and input from other partners and producers. This is the kind of meat we enjoy and we hope that you do too! 

That said, we do offer organic, grass-fed-and-finished "whole cow" ground beef. That's a mouthful! We teamed up with a local farmer to provide by-the-pound ground beef made from every cut on the animal, including fancy steaks! Yum. Buy it here. 

Want more information as to why grain-finished beef from a sustainable family farm isn't going to hurt you or your family? Check out this article. 

"Hanging weight" refers to the weight of the carcass after it has been taken to the butcher shop. It doesn't include the weight of the head, hide and some organs, but it is still about 60% more than the cut weight (the weight of meat you will recieve).

Yes and no. We use this weight measurement because it ultimately saves the consumer money. Since we don't have to weigh and sell individual cuts, we are able to sell the quarter, halve or whole animal at a better price. Kind of like buying in bulk at BJs or Costco (but way better because you are supporting small farmers instead of massive corporations!) 

No, live weight is about 60% more than hanging weight. And hanging weight is about 60% more than retail cut weight (or what you'll get to put in your freezer). So an animal that weighs about 1100 lbs. alive, will weigh approxiately 660 lbs. hanging, and result in about 396 lbs. of ready-to-cook meat in your freezer. That ~396 lbs. is a "whole" share of beef. Half of that (~200 lbs.) is a "half share" and (~100 lbs.) is a "quarter share." 

It all comes down to how large the animal was and how fatty or lean it was. But on average you will take home: 

Whole Share: ~400 lbs.

Half Share: ~200 lbs.

Quarter Share: ~100 lbs.

If you're used to getting discount ground beef from Walmart, we are afraid not. 

While you will save about 15% off our retail prices by investing in an animal share, our homegrown beef raised on our family farm will cost more than any factory-farmed beef you can purchase at the grocery store. 

That said, if you are already buying small-farm beef and lamb by-the-cut, you will be happy to start saving money by investing in a share! 

Sure thing!

So let's say you are buying 1/4 cow from us. You will pay $8.00/pound unless you are a First Responder (fire, EMT, police, etc.). First Responders get a $.50/lb. discount. 

You know the average hanging weight of one our cows is 660 lbs. So one quarter of that is 165 lbs.

165 x $8.00 = $1320.00 (that's how much you'll owe, minus the $250 deposit)

But remember that you'll end up with about 100 lbs of actual packaged cuts of meat to put in your freezer.

$1320/100 = ~$13.20 per pound of retail cuts

If you order half a cow? 

330 x $8.00 = $2640

You get approximately 200 lbs. of meat to take home.

If you order a whole cow? 

660 x $8.00 = $5,280

You get approximately 400 lbs. of meat to take home.

First Responders get a $.50/lb. discount on our beef and lamb shares.

So you save money! Instead of buying ribeyes at $17.99/lb. and some sirloin for $23/lb. you'll get an assortment of ground beef and steaks at wholesale price. When you break it all down and price out individual cuts you're spending less, stocking your freezer, supporting local, and eating some healthy happy delicious cattle.

And you can see the animals for yourself! You're welcome to visit and see how we manage our farm and take care of our livestock. It's from our family to yours!

We ask for a $250 non-refundable deposit up front. That helps us know how many cattle to raise! As you can imagine, it's not a small undertaking raising a 1100 lb animal. You can pay online with a credit card, online wallet, or even a check. 

The rest of your payment will be due when you come pick up the meat. Again, credit/online wallet/checks and cash are accepted.