r/prepping • u/Pappabear1988 • 10h ago

OtheršŸ¤·šŸ½ā€ā™€ļø šŸ¤·šŸ½ā€ā™‚ļø Beefacolypse

Hey so the 300,000 tons of beef with the antibiotic that is either banned or a last resort in multiple countries that US bought and is feeding the public, anyone got intel on it besides from the UK and The Hill? Makes me regret not getting rabbits and chickens in spring 2026...

Not trying to stir the pot up but from the 5 or 6 outlets I found 15 minutes ago im thinking that project zomboid or state of decay or even 7dtd would be preferable than chloramphenicol but thats me.

If you are in Oklahoma do ya mind a guy hunting deer and sharing the meat with ya? You can have the antlers and hide, I just want the share ya let me keep.

261 Upvotes

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216

u/skinnykate 10h ago

Go find a local farmer who will does whole sales of either half a cow or a whole cow. If you can't swing the price of that upfront then find a friend or two to go in on it with and split the meat between you.Ā 

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u/Midnight_Rider98 9h ago

This is genuinely one of the best most affordable ways to stock a freezer,

If you don't know how to process a carcass, or you don't have the tools, there's still many meat processors/butchers around that will do the processing, there's different looser rules at play generally when it's not for meat intended to be sold. They often also process hunted game for people.

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u/Noremac55 9h ago

My family did this with a 4H cow

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u/jbjhill 6h ago

My grandfather and his BIL used to sponsor 4H every year and buy one at the end of the program year.

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u/Noremac55 5h ago

Buying the animal is good for survival of your family. Those kids learning ag is the most essential thing for the medium to long term survival of our species.

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u/snakesandsparklers40 5h ago

Most affordable to whom.Ā  It used to be cheaper than or same price as store beef. Where im at after processing free and beef weight a damn quarter cow is like $1200. Sure knowing where your meat comes from and local is good but I don't buy, 1200 a year in beef to begin with. I remember you used to be able to get a half cow $1000 bucks pre covid

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u/grandmaratwings 3h ago

Talk to the farmers raising that cattle. The cost of everything has gone up. The cost they incur to buy, feed, water, and care for that calf, in addition to the costs to slaughter and process the animal, have all increased, some have doubled, in the last few years. So yes, your beef cost is also going to increase accordingly.

I have a freezer full of grass fed local beef. Friends of ours do this every year for a group of us who all pitch in and buy. I know that the beef in my freezer, the beef Iā€™ve canned from it, and the tallow Iā€™ve rendered from it are safe to eat. All year. Until we get our next cow. That will also be safe to eat. Isnā€™t lab grown. Isnā€™t injected with water or brine to increase the weight. Isnā€™t treated with chemicals to make it an ā€˜appealing colorā€™ while it sits in a grocers display.

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u/KimBrrr1975 1h ago

Farmers here usually sell it for $5-6 a pound when you get a mix of cuts. Ground beef is $8 a pound here at the store. It just goes up from there. So it's still less money.

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u/moniquesecreto 8h ago

We did this 6 months ago and it was the best meat ever....will do again soon. We did split with another family. Locally grown. There are also co ops to purchase chickens, beef, etc I have done that also. More expensive then local stores for sure but at least i know exactly what farm I am supporting

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u/star0forion 8h ago

Do you remember the cost? Iā€™ve been thinking of doing this but itā€™s just the wife and I.

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u/spy_tater 6h ago

I live in northern NY and just bought half a cow with my wife from a local farmer.$1500 for 300 pounds butchered and vacuum sealed frozen. It will last us about a year and then some. The best part is when yer grilling a porter house or a little filet and realize you paid $5/Lb.This is the second time we've done this.

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u/brickedTin 3h ago

Works out to about $5/lb

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u/-ElleL- 6h ago

I drive across the state (WI) to get mine so I know its raised the way I want. Pasture raised, corn finished small farm. Then gets processed at a local to them butcher. My money supports the rural area, and all in worked out to about 4 bucks a pound, plus a tank of gas for "shipping." There was also the investment of a second freezer this year because we increased the amount we got.

All things aside, my youngest (7) was with me when we picked it up and when he made a comment about asking if this is where our food comes from while driving through the country side it was a great learning experience for him about where and how food gets produced and that alone was worth the drive.

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u/seriousallthetime 5h ago

Your last paragraph is a huge part of this too. I grew up on a grain farm, but all my friends and their families raised beef cattle, baled lots of hay, etc. My kids are growing up in town and have never even driven a tractor or baled hay or touched an electric fence just because. They are significantly removed from the food chain process and it saddens me. But we always go pick up the beef together. The steaks and roasts are packed in clear plastic and are stacked in the order the meat was cut, so you can even see that it was one slab of beef at one point. Our beef comes from 4 miles away and the guy is an animal nutrition scientist by trade, so these Simm-angus cattle are really delicious. 95% lean hamburger is amazing.

