Bulk Beef Questions

Although buying in bulk has many advantages, it also provokes a lot of questions - and requires a bit of planning. It's a significant investment! And then there's the question of logistics. Where do you put all that meat?

Let's dive into these issues.

Question #1: How does bulk buying fit in with my budget?

There's no question that buying in bulk is a significant financial investment. The initial price tag is what usually catches people's attention.

But as odd as it may seem, buying in bulk is actually the best financial decision.

First, bulk buying saves you money on delivery fees, taxes, and inflation - over the course of 6-12 months, or perhaps even longer.

Joe often says, when discussing inflation, that today's retail price is tomorrow's sale price. We've certainly seen that happen this year. Buying a year's worth of food insulates you from these price swings.

But it might actually save you money in the short term, too - by simply avoiding the store or going out. Think about the last time you ran out to the store, or logged online to shop, to get "just this one thing". Did you only get that? Or did you end up purchasing more? If you have food in your freezer at home, how much might you save by not impulse buying? How might you save on fuel costs if you don't need to pick up an order?

Next, bulk buying provides you with the highest-quality meat - at a "staple" price.

When you buy a whole or half beef, you're purchasing a single animal. All of your meat comes from this one animal, which has been raised according to the most ethical and healthy standards.

Did you know that this is not the case when you buy a pound of ground beef from a grocery store? One pound of ground beef can contain meat from from 100+ different animals. Not only does this have significant environmental consequences, but health concerns as well. What conditions were these cows in? What was put into their bodies? What are you then consuming into yours?

What you pay in price for bulk beef from a pasture-raised farm is what you receive in quality. Moreover, because you're buying "staple" cuts like ground beef alongside high-priced retail cuts like steak, you're able to get all your beef at a reasonable "staple" price.

Finally, buying in bulk provides the opportunity to make food a community decision.

We often think of our food as something that's individual to our own households. Few of us consult neighbors about what we should buy, or consider how we could help one another eat high-quality food.

Historically, however, butchering a whole animal has been a communal activity. It required multiple friends and families to complete the process - but then the bounty was theirs to share. This made meat accessible to many who couldn't afford it at market price.

I think this same principle can still apply today. Perhaps you can't afford a 1/2 or whole beef. But what if you split it with a neighbor, friend, or family member? Or even quartered it? There's no rules on how much you have to receive. Could receiving just a few months' worth of meat make sense financially?

It requires creativity and effort to do this. It probably requires multiple conversations about what cuts everyone prefers. It's certainly not as convenient as we're used to.

But if we're serious about supporting small farmers and the local economy, shouldn't this be something worth considering?

Question #2: What about space?

The answer to this question is partially dependent on the answer to question #1 - which options your budget realistically offers. If you're getting a whole or 1/2 beef, you likely will need another freezer. If you're sharing 1/16 of a beef with friends, however, you can probably fit it into your existing freezer just fine.

Whatever your situation, here are the numbers to consider:

• Plan for one cubic foot for every 20 lbs. of beef.
• For a 1/4 cow share, that would be about 4 cubic feet.
• For a 1/2 cow, you would need about 8 cubic feet.
• For a whole cow, you should plan for 16 cubic feet.

This question about space, then, also factors into your budget. Do you have room now? Or will you need to invest in another freezer? And is that investment worth it to you, given what we've discussed so far?

To help you consider these questions, I'll share some insights next week from customers who have bought in bulk before - what they've learned, why they like it, and what they might advise those considering it. Check out Part 3 for that information.