How to Buy Baseline Farm Beef

Retail Venues:

Argus Farm Stop  - Ann Arbor (two store locations)

People's Food Co-op - Ann Arbor (just ground beef)

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At the Farmers Market:

Howell Sunday Market, Sundays 9 am - 2 pm (May through October)

Ann Arbor Kerrytown Market, Saturday 8 am - 2 pm (We attend in fall and winter)

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By the Whole, Half or 1/4 animal:

Available most times of the year - ordered in advance - custom cut

​How it works:  The purchaser agrees to purchase a portion of a whole animal (in 1/4 or larger increments).  The farm will make a butchering appointment and coordinate transport of the animals to the butcher.  The purchaser provides cutting instructions to the butcher.  When the processing is completed, we will pay the processing cost and pick up all the beef from the butcher and bring it back to the farm for pickup.  Payment can me made at that time (cash or check preferred). 

Price: $4.50 per pound of hanging weight for whole and halves, $5.00 for quarters. Plus the butcher's processing fees, close to another $1.25 per pound of hanging weight.

Hanging weights estimated to be close to 600 lbs for a whole steer.   Butchering is done by Byron Center Meats, Damian's Craft Meats in Ann Arbor and The Cut in Rosebush, Mich. 

Pricing examples: 

Quarter beef at The Cut: If the whole steer had a 600 lb hanging weight, a quarter would be 150 lbs.  The cost of the beef would be 150 lb x $5.00 = $750.  The cost of processing is 80 cents per pound, plus a slaughter fee of $110 per animal.  The total cost of processing would be 150 lb x $0.80/lb = $120 + $27.50 slaughter fee + a $20 quarter surcharge, for $167.50.  The total cost of the beef plus the processing would be $917.50.  You should get back 60% of the hanging weight in processed beef.  60% of 150 lb = 90 lb, so the cost of the beef is $10.19/lb. You'll likely get back quite a bit more than 60% of the hanging weight if you choose some bone-in cuts and save any of the organ meats, bones or suet.

another example

Half beef (side) processed by Damian:

Assume the half is 300 pounds.  The beef would be 300 lb x $4.50/lb = $1350.

Processing is 95 cents per pound plus $75 per animal fee.  So, 300 lb x $0.95 = $285, plus the $75  = $360.  Grand total: $1350 + $360 = $1710.  Assuming a 60% yield, you'd receive 180 lbs of beef for a cost of $9.50 per pound.