Ordering

We are currently SOLD OUT for fall 2024 quarters, halves, and wholes.

We anticipate having ground beef boxes again in the spring, so please join the mailing list to get notified when they become available for order.

In the meanwhile, please review our ordering information below before how the process works.

SCHEDULE

Whole LAMB - SOLD OUT

BEEF Quarters & Halves - SOLD OUT

PORK Halves & Wholes - SOLD OUT

Ground BEEF Boxes - Spring 2025

BEEF Sampler Boxes - Spring 2025

THE BASICS

Because custom ordering bulk meat is often a new process for folks, we encourage you to read through this page to find the answers to common questions (such as “what do I get with a quarter beef?” or “when do I fill out my cut sheet?”) before placing your reservation in the store.

Ordering meat by the whole, half, or quarter offers a great value and lets you choose the cuts you prefer. You pay the farmer based on the "hanging weight" of the carcass (after the organs and hide are removed) and you pay the butcher separately for cutting, wrapping, and freezing your meat according to your instructions. 

If you're unfamiliar with custom ordering, the butcher can walk you through the options and help you make selections depending on how you like to cook and what you or your family eat most. We also send you a tip sheet for answers to common questions when it’s time to fill out your cut sheet.

We also offer the beef bundle boxes for those wanting a smaller portion than a quarter cow. These bundles are great for smaller freezers, and are an assortment of USDA processed cuts.

We do all our beef and lamb processing at Lake Haven Meats in Sturgeon Lake, MN. A family owned business, Lake Haven offers both custom and USDA inspected processing. It's a short 20 minute drive from our farm in Finlayson which makes it an easy trip for the animals.

This year we are doing our pork processing at Schneider Custom Meats outside Askov, MN. This option will allow you a wider selection of sausages including breakfast links, brats, and cheddar brats.

We deliver to both the Twin Cities and Duluth, along the I-35 corridor between the two cities, and will do our best to accommodate other requests as able.

PLEASE NOTE: When selecting delivery in the store, you are prompted to give your zip code. If your zip code is outside our delivery area but you are near the Twin Cities or Duluth (or along the I-35 corridor between them), please select "pick up" and then "meeting point" and we will contact you directly to arrange a mutually agreeable drop site or location along our route to meet you.

We occasionally have individual cuts available for sale at the farm as well, and we often have beef tallow, organs, and bones for making broth. Please check the store for current availability of individual items, but note that delivery is only offered on orders over $100.

HOW ORDERING WORKS

• Place your order and pay your deposit through our online store
  (You may also order online but mail a check if you prefer)

• We will let you know your butcher date and when to expect delivery
  (Butcher dates are assigned in the order they are received but if you have a preferred delivery month we may be able to accommodate you)

• When we near your processing date you will be directed to fill out Lake Haven's beef cut sheet or lamb cut sheet or Schneider Meats’ pork cut sheet
  (We will send you a tip sheet to help you fill out the form and the butchers are also happy to explain the options and make recommendations)

• After processing, we will send you an invoice with the final hanging weight cost, butcher cost, and when your order will be ready
  (Most cuts take about 2 weeks to process, but there is an additional charge and wait time for smoking hams and bacon)

• We will contact you to arrange free delivery to your home or a drop site/meeting point on our route
  (You are also invited to visit the farm and pick up your meat here or at the butcher if you’d like!)

For more information on pork and beef cuts and how to make the most of your purchase, Iowa State University Extension has a Whole Animal Buying Guide with lots of great tips and explanations.

Lake Haven also has a very helpful handout of what to expect to receive and estimated processing costs; you can download the PDF here.

WHAT YOU GET - PORK

You can expect to get a mix of pork chops, roasts, ribs, hams, hocks, bacon, and ground pork.

You can elect to have the butcher season some or all of your ground pork as breakfast sausage. You can choose the thickness of your pork chops and steaks and the weights of your roasts.

If you like more ground pork or sausage, you can choose to have your hocks or some of your roasts ground as well. Most people choose to have their hams and bacon smoked for an extra charge unless they have a smoker at home. 

It's up to you whether you want to keep your organs and lard. If you keep your lard, (which is healthy and delicious for cooking and baking) you will still need to render it at home which is extremely easy but takes some time. 

While it all depends on what you choose to get and the final hanging weight, you will need about 2 cubic feet of freezer space for a half and 4 cubic feet for a whole hog.

WHAT YOU GET - BEEF

For a custom half or quarter you can expect to get a mix of steaks, roasts, short ribs, stew meat, soup bones, and hamburger.

