I knew that it had been quite a while since we had changed the price for our meat but in looking back I was shocked to find that our price of $4 a pound on the hanging weight hasn't changed since 2007! Unfortunately, most other prices have changed in that time by a lot. I went to the live stock price index and you can compare the 2007 price and the 2013 prices- and that followed a lower trend after a peak in 2011 and 2012.
By my math these charts represent a 33% raise in the wholesale price of meat. We have decided to set our price this year at $4.25 for the meat per hanging weight. That means just the carcass without organs or hide. We will keep the same fee for cutting and vacuum packaging the meat as last year - another $1 a pound on the same hanging weight.
You can get more details on our web page- www.wolvernefarm.com. A normal side of beef averages about 250 pounds but they range from 200 to 300 pounds. You can expect a "standard" cutting package to yield about 15% fat and bones that will be in the trim box. This year we will cut up the bones as part of our "standard" cutting package. You can then use them for soup stock or leave them for the mushers as many of you have in the past. Your meat is always from animals younger than two years old (unless you order something older). It is always from our own beef breed stock and finished on grass without any antibiotics or growth hormones. That is our promise.
Because many of you are new this year I will say more about our benchmark "standard" cutting package. It is the benchmark from which you can customize your order. Remember, you can feel free to take your hanging side to another butcher or do it yourself.
Our "standard" package consists of about a three way split between hamburger (which is as lean as possible- like 90%), roasts, and steaks. The roasts are 3 to 4 pounds each and include prime chuck, sirloin tip, rump, bottom round, brisket, and eye of round. These are vacuum packaged individually. The steaks are cut 3/4 inch thick and are the rib eye, T bone, sirloin, flank, and round steaks. They are normally two to a package except that a lot of the large sirloins are single packed. The "standard" includes short ribs, some stew meat, and no organ meat. Hearts, livers, tongues, and tails and extra hamburger can be bought separately.
When we call you to attach your name to a specific side we will get your cutting instructions and you can change from the benchmark any way you want. A few have wanted only hamburger. I remember one that only wanted steak! That is unusual but possible.
I hope you enjoy your meat. We have always maintained a money back guarantee. We will buy back whatever you haven't already eaten if you don't like it.