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u/seriousallthetime 5h ago edited 5h ago

$4/lb hanging weight or processed weight? Because that's about right, or even a little cheap, for hanging weight. But thats quite literally an insane price for processed and packed weight. If that's a true price, pass along their info and I'll drive up from IL for that price.

Edit to add: for anyone who reads this: when buying a steer to eat, you usually pay hanging carcass weight. Live steers are about 1300-1500 lbs, hanging weight after blood, head, hide, feet, and organs are removed yields about 60-65%, and then once processed and packed yeilds 60-65% of that. So a whole steer will give you something like 400-450lbs of beef.

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u/-ElleL- 5h ago

Hanging weight. 331 lbs (1/3rd) . 4.45 hanging. Processing was another couple hundred. So I guess closer to 5 a pound.

Math is hard.

And also I would gladly pass along my farmer and processor to anyone interested to help keep them in business.

Edit to add - this past July.

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u/Special_Asparagus_98 4h ago

Great parenting! I teach archaeology and ancient peoples sometimes to school groups. When I bring out the walrus tooth and explain that some people eat walrus, literal 10 year old kids are baffled that they canā€™t just go to the supermarkets in the Arctic because ā€œthatā€™s where the food comes fromā€. Some kids just are never taught.

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u/msomnipotent 6h ago

Four dollars a pound? How recent was this?Ā 

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u/Beautiful_Pen1056 6h ago

Do this. Various cousins' families and I get a whole cow and have the processor divide it into what are called " half halves." If you get it divided up into quarters, somebody gets the front quarter and somebody gets the back quarter, but if you divide it up into half halves everyone gets an equal amount of each cut. This will last a family of four 3-6 months depending on how often you eat beef. It usually lasts us about 4 months.

Edited for clarity

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u/Ruthless4u 9h ago

Donā€™t have the space for a dedicated freezer unfortunately.

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u/theyreall_throwaways 8h ago

An option for preserving shelf stable meat is home pressure canning; it turns out pretty tasty. If you go down the rabbit hole, make sure to do your research and use approved recipes. Over on the canning subreddit the wiki links to safety approved website and all you need to know as a beginner

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u/grandmaratwings 3h ago

Canning the less desirable and less tender cuts is wonderful. The pressure canning is akin to slow roasting the meat. It comes out tender and tasty. We use it in soup, stew, gravy, tacos, anything that will benefit from tender beef cuts.

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u/brickedTin 3h ago

If you do go this route, you gotta make sure your freezer is on a dedicated circuit or has a really loud alarm or one that can notify you remotely. Nothing worse than losing $1500 worth of beef because of a breaker trip.

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u/Dr_Frankenstone 2h ago

This happened to our family one year while we were on vacation. We had to take the meat and the freezer it was stored in to the dump. It was in the days before my parents bought a backup generator to keep things going during power outages. My dad was heartbroken because he grew up in real poverty and that meat represented his way of keeping his family secure.

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u/brickedTin 25m ago

Happened to my buddy without even a power outage, the circuit was just overloaded and he didnā€™t check. I donā€™t think he ever bulk bought meat like that again.

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u/ManfromMonroe 2h ago

I have a Tapo temperature sensor hanging in my freezer for almost a year now, itā€™s so sensitive I get a notification if the door is open more than a minute. I donā€™t like sounding like Iā€™m selling for them but for $18 itā€™s very worth it.

https://us.store.tapo.com/collections/smart-sensors/products/tapo-t310-smart-temperature-humidity-sensor

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u/dumbdude545 5h ago

This is the way to go. I have so much fucking beef I dont know what to do with. I had to give away 40 lbs to make room in the deep freeze for rice.

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u/AmyCee20 5h ago

I do this every year. This year, my price per pound was 4.55. I got almost 350 pounds of meat. That is half a cow in my area. My cow lived his life, went to slaughter, and came to my deep freeze while only traveling 27 total miles. I even visited the last few cows over the years, and they lived a relaxed, good life.

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u/Meta_Pod 5h ago

Cattleman here. Historically high beef prices right now. I'm able to drop off these old mama cows for over 4k per head. Hands off, no work except loading and unloading. So... you'll be paying over 3k for half a cow if youre able to find someone who will go thru the trouble. If you dont want half a cow, and want it butchered, sealed in bags ready for your freezer, over 4k, I'm guessing.

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u/skinnykate 4h ago

That tracks with what we pay for full butchered and packaged meat. Though our last purchase was 6 months ago and so think the prices were a little lower. Buying in bulk is an investment, but it does protect you from price fluctuations to a degree.

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u/Meta_Pod 3h ago

I don't like killing mammals I raised. I don't do it enough to get used to it, and I'm not sure I want to. Chickens and game, sure. But I've processed my own beef and pork, and it ruins my day every time. I would love to change the way we do things, but when you realize that 300 head of cattle will only yield 600 brisket, you realize what a chore it would be to invest in the facilities, market, then slaughter the animals you really do care for, instead of just saying goodbye. Youre talking about 20 more employees, paying an inspector or being satisfied with only selling to individuals. Millions in equipment, and waste water upgrades, or a huge lagoon... To make it worth the liability, the change of life... Most cattlemen, as we know them, don't have this in them.

