What’s The Deal With Meat Shares?

Farmers have long sold shares of meat directly to consumers. Shares are a really great way to fill a freezer. They also save customers money by cutting out the middleman (i.e. grocery store) while offering a wide variety of cuts, all for a single payment. So what exactly is a meat share and why is it worth spending your hard-earned money to purchase one?  As part of our mission to educate our community, we believe that being an informed consumer is so important when opening your wallet.

Meat shares are ⅛, ¼, ½ or a whole animal that has been broken down into custom cuts based on the needs of the customer. We sell our hogs as ½ and whole shares, primarily because anything smaller is just too much work for the meat services that have to do all of the skilled labor. Cutting, trimming, grinding and wrapping are all very time consuming and require the highly sought skills of a great butcher. A half share of one of our hogs is typically around 100-125 pound hang weight and we currently charge $3.00 per pound. Processing (cutting and wrapping) is a separate fee, which is dependent on each custom order. 

What is hang weight? Hang weight is what is left after all of the “inside bits” (trying to be less graphic for folks who are sensitive to these details) have been removed. In hogs the hang weight is about 75% of the “live weight” of the animal. Very few farmers sell shares as live weight, and it is even rarer to sell as cut weight (meaning the weight after everything has been packaged). The farmer will base their hang weight price on a variety of things: the cost of the feeder pigs (if they are not farrowing, meaning birthing piglets on the farm), feed price, vet costs, vaccinations and the breed that is being raised.

There are many types of hogs that can be raised for butchering. We prefer to use heritage breeds. Our hogs are typically a cross between a few heritage breeds, which ensures the best feed to weight ratio and an end product that is well marbled with great flavor.

We like to be transparent about our practices, so here is how we do things. Birth to market for our hogs is about 8-10 months, and we target a live weight of about 300 pounds. The loss at cutting will result in a yield of about 60-65% of the live weight (remember that cut weight is different than hang weight), depending on the cuts the customer chooses. If you are looking for boneless cuts, sausage or smoked meats, the cut weight will be a bit less. The trade-off is that you get a greater variety of meats for your table. 

One of the biggest questions we get is, “how much freezer space is needed for a half or whole hog?” A half hog will require about 3.5-4 cubic feet of freezer space, and a whole hog will require about 7-8 cubic feet. The quality of your freezer is important in making sure that you are able to store the pork long term. A good quality deep freezer will keep pork for up to 12 months. A half hog will typically feed a family of 4 for about 6 months, except you might need to restock on bacon sooner. Bacon is typically the first thing to be eaten, because everyone loves bacon (and people REALLY love ours)!

Beef shares are typically a much larger investment. In the case of our beef, the end price often comes out to around $5.00 per pound plus processing fees. Your share price can include a variety of cuts, like high-quality ground beef and the incredibly popular ribeye, all for one bulk rate. In a butcher shop, a high-quality 1-inch thick ribeye will cost $18.00 a pound (at minimum). Live weight for the steers that our friends at Hickory Road raise for our customers, can range from around 1,000-1,400 pounds. The end result is a hang weight that is about 63-65% of the live weight.  After cutting, there is an additional loss of about 30-40%. As mentioned with pork, this weight loss comes from the removal of bones, grinding of meat and processing of specialty cuts.  A quarter share will last a family of 4 about 6 months, depending on how often they eat beef and how far they stretch each meal. Much like pork, if stored in a quality deep freezer, your beef will stay fresh for at least 12 months. Freezer space for a quarter cow will require about 8-10 cubic feet, if you keep everything nice and organized.

While we can no longer raise lamb on our property, we can always provide a referral to another local farm that does. Shares of lamb are much smaller weight, and are typically sold in half or whole. The price will vary from farm to farm, but you can expect a hang weight of about 60-70 pounds. Lamb is unique in that it is a very rich meat that will yield small cuts, but those cuts make incredible meals that will impress guests or family. 

A few key takeaways when buying meat shares. Please make sure you have a reliable freezer, and install an alarm on the freezer to alert you to any possible power loss or change in temperature. To lose a share that you spent good money on, due to a freezer failure, is devastating. Watch for excessive frost in the freezer. If there is a bad seal this will allow condensation to develop, and can lead to freezer burn or damage to packaging. Be creative with your share cuts, utilizing as many of the meat options as possible. This will help you get more for your dollar, and contribute to less waste in the environment. Take the lard or the tallow, it can be great for baking, for soap making, for suet feeders or even for cooking. Consider using the organ meats and oxtail. Make sure to ask for the hog jowls, this is an incredible cut of meat that makes a perfect slice of bacon for a sandwich! The beef soup bones and pork neck bones can be turned into stock. Beef short ribs should ALWAYS be bone in, this will allow for a restaurant quality meal and will become a family favorite. 

Thank you for supporting your local farms. Knowing where your food comes from and putting your money back into the community economy, is the best way to contribute to community sustainability! If you are interested in purchasing a share from our farm, please get in touch.