Is Buying a Quarter Cow Worth It? A Real Cost Comparison
Thinking about buying a quarter cow and wondering if it is worth it? Here is the honest math against what you pay at the grocery store today. I am Jeff Mundorf, fifth generation on our family's Iowa farm near Red Oak.
The real numbers: grocery store vs quarter cow
According to recent Bureau of Labor Statistics data, ground beef averages about $6.89 a pound nationally, uncooked steak about $13.06 a pound, and roasts about $9.57 a pound. A quarter cow from us works out to roughly $12.50 a pound, and that one blended price includes steaks, roasts, and ground beef together. Our average already beats the national average for steak alone, while also covering the roasts and ground beef you buy separately every week.
You are not comparing the same product
Grocery beef at those averages is typically not dry-aged, and you cannot know whether hormones or additives were used. Ours is dry-aged up to 21 days, raised without growth hormone implants or feed additives, and finished on pasture and grain the way cattle have been raised on this farm for generations. You are paying a fair price for a genuinely different product.
Price security in an uncertain market
The national cattle herd is near its lowest in decades and more beef is being imported to fill the gap, which points to continued price pressure at the store. When you reserve a quarter, your price is locked in and your beef is already in your freezer. If a quarter is not enough, compare the half cow or read quarter vs half.
Frequently asked questions
Is buying a quarter cow cheaper than the grocery store?
Our blended price of about $12.50 a pound beats the national average for steak alone, while also including roasts and ground beef in that same price.
What is included in the price?
A mix of steaks, roasts, and ground beef, all dry-aged and custom cut, for one blended price rather than separate per-cut pricing.
Does my price change if grocery prices go up?
No. Once you reserve, your price is locked in regardless of what happens at the store.
Is it really comparable to store beef?
Not exactly. Ours is dry-aged and raised without hormones or additives, so you are paying a fair price for a different, higher-quality product.
Keep reading
About the author. Jeff Mundorf is the fifth generation raising cattle on his family's seventh-generation Iowa farm near Red Oak, founded in 1873. He studied Meat Science and Animal Science at Colorado State University.