![There's not a meat shortage ... [900x1125 - 1.25MB]](https://pic8.co/sh/iMOhKU.png){kind=link}
We do this yearly.
FYI - this is do-able, but does require some planning.
- Negotiate a year in advance with the rancher, after his calving but before he sends the yearlings to market.
- Have him hold the steer on the land until it is 18-20 months old. (Unless a rancher is doing "grass fed", he will ship/sell off to a feed lot 6-9 months earlier.
- This is the big one - get a reservation at a meat processor. We have to put a cash deposit on a slaughter date 12-13 months out. (Yes - we have to reserve - with cash - a slaughter date for the NEXT steer before we've slaughtered our current steer.) Being a full service slaughter / butcher is a dying breed. At least in our part of the country. It's the 3 D's - Difficult / Dangerous / Dirty.
Bottom line - there isn't enough capacity in the local butches for even 1% of the people to go do this 'tomorrow'.
We do this yearly.
FYI - this is do-able, but does require some planning.
1. Negotiate a year in advance with the rancher, after his calving but before he sends the yearlings to market.
2. Have him hold the steer on the land until it is 18-20 months old. (Unless a rancher is doing "grass fed", he will ship/sell off to a feed lot 6-9 months earlier.
3. This is the big one - get a reservation at a meat processor. We have to put a cash deposit on a slaughter date 12-13 months out. (Yes - we have to reserve - with cash - a slaughter date for the NEXT steer before we've slaughtered our current steer.) Being a full service slaughter / butcher is a dying breed. At least in our part of the country. It's the 3 D's - Difficult / Dangerous / Dirty.
Bottom line - there isn't enough capacity in the local butches for even 1% of the people to go do this 'tomorrow'.
(post is archived)