You want buy a cow? A what? A cow.
You want buy a cow? A what? A cow.
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You want buy a cow? A what? A cow.
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Post #1 - March 7th, 2005, 2:56 pmFrom John Caveny of Caveny Farms:Caveny Farm Pasture Raised Beef
In late fall or early spring, we buy calves to stock our pastures. For 9-10 months the cattle graze on nutritious grass and are fed a small amount of grain. The result is tender, tasty, naturally juicy beef for you.
You and your friends have an opportunity to partner with us on beef for your freezer. You and I invest our money and we do the work for you.
Here's How it Works
We buy calves from local farmers. We let them grow naturally on our grass without hormones or antibiotics. Every day we hand feed each calf a very small amount of ground corn and a custom mineral mix that optimizes growth and animal health. Each calf is given an identification number to help track performance. Our grazing technique is called Management Intensive Grazing. The result is healthy calves, healthy grass and quality beef. At the end of the grazing period we transport your calf to a state inspected locker plant in rural Arthur Illinois for processing and dry aging.
You decide how much locally raised and processed beef you and your family would like to eat during the next year. Quantities range from a whole beef or more, 1/2 beef, to a 1/2 of a 1/2 (some from the front quarter and some from the hind quarter.) You make an initial down payment to the Caveny family of $650.00 plus pay us $1.50 per day to feed and care for your calf. You pay us for the care and feed at the time of processing. You pay the processing charges to the local locker plant and take the processed beef home with you to enjoy.
Expense and Cost Example Spring 2005
Total production cost of pasture raised calf $ 1,190
Based on: Initial cost of calf $ 650
360 days of care and feed $ 540
For 580 pound carcass weight, custom processing cost .... $ 300*
Total cost: cut, wrapped and frozen. $1,490*
$2.57* per pound for quality pasture raised beef
* These are estimated costs. Actual cost will be calculated on actual carcass weight at time of processing
Whole beef $1,490.00
1/2 beef $745.00
1/2 of 1/2 beef $372.50
Contact: John Caveny 1999 N. 935 East Rd. Monticello, Il 61856
Phone: 217-762-7767
Email: soilsteward@prairieinet.net
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Post #2 - March 7th, 2005, 3:05 pmNever thought about loading up the back of the minivan with 580 lbs. of beef, no bull....
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Post #3 - March 8th, 2005, 4:37 pmMy parents split a cow one year with some country folks when I was growing up. I'm sure he wasn't organic, since this was some years back.
Unfortunately, Ivan(we named the cow) was the pits: tough and chewy. Anytime he had to be taken out of the freezer everyone moaned and groaned, and said "Not, Ivan the terrible!" It was a lot of meat and he got us through one long winter.
There wasn't a money back guarantee on the cow or anything.Reading is a right. Censorship is not.
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Post #4 - March 8th, 2005, 5:01 pmAnother alternative is to hook up with the many 4-H kids in the collar counties who are raising beef cattle. By doing this, you can purchase an animal that is fed grain only. That way, you will ensure that you will not get an Ivan.
In my last position in Cleveland, we would buy 10-20 animals at the local county fair with a preference toward the animals raised by the children of our employees. We distributed the meat to the employees and to the local food pantries.
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Post #5 - March 8th, 2005, 5:18 pmHI,
All the 4-H kids are quite happy to have a sponsor, though the mechanics of the arrangement I'm not quite up to snuff. Via my activities in Lake County, I am hooked into the 4-H network, so if there is an interest I could make some inquiries and perhaps provide an introduction.
The kids who raise animals via 4-H really do profit at the open auction at the Lake County Fair.
For the time these kids raise these animals, the animals are treated like royalty. I remember coming in one evening before the fair to eradicate some hornets nests. The kids were walking their (pet) pigs like one would walk a dog. Sunday afternoon is a sea of tears in the barns as the kids transfer their animals to their final destination.
A freezer full of Ivan, that must be a grim memory.Cathy2
"You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
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Post #6 - March 8th, 2005, 7:18 pmIt is kind of cool to go to the fair knowing that you have to buy one steer, two pigs, one lamb, a gaggle of geese, half a flock of chickens and a goat.
We used to ask employees, many of whom were 4-H advisors to tell us who was raising what. We might contact the kid directly and make sure that the steer was fed grain. We got some very well marbled beef.
My FIL sent a steer for processing last month. Two quarters were canned, one was sold to one their tenants and the balance went into their freezer.
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Post #7 - March 8th, 2005, 7:50 pmjlawrence01 wrote: Two quarters were canned,
May I ask, canned in what manner? Beef stew? Perhaps a nice corned beef hash? I know I'm missing something....or am I?Steve Z.
“Only the pure in heart can make a good soup.”
