Information Sheet: Freezer Beef Procedures and Pricing
Patterson Family Farms is going into it's fourth generation. We are veteran owned and operated, and our mission is to provide high quality, sustainable, local Angus and Angus-Hereford beef at an affordable price.
Many slaughter houses in the United States, such as the USDA slaughter houses, use additives in their meats. (https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/additives-meat-and-poultry) We take our cattle to Fields Custom Slaughterhouse to be processed. They are inspected, but they do not use additives and preservatives. Their meat is cut, wrapped, and frozen and then it is ready to be picked up and put into your freezer.
Here at Patterson Family Farms, we produce our own corn and forage (grasses/hay). We bale dry hay to store in the the barn, and we make round, wrapped hay bales, which ferment and are fed to the cattle throughout the winter months. We store silage, which is fermented corn, in a silo, and our shelled, dried corn is stored at Erie Crawford Cooperative, with the corn of other local farmers. At the Co-op, we have the corn mixed with minerals and other nutrients that the cattle need for a healthy diet. Our brood (mother) cows are mostly grass-fed, while the calves are milk and grass fed, and they also have access to a creep feeder which allows them to get some grain as they grow, until they are about 6 months old. Then they are corn finished, which means that they are fed hay and grass, but they are also given a ration of silage and corn every 12 hours to add that extra layer of fat for flavor and to help the meat stay tender. They are slaughtered between 12-18 months of age, but until that time, they can roam in the pasture, and they have shelter in the barn. They have 24 hour access to fresh spring water as well.
Our cattle are vaccinated and wormed as calves, and they are very rarely given antibiotics. The only time we use antibiotics on the farm is to save the life of an animal, and all slaughtering rules are followed. We keep records on all of the animals, and if antibiotics are a concern, we can be sure that you are paired with a cow that has never been treated. (We have only treated two calves with antibiotics in the past three years, and they were used for infections when the calves were under 3 months old.)
You will need to call Patterson Family Farms to get on the purchase list. We sell two to three whole cows per month. Sometimes we can get an extra slot if there is interest. You can buy a quarter, half, or whole animal. You can split a whole animal with friends, or we can match you with other buyers, but the minimum purchase for a unit is a quarter of an animal.
You will be notified of the slaughter date. We will transport the animal to Field's Custom Slaughterhouse. Usually the cattle are slaughtered on Friday morning. The hanging weight will be given to us the following Monday, and we will notify you of the hanging weight. That is what the animals weighs after it is skinned and hung in the cooler. About a week later, the slaughter house will contact you to find out how you want your meat cut. You can do thick or thin steaks. You can have hamburgers in 1 or 2 lb. packages or more. You can have hamburg put into patties or have your meat cut into roasts or stew meat. See the cut-sheet below.
About two weeks after the slaughter date, you will be called to pick up your meat. You should pick it up within a couple of days at Fields Custom Slaughterhouse in Cochranton, PA. You will pay the "cut, wrap and freeze" fee directly to the slaughterhouse at that time. You must pay with a check or cash. Credit cards are not accepted. The current price is $85 for the slaughter fee per animal, which is split between the purchasers of the animal. It costs around $.80/lb.-$.82/lb for the cut, wrap, and freezing of the meat, but it may vary if you have hamburg patties or if you have a more complicated cut.
Example: If the hanging weight is 600 lbs, a quarter of the weight would be 150 lbs. 80/4+150x.82= $144.25.
Meat is wrapped in cellophane and freezer paper, and we recommend using it within a year or two, but I've cooked meat that's been in the deep freeze longer, because sometimes you don't get to the stuff in the bottom, and it was fine.
You may want to bring coolers to pick up your meat, but sometimes people pick it up in bags if they are going straight home. The meat is frozen solid after it is wrapped.
When you have picked up your order, send a check to Patterson Family Farms within a week. The current cost is $3.50/lb., based on the hanging weight.
Example: If the cow that you purchased had a hanging weight of 600 lbs., a quarter would be 600/4, which is 150 lbs. 150x3.50=$525
You will not get exactly 150 lbs. of meat. When an animal hangs and ages, the meat tenderizes and the flavor improves, but the top layer of fat is removed. (https://greatbritishmeat.com/blogs/butchers-blog/hanging-meat)
We look forward to hearing from you!
Patterson Family Farms
814-827-6404
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