Particularly for beef are outrageous lately!. $18.99 a lb for ribeye at my local cub foods and one person mentioned they thought that was a good price. At this rate I’ll never eat a steak again! I remember when you could find a 3 lb chub of 80/20 on sale sometimes for around $5-8. Today they had some “on sale” for $15. Are chicken and pork next?
This is giving me new motivation to sit in my deer stand longer this season….
Noticed that as well. We can shoot 3 deer per person where we hunt and not that we need 15 deer (5 hunters) we will be shooting more than 2 or 3 like normal if we can so we won’t have to buy as much beef. Even pork has gone up when I looked yesterday.
Chicken Wings at Wally world have gone up from $2.28 a pound to $3.28 a pound in the last few weeks.
I talked to the Hy-Vee meat dept manager for a few minutes yesterday. He said that its primarily because of the processing facilities. There are four major companies that control 80% of the meat processing in this country and they are able to manipulate the supply. Cattle farmers are all losing money or barely breaking even too. There was an article on MPR that explains it pretty well recently.
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2021/09/14/npr-chicken-beef-pork-meat-prices-inflation-biden
I talked to the Hy-Vee meat dept manager for a few minutes yesterday. He said that its primarily because of the processing facilities. There are four major companies that control 80% of the meat processing in this country and they are able to manipulate the supply. Cattle farmers are all losing money or barely breaking even too. There was an article on MPR that explains it pretty well recently.
It’s my understanding that they also have a stranglehold on the USDA where it is nearly impossible to open new meat processing plants or even butcher shops because they don’t have the inspectors to allow it. So even your small family farmers have trouble selling their product because there just isn’t anyone to process it.
Most butcher shops were booked out 6+ months in 2020. Not sure what it’s like now but I’d assume things are pretty similar.
Seems like pork has come down some but you are correct beef is outrageous. Coborns has brisket for 10.49lb. Thats a crime.
Oh great what’s next? Our pets heads are gonna fall off?
If at all possible I would find a local farmer with beef for sale. While the up front cost of buying or 1/4 or more of beef may seem expensive, in the long run you probably save a little money along with supporting a local farmer and knowing exactly where your beef comes from and have an idea of how it was handled before you get it.
Beef prices are high and they are going to go higher.
Producers, especially in the west, had drought problems early and often this year. It was obvious from June onward that forage crops, alfalfa, and hay were all going to burn up, so herd sell-downs started in early summer to reduce the numbers of cattle that have to be fed over winter. You can’t have cattle if you don’t have the feed.
Now feeder cattle prices have exploded and feed costs have risen dramatically. With the ending of the Trump trade war with China, Chinese purchases of US-grown commodities have resumed and feed prices have increased significantly. This will drive up pork and poultry prices throughout the winter.
Fill the freezer now, it’s not going to get any cheaper.
Fill the freezer now, it’s not going to get any cheaper.
Don’t start hoarding another thing please. I don’t want to be on a wait-list for beef being in stock too 
Hyperinflation is here. Buckle up.
Chicken Wings at Wally world have gone up from $2.28 a pound to $3.28 a pound in the last few weeks.
Yes, that’s another one that has sky rocketed recently.
It’s time like these when I am glad to have stocked freezers. Buy low and ride out what I have when prices are high. Lately I’ve been skipping the meat departments at the store. Don’t even look.
Very small taste of Venezuela folks… did somebody say TP ?
Meat prices have been crazy for like over a year now. Use to buy pork butts for .99 a pound now there $3.00 most places
I checked with 5 locker plants within 50 miles trying to get a home raised beef processed and they were all booked solid until the middle to the end of 2022. Two of them put me on a list in case somebody cancelled but told me there are others ahead of me. By the way, we producers are getting about 1.25-1.27 live weight /lb. or a little over $2.00/lb carcass weight. The packer was making $1000.00/head.
Go find your small market grocery store with a butcher shop or a butcher shop.
I have found their products far superior in quality and their prices are now much closer in-line with the big chain stores.
my best advise is if you can process a deer, you can process a steer…
My wife and I started sharing a 1/4 with another couple of locally grown grass fed angus. Put it this way, I dont think I’ll be buying beef from any chain grocery store ever again. This beef taste so much better and is considerably cheaper than any crap on the store shelves. Best move weve made on groceries in a long time
If at all possible I would find a local farmer with beef for sale. While the up front cost of buying or 1/4 or more of beef may seem expensive, in the long run you probably save a little money along with supporting a local farmer and knowing exactly where your beef comes from and have an idea of how it was handled before you get it.
My wife and I started sharing a 1/4 with another couple of locally grown grass fed angus. Put it this way, I dont think I’ll be buying beef from any chain grocery store ever again. This beef taste so much better and is considerably cheaper than any crap on the store shelves. Best move weve made on groceries in a long time
X3! Keep the local farmers going! I went with a Quarter Beef in the spring of 2020 & Half Beef this spring. Its a little money up front, but I’ve got absolutely no regrets!! Great meat & you get a lot.