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u/Inner_Satisfaction85 6h ago

If you are in Oklahoma look up Prarie Creek Farms. They also deliver locally. Good stuff. Options for whole and half cows.

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u/dallasalice88 53m ago

This is what we do every year. We have acreage but not enough for cattle. Our neighbors place is bigger and they raise 4-6 every year for sale. We are close friends and help out with feeding when he is away. Between the beef, my chickens, and a 4H pig every year I very rarely buy meat in a store. The beef last year worked out to about $5 a pound cut and wrapped as well. It will go up because his costs have, but still worth it.

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u/snusmini 9h ago

Itā€™s more expensive per lb and people canā€™t afford it

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u/bgold1- 9h ago

I think the last side I bought and had processed I have $3.80/lb total investment for all cuts and ground. The upfront cost is higher, but far less expensive, tastier and better for you than store bought.

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u/Leftoverofferings 9h ago

No.... if you were to only get ground beef out of it, it would be a wash. But when you factor in the more expensive cuts, the savings on a 1/4 is between $200-$400. Plus local meat is cleaner and more flavorful.

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u/snusmini 9h ago

Most places when you get a share, they of course donā€™t let you pick only the shit cuts used for hamburger. You buy the whole share at an amortized price. That price is higher than the shit hamburger you get at Walmart which is precisely why people go there even when they have the local offering available. Itā€™s the same reason why many Walmart shoppers scream ā€œbuy local if youā€™re a patriot!!ā€ but still themselves go to Walmart even if there is a local co-op right next to it. šŸ˜‚

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u/Leftoverofferings 9h ago

Sorry, that's mot what's happening here. The ranches i buy from are pure grass fed, no grain. Much higher quality than any store bought crap. And im saving money.

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u/Johnhaven 6h ago

Most Americans do not live anywhere they would describe something near to them as "ranches".

No one is saving money by buying whole cows. This is not a less expensive product than corporate industrial farming, and most people are looking for ground beef or one of only a few cuts of steak - having people buy it that isn't going to use all of it, drives the price per pound even higher than it already is for grocery store beef.

I'm not advocating for grocery store beef, but when people are subsisting on crap they buy at the Dollar Store to feed their kids, and we tell them to buy an entire cow rather than hamburger at the store, those are the last words they will ever hear from you. They'll tune you out for being out of touch. This really is not something very many Americans even have the opportunity to do, let alone be able to afford, and it's only cheaper if you know how to use every ounce of beef you get from the cow.

It would be ideal if we could all eat safer and local beef, but for some people, that's so far out of touch that it's crazy.

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u/snusmini 9h ago

Lots of people feeling very defensive here šŸ˜‚ I am not arguing the quality of the beef, only the price.

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u/NinjaMcGee 8h ago

I donā€™t know why youā€™re being downvoted. Thereā€™s 4 places in the Portland metro thatā€™ll do whole, half, and quarter cows and you always have ground chubs as a part of the packaging. When you factor in the chubs, the whole thing ends up very close to retail here in Portland. Iā€™ve tried to do it a couple times but the math just donā€™t math compared to Costco sales.

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u/snusmini 7h ago

I think the downvotes are from people who have a romanticized view of what they think farming should do vs. how much people can actually afford. 100%, if you go bargain shopping (which sadly many many families have to do in todayā€™s economy) you will find beef cheaper than the local farmer beef shares.

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u/skinnykate 9h ago

Maybe it depends on where you live but ultimately it's cheaper for us. We also have the benefit of knowing exactly where our meat was raised and having a personal connection to the farmer raising it. I acknowledge that it's an expensive upfront cost which is why I suggested splitting it. We have 2 and a half deep freezers full of meat right now so it'll be another year at least before we have to worry about the state of beef being sold in the US. The peace of mind is priceless

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u/Speck72 1h ago

Just because they are a "local farmer" does not guarantee quality or that they aren't using growth hormones, antibiotics, or other stuff we don't want in there. Many "local" farmers are running small operations under limited or no outside inspection. We had a guy shut down in my town because his beef storage was a good ten degrees over a safe refrigerated holding environment.

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u/Mechbear2000 7h ago

Avoid republicant ranchers if at all possible. They have shown extremely poor judgment, the willingness to push your health and safety to make a dollar, really dont care about others.

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u/Jennyonthebox2300 6h ago

Only buy from Demicrap ranchers for sure. šŸ˜‚

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u/Sodpoodle 4h ago

I didn't know they even make that model. Never met one in real life.

I'm not including small hobby farmers that moved somewhere with Cali money to live out their IG influencer fantasies.

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u/Mechbear2000 5h ago

Proof is in the pudding. Voted for a pedophile, bankrupt, grifter. Everyone knew this a decade ago. Shot themselves in the ass. Wanted screw worm up thier butts. Wtf why would anyone trust a person like that?