Beef Frequently Asked Questions

The first thing to think about is how much meat you're looking for and how much freezer space you have. Key considerations:

• This link dives into more details, but a good rule-of-thumb is that a quarter beef results in 120 pounds of take-home meat and a half results in around 240 pounds. Big disclaimer here that the pounds will vary based on size of animal, cuts chosen, and other factors. A live animal that weighed 1500 pounds and has all the bone-in cuts saved will result in considerably more pounds than a 1000 pound live animal that is turned into all boneless cuts. Don't worry about not knowing exactly how much you are getting. The farmer will charge you based on the weight of the animal or carcass and we will charge you based on the carcass weight. Simply put, the larger the animal, the more pounds you'll get and the cost will adjust proportionately.
• Freezers hold around 20 to 40 pounds of beef per cubic foot. Therefore if the take-home weight of your quarter beef is 120 pounds, you'll need approximately 3-6 cubic feet of space in your freezer. For a half beef with a take-home weight of 240 pounds, you'll need at 6-12 cubic feet of space. Note that many kitchen Refrigerator/Freezer combos have around 6 cubic feet of space, so if that's the only space you have, you should stick to a quarter instead of a half. Also consider that the cuts you choose will impact the space required. As an example, if you save beef ribs rather than have the rib meat made into ground beef, you will need more space. The numbers above assume that 100% of your freezer space is dedicated to this beef, so you'll likely want to ensure your freezer is a bit larger than this so you still have room for ice cream!

Lots of variables here. Will you use the meat for three meals a day every day to feed a family of eight, or use it for three meals a week to feed two people? Your answer is probably somewhere in the middle, but a good rule of thumb is 3-5 months per quarter.

A quarter is a split half, so you will get cuts of meat from both the front and hind quarter.

This is one of the best parts about custom beef processing, it is truly CUSTOM. You get to pick which whole muscle cuts you want to keep such as steaks, roasts, brisket, ribs, etc. Want your steaks super thick and wrapped two per package? We'll do it. Want five pound chuck roasts? No problem. Want us to save some bones for your dog? You got it. If there are whole muscle cuts you don't want, we can make them into ground beef or multiple processed products. For more specifics, check out this link.

When the farmer delivers the animal to the locker, we will reach out to you to ask how you'd like your animal processed. Don't be intimidated by this, we'll make it easy. We'll ask you basic questions such as whether you would rather have T-bone steaks, or make the T-bones boneless, resulting in New York Strip and Filet Steaks. We'll ask you things like whether you would rather have your ground beef in pound, pound and a half, or two pound packages. If it's your first time, we recommend doing the order over the phone, but you can also submit it online at this link if you prefer.

No problem! The majority of our custom processing is done for people that don't raise their own animals. If you know someone that raises beef cattle, try asking them if they'd sell you a quarter or half beef. If you don't know someone that can sell you a quarter or half beef, we're here to help! Check out this link for a list of local producers that bring their animals to Edgewood Locker. They'd love to tell you about themselves, their farm, and their animals. This is as Farm-to-Table as Farm-To-Table gets! If you prefer to just deal directly with the Edgewood Locker, that's great too. We have local farmers that sells us high quality beef cattle that we can sell to you by the quarter or half.

If you're buying the animal from a local producer, you will pay them for the animal. They may ask for a deposit. You will then pay Edgewood Locker for the processing at time of pickup. If you are buying the animal through us rather than working through a local farmer, you will pay Edgewood Locker for the animal AND the processing at time of pickup. We accept cash, check, and all major credit cards.

When buying a quarter or half of a beef, you will pay for the animal, and you will pay for the processing:

• For the animal, you pay the farmer you're buying it from or you pay the Edgewood Locker if you're buying the animal from us. The farmer will generally charge by the pound based on the weight of the animal or the carcass, so they will likely be able to tell you the price per pound they are charging, but they may not be able to give you a total price until the animal is on the scale and they have a weight.
• For Processing, you pay the Edgewood Locker. Most charges are by the pound, so the larger the animal, the more meat you will get, and the total cost adjusts accordingly. We have created a calculator here to help you estimate the cost of processing. Most whole beef carcasses we process weigh between 800 and 1,100 pounds, so carcass weights for quarters will be 200 to 275 typically. For specific fees, check out the beef cut sheet here.

When you buy a quarter or half beef, you know you are getting locally raised meat. You can talk with the farmer that raised the animal to understand how they raise their animals. Your money will stay local and support local farmers, businesses, and communities. Beef raised in this area is some of the best in the world, so you can ensure you are filling your freezer with some of the highest quality and best tasting meat around.

When you have beef processed at the Edgewood Locker, you can be confident that we are doing everything possible to maintain and enhance the quality of the beef. We cut it to your specifications. We use humane harvest principles. We have a staff with decades of custom cutting experience. Unlike large packing plants, we dry age the carcass to increase tenderness and flavor. We utilize a blast freezer to lock in flavor and quality. We are the best in the business at custom processing.

Cost: While buying meat this way requires you to spend more money up-front, it saves you money in the long-run compared to buying by-the-package. In a recent analysis of the cost to have a half beef processed at the Edgewood Locker vs. buying it by the package at the grocery store's retail prices, the results showed that custom processing saves the customer around $500 on a half-beef.

In short, no. In fact, there is an argument that freezing meat can improve quality as long as it is packaged properly. We are confident in our packaging. Unlike most meat processors, we utilize a blast freezer that is -20F with fast moving cold air to blast freeze all custom processing orders. This process ensures we lock in quality, tenderness, and flavor. Prior to installing a blast freezer in 2023, our meat would take up to 48 hours to be fully frozen. With this blast freezer, all meat is frozen solid in less than 12 hours. The USDA suggests that you should consume frozen raw beef cuts within 4-12 months. The reality is that it's safe to store frozen beef in the freezer much longer than 4-12 months, but quality can begin to decline a bit after many months. Check out this link for more info on the impact freezing has on meat quality: Mom at the Meat Counter: Chill... it's just freezing.

If you're buying a quarter or half beef from a farmer, they will work with us to make a harvest appointment if they don't already have one scheduled. Some farmers do not have cattle ready for harvest all the time, so you may need to wait until they have cattle ready. Some other farmers have cattle ready at all times. Regardless, planning ahead is important because during certain times of the year our schedule fills up fast. During other times of the year, specifically February through May, it tends to be easier to get on our schedule.

Once the animal is brought to us for harvest, you can expect the raw cuts to be ready for pickup about two weeks later. If you are having us make further-processed items such as jerky or beef bacon, those items may take up to an additional two weeks. Regardless, we will contact you to let you know when it's ready to pick up. When you pick it up, the meat will be in cardboard trays that we can load directly into your vehicle. No need to bring coolers, boxes, or laundry baskets!

While this may still seem overwhelming, we promise you it is not. We highly encourage you to give us a call to help answer any questions you may have!

Just give us a call at 563-928-6814 or contact us and we will make the arrangements!