I have a BEEF with the price of GRASS FED BEEF!

[MomLovesClassics]

I heard there would be someone at the farmer's market selling grass fed beef, so I went to check it out. Nothing was less than $20 a pound. I do appreciate REAL farmers, the ones who don't do factory type producing, I really do. However, at that price I can't afford to purchase from him. I am confused as to why our farmer's market is so expensive. I do not go to it for that reason. A lady sells her eggs for $6 a dozen and no one buys them. Everyone else who sells fresh free range eggs only charges $2 a dozen, but they don't sell at the farmer's market. I wish I was making this up, but I'm not. What am I missing here? Am I just cheap?

[kokotg]

No, you're not just cheap. $20/pound sounds very high. I would expect to MAYBE see prices that high for the very best cuts of beef. I just checked the price list of a place near us, and their prices range from $5/pound for ground beef up to $20/pound for filets. Most cuts are in the $7-10/pound range. We pay much less per pound for ours, but we buy in bulk.

[Ottakee]

We buy 1/4-1/2 cow at a time and I think ours come out to $2.50-3/pound for grass fed beef. You might check Craig's list or even local butchers to find local farmers that will sell you you for a lot less than $20/pound.

 

My girls sell their free range brown eggs for $1.50/dozen and that often includes some extra large eggs and/or double yokers. We don't feed hormones or antibiotics, etc. but I can't call them organic---but they do free range.

[MamaT]

That sounds high to me as well. We can buy grass-fed for about $6.00/lb. but we buy in bulk. Maybe you could look around for someone local that sells in bulk?

[MomLovesClassics]

I am considering a deep freezer in the near future. I do know someone who raises their own grass fed beef in a nice pasture. With a freezer, I know I could talk them into selling me 1/4 or 1/2 a cow. I know I can get some from them the next time they decide to butcher. I found some places online a while back that were within driving range, and can't recall now where and how I found them. I will look again, because there are some sources. Honestly I was expecting about $10 a pound or so, maybe $15 a pound for the more fancy cuts, or $20 for tenderloin or something like that. Farmer's Markets should be inviting, but this one just really turns me off.

[Orthodox6]

I pay $6.00 per pound for grass-fed beef at Whole Paycheck (aka Whole Foods). That is the price in my memory; can verify later this weekend.

 

Organic, free-range, large brown eggs for around $3.00 at Target and Kroger.

[Tutor]

At our market, top cuts of grass-fed beef top out at about $10 a pound. Lower cuts start at about $4 a pound, and it is cheaper still to buy a side or quarter of beef.

[farmmom4him]

I just ordered a side of beef that is ALL NATURAL--no added hormones, antibiotics or anything--grass fed for $2.50 per lb. We order from an Amish community meat market. ;)

[4kiddies]

I found some places online a while back that were within driving range, and can't recall now where and how I found them. I will look again, because there are some sources.

 

Was it on eatwild.com?

[Ibbygirl]

I just ordered a side of beef that is ALL NATURAL--no added hormones, antibiotics or anything--grass fed for $2.50 per lb. We order from an Amish community meat market. ;)

 

Do they ship it to you or you pick it up??

[Audrey]

I heard there would be someone at the farmer's market selling grass fed beef, so I went to check it out. Nothing was less than $20 a pound. I do appreciate REAL farmers, the ones who don't do factory type producing, I really do. However, at that price I can't afford to purchase from him. I am confused as to why our farmer's market is so expensive. I do not go to it for that reason. A lady sells her eggs for $6 a dozen and no one buys them. Everyone else who sells fresh free range eggs only charges $2 a dozen, but they don't sell at the farmer's market. I wish I was making this up, but I'm not. What am I missing here? Am I just cheap?

 

 

Well, that does sound really high if NOTHING was less than $20/lb. But... farmers who produce a premium product are going to charge premium prices. If no one is buying, though, and the still charge that high, then they're not very good at the business end of farming, eh? I'm guessing that if the prices are consistently that high, then they must have customers willing to pay that much.

