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American Beef Direct
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Beef Buying Guide

The beef buying guide.

Most people buying beef direct for the first time do not know what a hanging weight is or how much freezer a half cow needs, and not knowing is what stops the order. These guides answer the questions buyers ask most, in plain language.

New to buying beef direct? Start here.

Four guides, in this order, cover almost everything a first share needs.

  1. Whole, Half and Quarter Beef: What a whole, half or quarter cow is, how each purchase works, and the cuts that come with it.
  2. How Much Beef You Get: Hanging weight versus take home weight, and roughly how much meat a whole, half or quarter cow yields.
  3. Freezer Space for Beef: The cubic feet a quarter, half or whole cow needs, what size freezer to buy, and how long the beef keeps.
  4. Questions to Ask a Producer: What to ask a farmer or rancher before you buy, how to compare producers, and how to make contact.

Every guide, and the questions it answers.

Whole, Half and Quarter Beef

What a whole, half or quarter cow is, how each purchase works, and the cuts that come with it.

How Much Beef You Get

Hanging weight versus take home weight, and roughly how much meat a whole, half or quarter cow yields.

A guide from a registry, not a store.

American Beef Direct sells no beef, so nothing in these guides is a sales pitch for ours. Weights, yields and freezer space are the widely used rules of thumb, given as ranges. Prices are never quoted, because every producer sets its own and the cattle market moves them. When you are ready, the producer is the one who quotes you, takes your order and raises your beef.

Ways to Buy Beef DirectFind a Producer

Find a farm or ranch selling beef close to home.

Every state page lists the producers on record there, the nearest ones next door, and the ranches that ship.

Browse by StateOpen the Map