Question 1

What is BQA and what does it mean to be BQA certified

Accepted Answer

BQA is Beef Quality Assurance.

The goal of the BQA program is to assure consumers that all cattle shipped from a farm or ranch produce safe, healthy, and wholesome beef. Their management has met FDA, USDA, and EPA standards. They meet quality requirements throughout the production systems and are produced using animal welfare, worker safety, and environmentally sound production practices.

Question 2

Do we use antibiotics

Accepted Answer

Yes. If we have an animal that needs treatment for a condition where an antibiotic is recommended, we will pull the animal from our herd and place them in a isolation pen and treat it under the guidance of our veterinarian. Judicious use of antibiotics helps prevent infections and disease and reduces the potential for stress on cattle. All feeder cattle must meet withdrawal time recommendations as established by the pharmaceutical company and the FDA prior to harvesting. We pride ourselves on the excellent care given to our cattle and the conditions in which they are raised in maintaining a healthy herd, eliminating the need for antibiotic use unless absolutely warranted.

Question 3

What is hanging weight?

Accepted Answer

Generally, bulk meat is sold as "hanging weight". Hanging weight is the weight of the carcass, organs, head, feet, and skin removed. This weight is generally 60-62% of an animal’s live weight. Hanging weight is very precise and is done by the butcher on certified scales. Hanging weight is not typically the amount of meat you will get. Animals are typically hung for 2-3 weeks in a controlled environment (temperature and moisture). During this time, you can expect some shrinkage in the meat, which ages and tenderizes the meat as the natural enzymes break down. There is also "trim". Trim is what is lost during cuts. This includes bones, fat, tendons, etc. Things that you don’t want on your plate but can add up. You can lose another 40% of the weight. So, a 1200 lb. animal may have a hanging weight of 720 lbs (1200x.6), which will give you 432 lbs. of actual meat. (720x.6)
When looking at the whole picture of making a beef purchase, don't let the overall upfront cost intimidate you. If you do the math, it is a lot cheaper than your average grocery store pricing.

Question 4

How much beef will I receive?

Accepted Answer

Each cow will weigh differently, so the amounts will vary. See the hanging weight information sheet for detailed information. As an example, an average weight for our steers averages around 700 lbs. This yields approximately 375 lbs. of actual meat you take home. This is for a whole cow. A half a cow would be approx. 188 lbs. and a quarter approx. 100 lbs.

Question 5

What types of cuts will I get?

Accepted Answer

You will be given a cut sheet that you fill out if you purchase a whole or half share. You will also be given a cut sheet guide to help you make the selections, and of course, we are available if you have questions. For quarters, we use a standard cut sheet, this will give you a mix of the front and hind quarters.

Question 6

How many steaks do I get?

Accepted Answer

This is a question we get a lot. This will depend on the weight of the cow and the selection of your steak thickness, roast size, and other cuts. As an example, here is the number of cuts a WHOLE cow could bring. This cow was on the heavier side at 771 lbs. The take-home amount was around 433 lbs. There were some miscellaneous cuts, such as ground chuck (instead of roasts) and cube steak, and fajita meat (instead of bottom round roasts). Steak thickness was 1”. Also, keep in mind that each processor cuts differently and may or may not offer certain cuts. If there is a particular cut you do want, please let us know so we can see if the processor can accommodate.

Question 7

How do I choose my cuts?

Accepted Answer

Beef Cutting:                                                                                             
There are four specific sections (two of each, one per side) of Beef and a few miscellaneous items. Hamburger is always a given just how much is determined by how each section is cut.  Steak Thickness is to your preference (average is 1”). Roasts size in pounds is to your preference as well (average is 3 to 4lbs), Hamburger package size can be 1lb., 2lbs. and 6 lbs.

The sections are as follows:
 
The Rib – There are seven ribs per side for this section. We can cut the Bone IN Rib Steak, the Boneless Delmonico/Ribeye Steak or Rib Roasts. The Rib Roasts can be done in one of two ways ; by the Rib or by the pound. For example, a 3 Rib roast is heavier in weight than a 3lb roast.  On a whole beef or half of a beef, we can do two of the three cutting options. However, if you are quartering the beef we can only do one of the options.
 
The Chuck – The chuck is the largest section on each side of any beef. It is made up of the Arm and the Blade. We DO NOT differentiate between the two when cutting. For this section, we can cut Steaks (bone in or boneless), Roasts, cut for Stew Meat, or we can Grind any portion of it for Hamburger. On a whole or half of a beef we can do two of the cutting options. However, if you are quartering a beef we can only cut one of the options.
 
The Loin – Each side of this section can be cut one of two ways for beef under 30 months of age. The Standard Cut, which includes the Bone In steaks of T-Bones, Porterhouses and Sirloins.  The Optional Cut, which includes the Boneless, cuts of Filets, NY Strips and Sirloin Strip (top sirloin). If your beef is over 30 months of age, USDA regulations state that all slaughter facilities must remove the spinal column. When this is removed, the boneless Optional Cut is all that is available.
 
The Round – This section is broken down again into four smaller sections: The Eye Round: this is the smallest section, which can be done one of three ways. As a roast, the Eye Round is a long tube shape and it is typically cut into one or two per side depending on the roast size chosen. As steaks, the Eye Round will be a round medallion size cut.  This section can also be ground up to add to the Hamburger. The Top Round: This we can cut one of four ways: Roasts, Steaks, London Broil (approximately 2” thick and/or 2lbs a piece), or it can be ground up to add to the Hamburger. The Bottom Round: We would recommend this section cut one of three ways:  Roasts, Cube Steak (for an added charge) on what has been run through the tenderizer), or ground up to add to the Hamburger. The Sirloin Tip:  This section can be cut one of three ways as well: Roasts, Steaks, or ground up to add to the Hamburger.
 
The Miscellaneous Items:  These items can either be kept as they are specified in the descriptions below or ground up to add with the Hamburger. Keep in mind that by choosing any of these, you will not lose anything from any of the above sections.  The Flank Steak: a thin steak from either side of the groin area. The Short Ribs: from the plate of the animal and are cut in 1” wide to 3” long. Stew Meat (typically 1lb packs): this comes from the whole animal.   They are nice meaty sized chucks that are too good to add in with the hamburger. The Brisket: this piece of meat comes from the chest area and is wonderful to put in a smokehouse for a nice long slow cook. Soup Bones: our version of soup bones is all four shanks starting at the top cutting about 1” thick slices down to the end. The upper portion slices have more meat compared to the lower portion. We can also remove all the meat and save the bones as “bones”.

Question 8

Who is our processor?

Accepted Answer

We currently use USDA certified processor Faquiers Finest Butcher in Bealton, Virginia. We have been pleased with our end product and know our cattle are harvested humanely and all state and federal laws are followed.

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