the real cost of a half cow

the honest part: roughly 40–50% of a half beef arrives as ground and stew meat. you’re stocking a freezer with a year of real dinners — not buying a box of ribeyes. the value isn’t a discount on ground beef: it’s that every pound costs the same blended price, ribeye to chuck. plan on ~8–10 cubic feet of freezer space (a $200–300 chest freezer pays for itself in the first fill).

how it works here: a small refundable deposit reserves your share with a named family ranch. you pay the balance at final weight. no warehouse, no middleman.