What's the difference between hanging and take-home weight?
Hanging weight is the weight of the carcass after slaughter, before cutting. On our beef you take home about 65 to 68 percent of that hanging weight once it's been trimmed, deboned, dry-aged, and packaged. A 150 lb hanging-weight quarter puts roughly 98 to 102 lbs of packaged meat in your freezer. A 300 lb half puts in roughly 195 to 204 lbs.
How does paying for a quarter or half beef work?
Two payments, and you know both before you commit. First, once your beef comes back from the USDA-inspected locker with official weights, we call you with the weights available from that group of cattle and you pick yours. You pay us for the beef at $6.99 per hanging pound, and at that point the meat is yours. Second, you call the locker directly to go over your cut instructions, and you pay them for processing at $1.90 per hanging pound. Anything extra you ask for, like curing or sausage-making, is billed by the locker at their rates. The locker takes credit cards, so the two payments can sit up to four weeks apart. From butcher date to pickup is about two to three weeks while the beef ages.
What's the difference between standard cut and custom cut?
Custom cut means you tell the butcher exactly how thick you want your steaks, what size roasts, and how the ground beef is packaged. Quarters, halves and whole beef are all custom cut, and you work the cut sheet directly with the locker after the beef is yours. The Eighth Beef Sampler is the exception: it comes standard cut, in a fixed mix of roasts, steaks, patties and ground beef, and it cannot be customized. That's the tradeoff for the smaller size.
Is your beef grass-fed or grain-fed?
Both are available — you pick. Grass-fed cattle eat pasture and forage their whole lives. Grain-finished cattle eat grass, then grain for the last several months, which adds marbling and a milder flavor. Either way the beef is raised without added hormones, without steroids, and without daily antibiotics.
How much freezer space do I need for a quarter of beef?
Plan on about 1 cubic foot of freezer space for every 35–40 lbs of packaged meat. A quarter beef fits in roughly 4 to 5 cubic feet, and most standard chest freezers handle it without a problem. A half beef needs closer to 8 to 10 cubic feet.
What does "no daily antibiotics" actually mean?
It means we don't feed antibiotics routinely as a growth or preventive measure, which is standard practice in commercial feedlots. If an individual animal gets sick, it gets treated, because letting an animal suffer isn't a standard we're willing to keep. What we don't do is dose the whole herd every day. And when an animal does get treated, it goes through the full withdrawal period before it's ever harvested, so there's no antibiotic residue in the meat that reaches your freezer.
Do you deliver to Peoria, Pekin, and East Peoria?
Yes. All three are on our regular routes, along with Morton, Washington and Creve Coeur. We personally deliver throughout Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Missouri, and we carry the boxes in to your freezer. There's no charge for the delivery itself, just a fuel fee based on your route. For larger group orders we coordinate routes reaching from Michigan's Upper Peninsula to Florida. If you're outside those zones, call us and we'll see if we can add you to an upcoming route.
How long does farm-raised beef keep in the freezer?
Our beef is double-wrapped and flash-frozen rather than vacuum-sealed, and handled that way it holds its quality for 12 to 18 months at 0°F. We've watched vacuum seals work loose over time as packages get shuffled around a freezer. A good double wrap doesn't. Ground beef is best inside 12 months; whole-muscle cuts like steaks and roasts hold longer. Label-side up, oldest in front, and most families finish a quarter well before quality is ever a question.
Where can I pick up my meat order near Peoria?
Three ways. We deliver direct to your door across Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Missouri, and we carry the boxes in to your freezer. You can meet us at the Peoria Riverfront Farmers Market from May through September — look for the 1953 blue Chevy pickup. And we're adding a monthly pickup at the Tractor Supply in Creve Coeur; call (309) 613-0563 for the next date. We don't offer farm visits or on-farm pickup at this time.
Can restaurants and schools set up a standing order?
Yes. We supply schools, restaurants, grocery stores, and caterers across central Illinois and the wider Midwest with naturally raised beef, pork, chicken, and turkey. Email questions@littlebluesfarm.com or call (309) 613-0563 to talk through products, quantities, delivery schedules, and custom ordering.
How much does a half hog cost?
Half hogs run 80 to 130 lbs hanging weight. The pork is $4.49 per hanging pound, and processing starts at $0.85 per hanging pound plus a $46 butcher and disposal fee. A typical 105 lb half comes to about $606. Curing and sausage-making are billed separately by the locker at their rates, and they're reasonable. Custom cut pork comes in half or whole hog bundles, and we have September, October and November butcher dates open. Call (309) 613-0563 and we'll walk you through it.