[MomLovesClassics]

Well, that does sound really high if NOTHING was less than $20/lb. But... farmers who produce a premium product are going to charge premium prices. If no one is buying, though, and the still charge that high, then they're not very good at the business end of farming, eh? I'm guessing that if the prices are consistently that high, then they must have customers willing to pay that much.

this was the first time I saw this guy there, or heard about anyone selling meat. Whiel I was there I didn't see anyone buying from him. Guess his prices scared everyone away.

[LibraryLover]

It's $8/lb here and people buy it all the time. I can't always get what I want. The range eggs are about $3, but the organic range egss are $4-5. Again, they sell.

 

Are you sure it was $20/lb, and not $20 for the pack, which could be more than 1 lb? I live in an area with some wealthy folks and $20 seems quite unrealistic, and so far nobdoy has tried that price. lol I have seen Martha's Vineyard free range organic chicken for $5/lb, so that's at least $20 for one bird. Those sell, too.

[LibraryLover]

I pay $6.00 per pound for grass-fed beef at Whole Paycheck (aka Whole Foods). That is the price in my memory; can verify later this weekend.

 

Organic, free-range, large brown eggs for around $3.00 at Target and Kroger.

 

 

Those prices are what I have seen in supermarkets & WF. However, those would not be actual free range animals. Big Organics is what Michael Pollan calls it. (See his book The Omnivore's Dilemma to read about WF's Rosie chickens, fi). 'Free range' on a pack of eggs might mean that a door to the outside was open, not that the animals went outside, or had anything to range on outside.

 

I mention this because there is a huge difference between those products and actual free range products. The price will reflect that.

[Tutor]

There are two sites online where I found info on local, direct-buy farms:

 

www.eatwild.com

 

www.localharvest.org

[Reya]

Insane!

 

I'd never buy grass-fed beef voluntarily. I've had it in countries where that's all they have, and my shoe tastes better. The reason for grain-finishing beef is tenderness as well as bulk. I'd be reeeeeeeeeally interested to know what "grass fed" farmers are doing if they are producing a tender product in the US.

[melissel]

Insane!

 

I'd never buy grass-fed beef voluntarily. I've had it in countries where that's all they have, and my shoe tastes better. The reason for grain-finishing beef is tenderness as well as bulk. I'd be reeeeeeeeeally interested to know what "grass fed" farmers are doing if they are producing a tender product in the US.

 

Funny, since we started eating grass-fed beef, I'm hoping to never have to go back to conventional beef again. Even my parents, who are not convinced about this kind of thing, are amazed at how delicious our beef is. Maybe it depends on the type of cow? I've noticed a big difference in the flavors of the two kinds of raw milk available to us, and I'll only drink one of them. But then, I don't like milk much in the first place, so any small difference means a lot to me.

 

Oh, ETA about the tenderness, that yes, I do have to be more careful about how I cook grass-fed beef. If I cook it however I would have cooked that same cut of conventional beef, it's not so good. But if I'm more careful, it's fine.

[LaxMom]

I am considering a deep freezer in the near future. I do know someone who raises their own grass fed beef in a nice pasture. With a freezer, I know I could talk them into selling me 1/4 or 1/2 a cow. I know I can get some from them the next time they decide to butcher. I found some places online a while back that were within driving range, and can't recall now where and how I found them. I will look again, because there are some sources. Honestly I was expecting about $10 a pound or so, maybe $15 a pound for the more fancy cuts, or $20 for tenderloin or something like that. Farmer's Markets should be inviting, but this one just really turns me off.

 

Grass finished* beef, organically and humanely raised, ranges from about $1.75 - $3.00 lb around here, depending on some varying factors (is the farm organically certified or transitional, is butchering included or a separate charge, who else they sell to, etc.) if you're buying a 1/4 or 1/2. The lower end tends to be an "on hoof" price, the upper end the "hanging weight".

