One thing I'm most interested is hopefully being able to specify the hamburger to be 90%+ lean. I know for 400# of meat, that's a lot of hamburger, but if I can keep the hamburger lean, I'll be happy. I did see the site mentioned it's an extra $0.50/lb for processing if you want them made into patties, so I may opt to do that for some of it.

You can buy direct from the farm itself, so I think I'll go down and check out what their beef looks like and maybe get a few samples to try before buying the entire half.
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Is it organic? Just cause it doesn't have hormones in it doesn't mean they haven't shot the thing up with all the other usual meds, antibiotics, and what nots. I have been in the cattle business for some time and this seems pretty reasonable, maybe even pretty cheap. I think processing fees can be around $.50 to $1.00 per pound. I don't usually deal with that end, I just raise the cattle and sell them. But I only deal with 100% organic black angus cows.
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We use a local farmers market and just buy the cuts. I would agree with what most the others have said and before you jump feet first try smaller samplings and get references.
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"Organic" does mean something and anyone who tells you otherwise doesn't know what the meaning of it. It means there is absolutely nothing that is adulterated. My cows do not get hormones, do not get antibiotics, and pretty much live in a wild environment and only eat grass that is organic and not fertilized or adulterated as well. Nothing on our ranch has been adulterated in any way. We have hundreds of acres of pure coastal bermuda that we transplanted over 20 years ago into our fields and cut and hold over 200 round bales of hay and fence it off with electric wire to help out our cattle just in case of drought. Thankfully we never have to use it. Organic is just better for the environment and for you, but raising cattle is not in any way environmentally conscious I admit. But here in Texas, that's about the only thing that we can do. Nothing f***ing grows here hardly, and it is a pain in the ass to grow crops. I admire those that try.

Organic is clearly stated by the FDA now and somewhat regulated. Have trust my friend.

Though I can tell you that corn fed beef tastes better, and I prefer it. But if you age grass fed it can become very tasty. I have eaten meat all over the world. Argentina does meat the best as far as grass fed goes. Their meat is absolutely delicious with a wild game flavor to the meat because most are organic grass fed cattle. But for some reason this wild flavor cant be duplicated here in the states. Also Uruguay and Brazil do meat very well in a similar style.
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This is the place I'm interested in using.

http://www.doughertybeef.com/
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Sounds good to me. They seem pretty transparent about their practices so that is a plus. Go for it! Grain fed tastes good to me.
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I saw they are on facebook and a local FFA chapter seems to do stuff with them. They also seem very welcoming for anyone to come out to see the calves/farm, buy, so I think it's worth a shot.

Hell, this will be a lot cheaper than buying the drugged up stuff at Sams Club, so at least I'm getting a lower price while getting the natural stuff. Plus, it's always nice to help the small, local farmer out rather than the mega sized farms that have sprouted up over the last decade or two.
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Duane, I didn't read all the responses, but the bottom line is to ask some people how they liked the meat. Try the meat from the farm you picked a number of times, across all of their butchering times. Taste is going to vary across seasons, especially if they're hamburgering old milk stock.
If you find you really enjoy it, then go ahead and buy bulk.
By no means just go and buy a quarter or a half without doing your due diligence or you can very easily find that you just plain don't like the flavor of the meat. Meat from one farm can taste totally different from the farm next door.
Then once you find a farm you like, make sure that the same guy is caring for the beef. If hands change, the beef will change. It's very important to keep track of who is doing what.
That may sound like a pain, but honestly it's all the fun. Make good friends with the family, treat them well, and they'll learn what you like and make sure you get what you like.
If you don't have time to dig in and learn and make friends with the farm, it generally pans out to be a lousy experience sooner or later.
If you aren't real sensitive about the flavor and you like lots of seasoning on your beef, you don't need to sweat it so much.
Just remember that the good guys get the best stuff. Don't be afraid to take a pie or cookies or something every time you go to buy. That stuff goes a long, long way. Remember that this ain't walmart. This is the farmer's life's work. It's his art and his love. If you come from that angle with that kind of respect, you can't lose. :-)
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Agreed. I am all about supporting the local farmer. Good for you, good for him, and ultimately better for the environment. Keep it local ya'll!
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