Bulk Beef FAQs

General FAQs

Who are we and where are we from?

We are Steve & Jessi and we put the S and the J in S & J Farms.

We are a husband & wife owned & operated beef farm from Southern Minnesota.

We take pride in taking care of our cattle like we would our family.

How do I speak your language?

Heifer Calf: Baby Female

Bull Calf: Baby Male

Heifer: Female that has not given birth to a calf

Heiferette: Female that has given birth to and is nursing her first calf but has not had her second calf

Cow: Female that has given birth to her second calf

Bull: Intact Male capable of reproducing

Steer: Non-intact Male that is not capable of reproducing

How long can beef be stored in my freezer?

FDA recommends the following:

Steaks: 6-12 months

Roasts: 4-12 months

Ground Beef: 3-4 months

How do I decide how much to buy? How long will it last?

The amount and ages of those enjoying the beef can determine whether you should consider an 1/8, 1/4 or 1/2. On average a family of four can consume a 1/2 of beef in one year. Depending on your personal situation, you could consume less or more.

How much freezer space will I need?

A 1/4 of beef will fit in a 5-7 cu. ft freezer. The rule of thumb is one cubic foot of freezer space for every 35 – 40 pounds of packaged meat.

What is corn silage?

We raise corn, soybeans and hay on our farm and are in control of our feed supply.

We use the benefit and nutrition of the entire corn plant by chopping it and mixing it into our feed ration. That chopped product is called corn silage.

Processing FAQs

What cutting options do I have for processing?

Roasts: Arm, Chuck, Rump, Sirloin Tip Roast
Steaks: Ribeye, Round, Sirloin, T-Bone Steak
Ground Beef
Stew Meat
Other: Liver, Heart, & Tongue
Soup Bones
Short Ribs Brisket

Specialty: Beef Sticks, Dried Beef, Beef Jerky, Summer Sausage

You can choose any of your less desired cuts to be processed into ground beef. Please contact the locker secured on your order with further questions.

1/8 Orders:

Processing for 1/8 orders will be standard & will include the following cuts:

Roasts(Variety of): Arm, Chuck, Rump, Sirloin Tip Roast
Steaks: Ribeye, Sirloin, T-Bone Steak
Ground Beef

How do you customize your processing?

Being typical Minnesotans, we love our hot dishes and tend to use our supply of hamburger quicker than other cuts of meat. Our favorite cuts of steak are t-bones, sirloins and ribeyes. We also keep our sirloin tip and rump roasts while grinding any remaining meat to hamburger. Our favorite specialty meats to get processed are beef sticks, dried beef (lunch meat) and summer sausage.

How much does processing cost?

Processing costs will vary based on the types of cuts that are made. The more labor intensive, the higher the processing fees. Processing fees in the past for a 1/4 have ranged from $200-$275 or approx. $1-$1.20/lb of hanging weight. If more specialty cuts are chosen to be processed it could go higher than this range.

How do I pay for processing?

Processing fees will be paid directly to the meat locker. Payment will need to be made when you pick up your processed and packaged beef. Please call ahead to the locker with any payment questions.

Where are the meat lockers located?

We deliver to meat lockers within 30 miles of Lake Crystal, MN with no transportation fee. If you are interested in having your beef delivered to another meat market of your choice, please submit your request and we will check availability.

We frequently partner with:

  • Dick’s Locker - Good Thunder, MN

  • Odenthal Meats - New Prague, MN

  • La Salle Meats - La Salle, MN

  • George’s City Meats - Nicollet, MN





Beef FAQs

What are the average weights?

Hanging weight for a 1/8 (1/2 of a 1/4): Approx 95-115 lbs

Hanging weight for a 1/4 (1/2 of a 1/2): Approx 190-225 lbs

Hanging weight for a 1/2: Approx 380-450 lbs

Please know that these are approximates and weight will depend on the size of the animal we select for you.

Your take home weight will be approximately 60-65% of the hanging weight.

What does 1/2 of a 1/2 mean?

Based on how an beef animal is built, cuts are located on certain parts of the animal. If you drew a line from the head to the tail, each side would be a 1/2. To get a 1/2 of a 1/2 you would draw a line parallel to that in the middle of the 1/2 OR split the half the long way. This is done so that all cuts are generally even between the two 1/4s or a 1/2 of a 1/2s.

When will my meat be ready?

After your butchering date arrives, your beef is hung for approx. 10 days and then cut, processed and packaged. The locker will contact you about 14-21 days after your butchering date to pick up your meat. Pick up should occur within 3-4 business days or as instructed by the locker.

How do I pay for the meat?

We will accept online payments through Square (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express), check or cash.

Your down payment to secure your order will be due to choose your butchering date from the available dates.

Your remaining balance will be due prior to picking up your beef from the locker.

When does your price change?

We review our price often and choose to make changes when factors in our business change.

We look at many factors including:

  • Cost of production

  • Current market prices

  • Unique situations (CFAP, etc.)

What are the benefits to buying beef in bulk from our farm & how does it compare to buying in the store?

Quality. We hear an overwhelming amount of compliments on the quality of our beef and it’s flavor. The comfort of knowing where your beef comes from and who raised it is a great benefit. It is also a secure feeling to have a large quantity and variety of cuts at your fingertips.

If you purchased the same quality and quantity of cuts from a grocery store and compared it to buy a quarter of beef you would save $100-$140 by buying from us.