For the record, I paid $2.85lb for my half this year on a 975lb steer. That’s including the butcher processing fee. Chuck, Arm, & sirloin Roasts. Ribeye, Porterhouse, T-bone, Tenderloin & Sirloin Steaks. A full Brisket & a LOT of burger! Well worth the investment!
We buy very little meat from the store. I recently bought 50lb of burger from a local farmer for $3.25/lb.
Between that and hunting season im hoping we can mostly avoid paying these inflated prices over the winter. I just need to find some pork…..
I haven’t bought a pound of burger or a steak from a store in probably 15 years. We’ve always purchased a half of beef and sent some with family members. I’m shocked reading this how it’s a “new” practice to many.
Although we buy meat local, it’s still corn fed. Grass fed seemed just a bit tougher doesn’t have the same marbling and flavor.
Couple questions.
What should I expect the total cost to be on a 1/4 beef? I realize it depends on weight but on average.
Any opinions on variety? Angus vs. Scottish Highlands vs. Jersey? Just wondering if one is more tender/better tasting beef?
Anybody care to share a good place in SE MN?
Thanks!
Also, regarding the “if you can process a deer, you can process a beef”.
Yes, but it’s not quite the same. A beef is HUGE and HEAVY so you best have the right equipment. A bandsaw is probably needed. Hanging a beef and then getting it quartered can be a really big job. Cutting steaks is a lot easier with a bandsaw. Just saying it’s doable but there’s more to it than doing a deer.
Yeah I’ve been discussing with my neighbors on going in on a cow. Would help my decision if the wife and kids would learn how to shut the freezer properly….
There are a bunch of good ones in SE MN. The person I use is booked through 2021 and some of 2022. There is another person in Chatfield my family uses Steinbrink Cattle Co. Doing this keeps the money in the farmers and local butchers hands as well.
Couple questions.
What should I expect the total cost to be on a 1/4 beef? I realize it depends on weight but on average.
Any opinions on variety? Angus vs. Scottish Highlands vs. Jersey? Just wondering if one is more tender/better tasting beef?Anybody care to share a good place in SE MN?
Thanks!
Also, regarding the “if you can process a deer, you can process a beef”.
Yes, but it’s not quite the same. A beef is HUGE and HEAVY so you best have the right equipment. A bandsaw is probably needed. Hanging a beef and then getting it quartered can be a really big job. Cutting steaks is a lot easier with a bandsaw. Just saying it’s doable but there’s more to it than doing a deer.
Also, regarding the “if you can process a deer, you can process a beef”.
Yes, but it’s not quite the same. A beef is HUGE and HEAVY so you best have the right equipment. A bandsaw is probably needed. Hanging a beef and then getting it quartered can be a really big job. Cutting steaks is a lot easier with a bandsaw. Just saying it’s doable but there’s more to it than doing a deer.
As dry aging and packaging to this equation and unless you’re retired, it doesn’t seem worth it.
Buying a ¼ or more of a cow at a time is the way to go. You get steak for the cost of ground. As for cost, the cow is what ever the mark value is at the time it goes into the butcher. (https://markets.businessinsider.com/commodities/live-cattle-price) The processing cost depends on what you want done and their cost. My butcher picks up the cow and pig from the farmer for me. I call in my cuts and pick up the product when it is done. In the end you get better quality meat for a cheaper cost. Make sure to store your meat in a freezer that doesn’t have an automatic defrost. The automatic defrost can cause freezer burn. Once you start buying the cow and pig you will never go back to store bought meat. My last pig, for what I would pay for my bacon alone from the store. I get the rest of the pig for free.
Yeah I’ve been discussing with my neighbors on going in on a cow. Would help my decision if the wife and kids would learn how to shut the freezer properly….
1/4 is a good size for a typical size family. Every farmer/butcher will offer a 1/4. You don’t really need to split anything with other people. We get a 1/4 every fall and don’t eat a ton of meat at any particular meal. We have all the steaks packaged individually because 1 small t-bone or sirloin is enough to feed us all. I absolutely hate throwing this stuff away.
If you eat a lot of meat, like 2 lbs of hamburger per meal, or multiple steaks per meal, 1/2 might fit the bill. We actually asked the butcher to do about 10 half lb packages of hamburger for when we make tacos. No leftovers, no waste. It’s perfect for us. 1/2 will also let you customize the beef literally any way you want. With a 1/4 you can’t ask for tenderloin or brisket or any other cuts that only occur once in a 1/2.
If anyone in Central MN is interested in a 1/4 or 1/2 of beef shoot me a PM and I can get you some information.
We are in the rotation at the local locker for a quarter every fall. That we buy from a local farmer. With a deer or two. Our meat is set for a year. But
some are almost booked around the calendar year. One roller coaster we don’t have to ride. Looked at a $38 NY Strip on a menu last week. Nice to have a better steak in the freezer.
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
