Frequently Asked Questions About Beef Shares

You are reserving and buying a share (a quarter, half or whole) of a live animal. Because you own your share before the animal is processed, you decide how it is cut and wrapped. After processing, the packaged meat from your share is yours to pick up.

No. You buy a share of a live animal, and your price is based on the animal's hanging weight (the weight of the carcass after processing day). We show an estimated starting price for each share, and the final price depends on the actual hanging weight. The estimates on this site are for planning, not a per-pound meat price.

No. Meat from a share is processed under Utah's custom-exempt rules. The packages are marked "Not For Sale" and are for you, your household and non-paying guests. It cannot be resold, donated for sale, or served by a restaurant.

Custom-exempt meat is not inspected retail product. It is processed for the animal's owners at a licensed processor and labeled for the owner's use only. If you need inspected meat (for a business, for example), a share is not the right fit.

Estimated starting prices, including typical processing, are $1,300 for a quarter, $2,500 for a half and $4,900 for a whole. Those estimates use a 700 pound hanging weight for the whole animal. If the carcass hangs lighter, the beef portion is prorated. Deposits are $250, $500 and $1,000. Your final invoice shows the exact amounts.

Plan on about 3 cubic feet for a quarter beef, 6 to 8 cubic feet for a half and 12 to 16 cubic feet for a whole. A chest freezer holds more than an upright of the same size.

Packaged weight is lower than hanging weight because bones and trim come off. A quarter beef is typically about 90 pounds of packaged meat, a half about 180 and a whole about 360. Your cut choices change the exact number.

It depends on the processor's schedule and the animal. After processing day, beef is typically aged for two to three weeks before it is cut and packaged. We will give you an estimated processing window when you reserve and confirm your pickup or delivery date before your order is ready.

Yes. Many households split a half into two quarters. Each household fills out its own cut sheet, and we can help you divide a share fairly.

Yes. After you reserve, you fill out a cut sheet that sets steak thickness, roast size, how much ground beef or sausage you want, and extras like bones or short ribs. Some choices use the same part of the animal. A portion made into a rib roast, for example, can't also be ribeye steaks. We'll walk you through it.

You place a deposit to reserve your share. The deposit is applied to your final balance, and the rest is due before pickup or delivery. Accepted methods are listed in your share agreement, along with deposit and refund terms.

We serve St. George, Ivins, Santa Clara, Washington and Hurricane. Pickup and delivery arrangements are confirmed with you before your order is ready.

Our cattle are grass-fed on rangeland. They graze in Kane County, near Orderville and the Glendale bench, at Freedom Ranch and Sink Valley Ranch. In the winter months they are on grass on the Arizona Strip. We share how each animal was raised and finished before you reserve, and we only describe what the ranches can stand behind.

Your share agreement explains what happens, including how your deposit is handled and how we offer a replacement or refund. Ask for a copy of the agreement before you reserve.

Not as a standing share. Ask us about a pig share and we can arrange one on request.