You can choose the thickness of your steaks and weights of your roasts, as well as elect to have your steaks bone-in or boneless. You can keep organs and fat for tallow if you indicate it in the notes of your cut sheet.

If you choose a quarter beef, it's a mixed quarter so you will still get some of everything, although you may have slightly fewer options.

You need about 4 cubic feet of freezer space for a quarter beef.

BEEF BOXES

We also occasionally have a limited number of beef bundles available for those wanting a smaller quantity of beef.

Our basic ground beef box has 24 pounds ground beef for $200 delivered. This is designed to fill your belly but not your freezer and makes a great gift.

We also have a grass fed sampler box that contains approximately 35-40 pounds of meat, equating to about 1/10th of a whole beef for $350. These boxes include approximately 7-9 assorted steaks, 1-2 roasts, 1 package stew meat, 1-2 packages soup bones or shank (osso bucco), 1 package short ribs or a miscellaneous cut, and 10-15 pounds ground beef (see photo below for example).

This is about one 1.5’ x 1.5’ square box and fits in a standard size refrigerator freezer. 

These cuts have already been processed and butchered under USDA inspection and vacuum sealed, so no need to fill out a cut sheet for the butcher. Rather than paying by the hanging weight, you pay based on the actual weight of the cuts inside using "retail" prices (i.e. steaks cost more than hamburger). The cost of processing has been included so you will not need to pay the butcher separately. 

BEEF PARTNERS

Occasionally when we get requests for more beef but have sold out of animals raised on our farm, we may offer 100% grass fed and finished beef from our friends and neighbors, Bruce Heikes or Joel Barr, who we know and trust. They are also regenerative producers and we can vouch for their ethics, values and practices as well as the quality of their finished product. We will always indicate the producer in the store for full transparency.

WHAT YOU GET - lamb

Whole lambs are custom cut to your specifications and can include lamb chops, leg of lamb, rib racks, shoulder and neck roasts, shank, ground lamb, and stew meat. You can choose the thickness of your chops, grind any cuts you don’t want, and elect to have your ground made into lamb sausage.

Lamb is small compared to beef and pork and will only take about 1.5 cubic feet in your freezer—small enough to fit in a regular size freezer. You can expect to take home around 20-30 pounds of meat depending on the size of the finished lamb.

We feel it’s important to note that most grass fed lamb available in supermarkets or big box stores is shipped from New Zealand and Australia. Grass fed lamb is one of the healthiest meats in terms of omega 3 to 6 ratios, with some referring to it as “land salmon” for its healthy fat profile. Our lamb is flavorful but mild and extremely tender.

Occasionally we may also have individual lamb cuts in the online store, but delivery is only available with purchases over $100.

WHOLE LAMB CUSTOM CUT

$10.50/lb.
Approximately $525

Based on an estimated 50 lbs. hanging weight
including estimated processing fees

$150 deposit at time of order
NOV. & DEC. 2024

HALF HOG CUSTOM CUT

$6.25/lb.
Approximately $595

Based on an estimated 95 lbs. hanging weight
including estimated processing fees

$200 deposit at time of order
DEC. 2024

WHOLE HOG CUSTOM CUT

$6.00/lb.
Approximately $1,140

Based on an estimated 190 lbs. hanging weight
including estimated processing fees 

$300 deposit at time of order
DEC. 2024

QUARTER BEEF CUSTOM CUT

$6.75/lb.
Approximately $1,015

Based on an estimated 150 lbs. hanging weight
including estimated processing fees

$300 deposit at time of order
SEPT.-DEC. 2025

HALF BEEF CUSTOM CUT

$6.50/lb.
Approximately $1,950

Based on an estimated 300 lbs. hanging weight
including estimated processing fees

$500 deposit at time of order
SEPT.-DEC. 2024

BEEF BUNDLE BOX

Grass Fed Sampler - $350
Grass Fed Ground Beef - $200

A small box of assorted cuts
to fit in your refrigerator’s freezer

SPRING 2025

BEEF BONES & TALLOW

Marrow Bones - $4/lb.
Ground Beef Fat - $3.50/lb.
Whole Beef Fat - $3/lb.
Organs/Offal - $5/lb.

Marrow bones for making broth
Offal/organs including heart, tongue, and liver
Unrendered beef fat for cooking
and homemade beauty products

GIFT CERTIFICATES

Available in any amount

mailing list

Not ready to order but want to stay in touch? Please join our mailing list for updates on farm news and events.