― Ludwig van Beethoven
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Post #8 - March 8th, 2005, 8:11 pmstevez wrote:jlawrence01 wrote: Two quarters were canned,
May I ask, canned in what manner? Beef stew? Perhaps a nice corned beef hash? I know I'm missing something....or am I?
You are not alone, stevez.
Erik M.
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Post #9 - March 9th, 2005, 2:13 amMany people can beef, turkey and chicken as a way of preserving the food without refrigeration for use at a later date. It is fairly common practice.
For example, each year, the Amish communities in the Arthur, IL. can a large number of turkey thights and related meat for its contribution to the Mennonite Central Committee for disstribution around the world.
My FIL's sister likes the taste of canned beef over frozen beef so they buy a quarter steer every other year. Personally, it is not my cup of tea, but to each there own taste.
They either dice the meat or cut it into small roasts and then can it.
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Post #10 - March 9th, 2005, 5:58 amSo, the beef is cooked in some way before being canned?Steve Z.
“Only the pure in heart can make a good soup.”
― Ludwig van Beethoven
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Post #11 - March 9th, 2005, 8:55 amHI,
I'm interested in knowing jlawrence's family's approach.
You can either raw pack or have it partially cooked as stated here. The preservation of meat requires very long processing times. If this was a winter or fall activity, it might be rather pleasant.
I've canned meat just to try it out. It was tolerated though not enthusiastically received. As jlawrence observed, if you grew up eating canned meat, then it has a more familiar and acceptable taste.
Yet there are some advantages to canning meat or to canning in general:
- Shelf stable food
- Food preserved at the peak of ripeness (and usually when it is cheapest)
- Recipes are made to your taste.
- Freezers do have costs of acquisition, consume electricity and space.
Long ago, when I was experimenting in canning meats. Though my family wasn't thrilled, I thought it could be a portable meal brought to work.Cathy2
"You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways, Road Food 2012: Podcast
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Post #12 - March 9th, 2005, 11:47 amWe took some high school kids to the food pantry to work one evening. While we have always participated in local food drives, one thing struck home that I had not considered before. While they are happy to take any non-perishable food (and hygiene) items, the one thing they are always short of is canned meat, for protein. A lot of families depend on the food donated by the community, and most donors don't think of purchasing canned meat.
So, for those of you who enthusiastically purchased multiple cans of meat products in your home that you later found unappealing, why not consider donating them to your local food pantry??" There is more stupidity than hydrogen in the universe, and it has a longer shelf life."
- Frank Zappa
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Post #13 - March 9th, 2005, 10:34 pm>>I'm interested in knowing jlawrence's family's approach. <<
First, it is my in-law's approach. I am a city boy. My mother always equated canning with botulism so when we had excess from my father's 2 acre garden, it would go into the basement or into the freezer. His mother (and aunts on the farm) did a lot of canning which was essential for feeding a family of eleven during the Depression.
According to my mother-in-law, there are several ways to can beef.
[WARNING: These are general directions and not to be relied upon for use. Please do the proper research.
Her preferred method is to take large roasts and roast them in the oven until medium. Allow the meat to cool and cut the meat into bite-sized chunks. Place the beef and broth into the Mason jars. Seal the jars with fresh lids and place them in the pressure cooker where they need to cook for quite a while.
The second approach is to cut a roast into chunks and place raw into a Mason jar. Add a tablespoon of salt per quart jar. Add no liquids. Seal the jars with fresh lids and place them in the pressure cooker where they need to cook for quite a while.
The cooking time is quite long.
Melinda Lee, the KFI cooking show lady, refused to give directions on how to cure raw olives. Her argument was that to go through all of the instructions over the phone was not sufficient that I needed to read the directions. She sent me 20 pages on instructions from the California Extention Service. WOW!
Please do your homework before canning as you MUST do it right.
I will be heading back home in a few weeks and canned beef will be on the menu ... ask and you will be served it ...
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Post #14 - April 5th, 2005, 1:45 pmI was not planning to resurrect this thread until I had the time to return to Ohio and had the opportunity to actually try the beef that my in-laws recently canned.
When I arrived on Friday night, the in-laws informed me that we would be having the canned beef for lunch. The meat consisted of small chunks of chuck roast that had been canned in a one-quart Mason jar. Visually, it probably wasn't the most appetizing thing that I have ever seen but generally canned food isn't.
The meat actually compared very favorably to the usual pot roast that we are generally served. (We have a running joke that the little white tab that pops up on my MIL's turkey says "I surrender" as you will *never* see a piece of meat that is less than well done.) The meat was moist and 'falling off the bone' tender. The meat was sufficiently seasoned but not excessively salty. And it had a very good taste.
It beat the daylights out of the USDA stuff that I encountered earlier in my career.
I probably will not have them can me any beef as the cost of processing the cow is pretty expensive and the process is quite time-consuming. I can do better price wise at Woodman's. However, for those with limited freezer space, it is not a bad way to go.