 

*All beef is raised on pasture. The difference is that grass finished beef goes directly from pasture to butcher. All other beef spends about 120 days packed into a feed lot, eating corn. You can't raise a cow to maturity on corn; it makes them sick so, from everything I've read/seen, 120 days is the limit.

 

ETA: I suspect the farmers' market price reflects the fees for the market space, the special trip, and the perception that people there are willing to pay more for items purchased there.

Edited August 16, 2009 by MyCrazyHouse

[LaxMom]

I've noticed a big difference in the flavors of the two kinds of raw milk available to us, and I'll only drink one of them. But then, I don't like milk much in the first place, so any small difference means a lot to me.

That's funny! When I say that the only milk I've ever drunk willingly has been raw milk - even as a kid, I would only drink milk at my cousins' house, where they got it, raw, from the farm up the road - people look at me like I have two heads! One of my boys snubs grocery store milk, too, and always has, even before we started buying raw milk. Glad it's not just me. :D

[melissel]

That's funny! When I say that the only milk I've ever drunk willingly has been raw milk - even as a kid, I would only drink milk at my cousins' house, where they got it, raw, from the farm up the road - people look at me like I have two heads! One of my boys snubs grocery store milk, too, and always has, even before we started buying raw milk. Glad it's not just me. :D

 

No kidding! The other people in my playgroup (who also buy from the same co-op) were mystified when I was complaining about the flavor--they didn't notice any difference at all, whereas I was afraid my milk was going bad too fast. Someone finally suggested that I try the other kind, and I was perfectly happy with it. There's a HUGE difference in the amount of cream produced too. The one I prefer always has something like a cup of cream on the top of the container :w00t: (I ladle it off for coffee, and I've made butter too--otherwise it's way too rich for me!)

[Orthodox6]

Thank you for sharing that, in case other readers did not know about the industry. (I tried to use the the right "buzz words" to show that I do; however, I guess that I didn't ! :) ) I have not read those books; just learned from other channels. Thank you for the titles.

 

Those prices are what I have seen in supermarkets & WF. However, those would not be actual free range animals. Big Organics is what Michael Pollan calls it. (See his book The Omnivore's Dilemma to read about WF's Rosie chickens, fi). 'Free range' on a pack of eggs might mean that a door to the outside was open, not that the animals went outside, or had anything to range on outside.

 

I mention this because there is a huge difference between those products and actual free range products. The price will reflect that.

[MomLovesClassics]

It's $8/lb here and people buy it all the time. I can't always get what I want. The range eggs are about $3, but the organic range egss are $4-5. Again, they sell.

 

Are you sure it was $20/lb, and not $20 for the pack, which could be more than 1 lb? I live in an area with some wealthy folks and $20 seems quite unrealistic, and so far nobdoy has tried that price. lol I have seen Martha's Vineyard free range organic chicken for $5/lb, so that's at least $20 for one bird. Those sell, too.

The price was per pound, not per pack.

[LibraryLover]

The price was per pound, not per pack.

 

 

That's just wow.

[LibraryLover]

Thank you for sharing that, in case other readers did not know about the industry. (I tried to use the the right "buzz words" to show that I do; however, I guess that I didn't ! :) ) I have not read those books; just learned from other channels. Thank you for the titles.

 

I think you will enjoy The Omnivore's Dilemma! Have you read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle? It's one of my favs.

[LibraryLover]

Cows suffer when they eat grains. Hay is ok, and a lot of people use that along with the grass. It's delicious, not tough at all. Although it does have a more beefy taste, I think. We prefer it. Hard-working or older animals will always be tougher. It's why you would stew an old hen, yk?

[Blessedfamily]

Funny, since we started eating grass-fed beef, I'm hoping to never have to go back to conventional beef again.

 

:iagree: That's been my experience too. I buy it from a local reputable mennonite family farm for about $5.50/lb