What are the advantages of buying beef in bulk?
The #1 Advantage … You Know A Lot More About Your Beef
When meat is purchased in small quantities at the grocery store, most folks have no idea who raised it, how it lived or died, or the conditions where it spent its life. These things are more and more important as people start paying attention to our food system. People enjoy knowing that the animal produced for their table was raised by the same people who drop it off at their door, and they enjoy knowing their money will support the local economy. Everything is built on trust and buying beef in bulk usually requires a local ranch, not a grocery store. You can build a solid relationship with your local ranch and, in turn, harness that trust.
Yes, You Can Talk to the Ranch Directly
Consumers can get direct answers from the ranch that are not always on the meat label at the grocery store to questions about grass (YAY! Grass-fed, grass-finished, pasture raised) versus grain (BOO!) fed diets of the animal, types of grain used to feed the animals (we NEVER DO GRAIN, EVER!) or the type of medical program the farmer uses to treat animals that become sick. Many of the misconceptions about eating meat can be asked to the farmer who raises the animal, and the customer can establish trust in the way the animal was raised.
You ALWAYS Have Beef on Hand
You can’t beat the convenience of having so much in your freezer. When you want to make a meal, you’ve got a main ingredient on hand.
What Questions Should I Ask the Ranch?
- Are processing fees included in the price or are they a separate cost? Rafter W Ranch pays for it all, therefore the savings are passed on to you (minus the headaches of paying multiple people). Their are no separate people to pay, just one payment to us for your amazing meats.
- How are the animals fed and raised? If grass vs. grain fed is important to you, inquire about that (read: What You Should Know About Grass Fed Beef). Ask about antibiotics and hormones or time spent on pasture versus a feedlot or confinement. Don’t be shy -– ranchers want their customers to have the right information.
- Can you make special requests? When ordering beef, can the ranch tell the processor whether they want ground beef formed into burgers, how thick you want the steaks to be cut, and what size (in pounds) you prefer roasts.
- Does your local ranch deliver or do you need to pick up the meat?
- Can you visit the ranch?
What Else Should One Consider When Buying In Bulk?
A lot of customers regularly wish they had ordered more ground beef, so keep that in mind! It seems as if you can never have enough ground beef.
According to the FDA, frozen foods can keep indefinitely (we constantly hear of our customers using their freezer to store our meats for longer than a year), but here are their guidelines for BEST QUALITY on roasts and steaks:
- Roasts: 4-12 months
- Steaks: 6-12 months
Most Importantly … the More Grass-Fed Beef You Have (which is Rafter’s ONLY BEEF), the Healthier You Can Eat
Grass-fed beef is definitely healthier and better for you. One health benefit to point out is CLA (Conjugated linoleic acid.) CLA exhibits potent antioxidant activity, and research indicates that CLA might be protective against heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Beef is one of the best dietary sources CLA, and grass-fed beef contains an average of 2-3 times more CLA than grain-fed beef. This is because grain-based diets reduce the pH of the digestive system in ruminant animals, which inhibits the growth of the bacterium that produces CLA.
When you stock up on our grass fed beef, you’ll be able to incorporate a healthy, farm-to-table beef cut into as many meals as you’d like!
So, ready to buy in bulk? Order below and we will deliver the freshest, healthiest beef to you. To purchase CLICK ON one of the first three choices (1/4, 1/2, or whole.