Green field with three cows grazing and windmills in the distance under a partly cloudy sky.

Your Guide to Buying a Beef Share

Discover how easy it is to fill your freezer with locally raised, high-quality beef — one share of beef at a time.

Quarter Beef

A black slate board with raw, marbled beef steak cubes seasoned with black pepper, placed on a speckled granite countertop.

  • About 100–125 lbs of packaged beef

  • Fits in a 5 cubic foot freezer

  • Great for small families or first-time buyers

  • Includes a balanced mix of steaks, roasts, and ground beef

A quarter beef represents one-fourth of the processed animal, shared across the front and hind quarters — so you get a little of everything. Most processors will even let you customize things like steak thickness or packaging preferences.

Half Beef

Various cuts of raw beef steak arranged on a light gray surface, garnished with garlic cloves, rosemary, black peppercorns, and sea salt.

  • About 200–250 lbs of packaged beef

  • Needs 8–10 cubic feet of freezer space

  • Ideal for medium-sized families or friends splitting an order

  • Offers the best value per pound

With a half beef, you’ll typically receive every type of cut — from premium steaks to roasts and burger — and you can choose your preferred steak thickness, roast sizes, and packaging style when you coordinate with the processor.

Whole Beef

  • About 400–500 lbs of packaged beef

  • Requires 16–20 cubic feet of freezer space

  • Perfect for large families, shared orders, or bulk storage

  • Gives you the largest total yield and flexibility when coordinating processing

A whole beef provides the most quantity and convenience if you want to stock up or share across multiple households. Like all beef shares, your processor will walk you through cut options, steak thickness, and packaging — ensuring your order fits your preferences exactly.

How Much Freezer Space You’ll Need

Plan for about 1 cubic foot of freezer space per 25–30 lbs of beef.
That means roughly:

  • Quarter Beef: 100–125 lbs → needs about 5 cubic feet

  • Half Beef: 200–250 lbs → needs about 8–10 cubic feet

  • Whole Beef: 400–500 lbs → needs about 16–20 cubic feet

Tip: A small chest freezer works great for a quarter beef. For larger shares, a standalone upright freezer gives more flexibility.

Inside of a freezer with multiple packages of beef wrapped in white paper on shelves.

What’s Included in Your Beef Share

Every share includes a mix of premium steaks, roasts, and ground beef — all custom-cut and packaged by a local processor.

The exact mix varies by animal and processing preferences, but most customers can expect:

  • Steaks like ribeye, sirloin, T-bone, and filets

  • Roasts and stew meat

  • Ground beef (typically the largest portion)

Custom cutting instructions are available when you order — you can choose steak thickness, roast size, and more.

Several pieces of marbled raw beef on a wooden cutting board at a butcher shop, with a sign indicating the meat is Imperial Domestic Wagyu, priced at $52.99 per pound.

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