What actually comes in a quarter beef in Indiana

If you're thinking about buying a quarter beef, I want you to know what will actually go into your freezer. The name alone doesn't tell you how much packaged beef you'll receive, which cuts are included, or what the final bill will be. Those are the details that help you decide whether a larger order makes sense for your household.

At Tyner Pond Farm in Greenfield, our quarter beef bundle is about 85 pounds of packaged, 100% grass-fed and grass-finished beef. The current price is $1,345, including processing, packaging and local delivery within our delivery area around Central Indiana. There isn't a separate hanging-weight charge or processor bill.

From live weight to packaged beef

Live weight is the animal’s weight before processing. Hanging weight is the carcass after the hide, head, feet and internal organs are removed. That carcass still contains meat, bone and fat. Packaged weight is the finished cuts that go into your freezer after chilling, aging, cutting and trimming.

For illustration, a 1,000-pound animal might produce a 600-pound hanging carcass, or 60% of its live weight. If 65% of that hanging weight becomes packaged beef, the take-home amount is 390 pounds. That’s 39% of the original live weight.

Those percentages are an example, not a measured yield from our herd. Results vary with the animal and cutting choices, and packaged weight includes any bones left in the cuts.

The mix of cuts matters

About half of our quarter bundle is ground beef in one-pound packages. The rest includes steaks, assorted roasts, brisket, ribs and stew meat. The steak selection includes ribeye, New York strip, sirloin and filet mignon. You can see the current list on the quarter beef product page; cuts and weights may vary slightly with supply.

Read that list with your own kitchen in mind. If you use ground beef regularly and enjoy cooking a roast as well as a steak, a mixed bundle gives you different cuts to work through. If you mainly want one particular cut, buying it individually may suit you better. A large order is useful when the mix fits the way you already cook.

Make room before you order

Every cut arrives vacuum-sealed, labeled and frozen. Before ordering, look at the freezer space you actually have available. An empty freezer and one already holding this week's groceries are two different situations. Leave room to organize the packages so you can find what you want without unloading everything.

Think about the purchase as a whole, too. Does the total fit your budget? Will your household use ground beef, roasts and the other cuts? Do you like having a larger supply on hand? There isn't one right order size for every family. You can buy a few individual cuts from us whenever that works better.

Check the delivery plan

This quarter bundle is available for local delivery within our service area or pickup at the farm. It cannot be shipped. Enter your ZIP code on the product page to check local delivery availability before placing an order. The listed delivery window can be up to two weeks, so check the timing before counting on it for a particular gathering.

Our beef comes from cattle raised here at Tyner Pond Farm. They eat grass and forage through finishing. Whether you choose a quarter bundle or a few packages, you can know the farm behind the beef and choose an amount that works for you.

Start with the quarter bundle's current cut list, then look at your freezer and the meals you make. If those line up, you'll have a much clearer idea of what you're buying before you place the order.