When it comes to processing, there are two distinct types we offer that cater to two different groups of people. Keep scrolling to learn about each, and decide which camp you land in. Either way, all animals are sourced locally from Minnesota farms.
Custom Processing
Custom processing is intended for the end consumer, and as the name suggests, allows you to customize your processing experience.
Here’s how it works:
- The customer purchases a whole animal (or a portion of one) live from the farmer. Don’t worry, you don’t need to take possession of it yet!
- Customize your processing by calling Schroeder Meats. This only takes about 5 minutes
- The farmer schedules and delivers the pre-purchased, live animal to our facility on your behalf
- We provide a service to you as the owner of the animal. We then return it to you in the form of delicious steaks, roasts, and other wonderful cuts of meat
Here’s the catch: every package is labeled NOT FOR SALE. This means you CANNOT resell this product. You can, however, invite your friends and family to join you for Sunday brunch free of charge.
Slaughter Under Inspection
This option covers you if you want to resell the product. Think farmer’s markets, stores, and restaurants. When we slaughter under inspection, this means an inspector from the MN Department of Agriculture is on site during slaughter.
Here’s how it works:
- The farmer will customize the processing of the animal. This could include upgraded packaging and labeling
- The farmer schedules and delivers a live animal that may or may not be pre-purchased
- We provide a service to the farmer. We then return it to them as they’ve requested
Here’s the catch: the packages are intended for resale, so the labels include the state emblem with our establishment number on it. This means they CAN resell this product directly to the end consumer, at farmer’s markets, or wholesale to stores and restaurants. This also allows Schroeder Meats to process locally sourced beef for resale in our retail counter. Hooray!
Disclaimer to Farmers: Whole beef with a hanging weight of less than 600 pounds will be charged processing based on a minimum of 600 pounds.
Click for an interactive experience to get the perfect cuts of meat:
Commonly Asked Questions
There are a few variables that play into the total cost of 1/4 beef. The first is the hanging weight of the animal. Our processing cost and the cost of the animal to the farmer are both determined by this number. Next is the cost per pound being charged by the farmer. This will vary from farmer to farmer, but the average cost we’re seeing is $2.75/lb. The last thing is sausage! Did you add any sausage products to your order? These will be priced per pound in addition to your processing cost. Check out this page to see the breakdown of cost for an average sized beef.
Check out the chart on this page to see what cuts come in each portion size of a beef share.
This is a loaded question and will vary for each family. Start by asking yourself these questions: How many people are in my family? How many nights a week do we eat beef? Do we entertain a lot? It’s pretty safe to say that a whole beef will last a family of 5 about a year.
Heck yeah! Fill out the form on our Contact Page and we’ll get you connected.
It takes around 16 cubic feet for a whole, 8 cubic feet for a half, and 4 cubic feet for a quarter beef. To visualize how much space that is, about 4 plastic milk crates full of meat equals a quarter beef.
The difference between these three weights is just like it sounds. Live weight is the weight of the animal before slaughter. Some famers charge for the animal based on this weight, but most charge based on the hanging weight. The hanging weight is the weight of the quartered animal after the hide and offal (insides) are removed. This is the number we use to charge for processing. Finished weight is the amount of meat you receive as a finished product, which tends to be about 60% of the hanging weight. We don’t weigh the finished product unless specifically requested.
Yes! Stop by our retail shop to buy 1-24 pounds for $4.99/lb, 25-49 pounds for $4.89/lb, and 50+ pounds for $4.79/lb.
Let’s Fill Your Freezer…
Now that you’re an expert on buying local beef, you can decide with confidence which options are right for you. Click below to head to our contact page to request a portion of an animal through email, or for you extroverts, give us a call on the phone!
