Frequently Asked Questions
Below you will find our most asked questions. Please read each section in full! We’ll cover everything from cattle selection/gene make-up, feed info, pricing of bulk beef, pick-up info, and more. If you still have more questions after you’ve read through this page, feel free to shoot us a message via email or social media. We are always happy to chat!
Buying Bulk Beef
What is the Cost?: We price our beef at $4.20/lb times the hanging weight of the calf. That price includes your cuts of meat, processing, and delivery to our farm in Seaman for closer, more convenient pickup. The hanging weight is the weight of the animal after the hide and innards are removed. It is then dry-aged in the freezer for 10-14 days for optimum tenderness. A quarter of beef typically weighs around 190 lbs. (190 lbs x $4.20/lb is approximately $798 for a quarter.) Please note, the weight of the animals will vary from calf to calf. Also, we do not know the exact “hanging weight” until we hear from the butcher a few days after they are delivered. Be aware the cost could vary (more or less) from this quoted price although we do our best to be close. This price does not reflect the price per pound of take-home meat.
What Do I Take Home? After the beef has been aged in the freezer for 10-14 days the butcher begins breaking down the carcass based on your custom cutting instructions. They will debone, trim, and package the beef. After this process, you will be left with roughly 65% of the original hanging weight as actual take-home meat. So if we have a 190 lb quarter and we multiply by 65% we will have around 125 lbs of choice beef for your freezer. This will include steaks, ribs, stew meat, brisket, ground beef, and roasts, all cut and packaged to your family’s needs and preferences.
Click here to book your spot!
What about the calves? All our calves are homegrown and antibiotic-free. They are on pasture for 75-80% of their lives and then finished out on hay and grain that we have raised and processed right here on our farm.
We believe that it is a Divine command to steward all animals and plants well—this is our job but also a passion and a calling. There isn’t a day when we don’t lay eyes on these calves. We know their moms & the sire. We know their birth stories, we can tell them apart, and we notice when they’re not feeling well. There is a great sense of accomplishment & pride when we allow these animals to serve their divine purpose and when you thoroughly enjoy the end result of our collective hard work.
Butcher & Pick-Up
Who is your butcher? We have joined with Circle M Meats in Jackson, Ohio! Please let us know if you have any questions about their facility.
What is the butchering process? Once the animal has been dispatched, it will go through the dry-aging process. It will hang for 10-14 days before being cut to your preferences. We will provide you with an online cut sheet to fill out and send back to the butcher. This is a very time-sensitive process; once you receive the sheet you will have 24 hours to fill it out. If it is not filled out in this time frame, you will receive “standard cuts.” Generally speaking, this isn’t a problem for most people but we highly recommend you fill out the cut sheet based on your family’s preferences! If you have any questions while filling this out, please let us know.
What will delivery look like? When the appointment time comes, Alex hand-selects the calves that are at peak health and finishing. They are then loaded onto our trailer and hauled to the butcher either by Alex or one of the other farm partners. When your chosen appointment date comes around be sure you are looking for communication from us! It is imperative we have a working number/email address for communication.
Once the meat is ready to be picked up, Alex and Amber will drive to the butcher with the insulated trailer to pick up all orders. We will then bring it back to our farm in Seaman, Ohio. The pick-up window is strict as this meat is frozen and we do not have the space to house multiple orders. The space we do have is very limited and will be on a first-come, first-served basis. The specific window and address will be communicated in ample time.
How do I pay? We accept cash and check. These are our preferred methods; however, we also accept Venmo and Paypal. We cannot accept credit or debit cards at this time. You will pay us prior to or upon pick-up. Checks can be made out to Alex Newman or Newman’s Herd and Hive.
Getting the Meat To Your Freezer: Please plan to come during the specified 2-hour window, the beginning of the window is preferred. No coolers are necessary as the meat will be tightly packed in cardboard boxes. We have found they stay well frozen for the commute home. Please plan to put the meat in your deep freezer immediately upon arrival home. We are not responsible for any thawed meat outside of the specified window. If you will not be going directly home, plan to bring 3-4 coolers for your beef.
**If you live closer to the butcher and would prefer to pick up your meat on your own, please communicate that with us prior to our pick-up date. We are happy to accommodate this!
What’s With the Hive??
Alex has been dabbling in beekeeping since he was a teenager. We have had anywhere from 1 to 7 healthy, active hives and have often harvested honey. While we do not have honey or bee-related products for sale at this time, it is our goal to have these things available in the future. Stay tuned!
I’m Ready!
If you’ve read all of this info and are ready to book your freezer beef appointment, click the button below and we’ll get you on our schedule!