Pleasant Home Premium Beef & Pork

Pleasant Home Premium Beef

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How is your beef different than what I buy in the store?

We are a small family farm operation that raises beef for people who want to enjoy a consistent, healthy, safe and tasty eating experience each time they go to the freezer.  Our system of raising, feeding and caring for the cattle, cutting and processing the meat, and delivering it to your door is developed using the best practices recommended by cattlemen and meat scientists through years of extensive research.  We strive that our product will be the highest of quality and consistency each and every time you go to your freezer.

2. How much does freezer beef cost?

The price of a ¼ or ½ of beef is $2.50 per pound and for a whole the cost is $2.45 per pound based upon the hot carcass weight. We strive to get a carcass weight of 800 lbs.  Based upon an 800 lbs. carcass, ¼ beef will cost approximately $500.00, ½ will cost approximately $1000.00 and a whole will cost approximately $1960.00.  These prices include processing, packaging and delivery.   

3. How do your prices compare to the grocery store?

Based upon the beef prices in the local Wal-Mart and Buehler’s Supermarket, Pleasant Home Premium beef will save you over $225.00 per half of beef of the same cuts were purchased at these stores.

4. Why do I pay based upon the carcass weight?

Paying based upon carcass weight insures that all the customers are charged equally.  Processing costs and the amount of meat in your freezer can fluctuate based upon the processing requests.  Therefore, if 4 customers split a carcass into 4 quarters than all would get charged equally, no matter how their specific order is cut and packaged. 

5. Am I getting all the meat I pay for?

We strive to have our animals consistently weigh 800 lbs hanging weight.  Therefore the live weights are in the 1300-1400 lbs. range.  Our cattle will have a dress percentage of 60-65% to determine the hot carcass weight.  Then the butcher will cut to your specifications.  This process if you get the “normal” processing done approximately 70% of hot carcass weight will go into your freezer  Therefore, if a 1300 lbs. steer dresses 61% the hot carcass weight would be 793 lbs. and 70% of that would be 555 lbs. of meat into your freezer. 

6. When do you have beef available?

We have freezer beef available mostly all year around with the exception of February through April.  Once you place your order, it will depend upon current demand as to how long it would take to get your order filled.  Once you order and are into our database of customers we can put you in the regular schedule for a yearly call back and fill your freezer. 

7. What kind of beef cattle do you raise?

Our cattle are mostly a Limousin breed of cattle with some Angus in a few of the fat cattle.  We believe through our research that the Limousin breed offers an efficient animal to raise, with many benefits to the beef eating customers.  Those include: tender, flavorful, juicy, lean and consistent year after year.

8. How are the cattle raised? 

Our cattle are raised using proven systems developed by cattlemen and scientists from around the USA.  Tony spent time learning by the side of some of the most outstanding cattlemen in the United States and worked and trained in college under well-recognized meat scientists, who conducted research in the eating experience of beef.  Using practices learned we strive for our operation to be a sustainable, efficient and consistent operation.  We select the genetics in our cow herd for outstanding meat quality and consistency.  The bulls we raise in our cow herd have been sold to other farms from which we also buy back the calves to feed in our feedlot.  The cattle on feed are fed a Midwestern corn-based diet from weaning until finished. 

9. What do you feed your animals?

We believe deeply that a corn-based diet is the best way to feed cattle.  The meat quality is tremendous when the animals are fed an extensive all-vegetarian corn diet.  The corn puts a flavor, helps develop marbling and tenderness into every cut of meat.  The cattle are also fed a balanced supplement rations with all the essential vitamins and minerals to maintain a healthy life and assist in efficient digestion and absorption of nutrients. 

10. Do you use antibiotics?

We only use antibiotics when needed for the animal’s health.  Just like people, cattle (especially when young) can get sick.  We do everything we possibly can to avoid giving them antibiotics.  However, if it appears the animals are not able to get better, we will use quick-acting antibiotics.  We insure meat safety by not treating treating animals within the last 120 days before harvest.  This insures plenty of time for the animals to metabolize the antibiotics.

11.How do I know that my beef is safe?

We track detailed information about our beef cattle using Quality Assurance standards.  Each animal has a individual ID tag, which helps track meat quality data to help improve the genetics and individual history of the animal.  We can tell you exactly where and when the animal was born.  The cattle are either coming from our cow herd directly into the feed lot or from 1-2 cooperator herds that we can track each animal in the feedlot directly back to there individual mother cow.  The processing is conducted in facilities that are fully inspected and up to standards set forth by the Ohio Department of Agriculture and the USDA. 

12. Is the beef raised organic?

No.  Our beef cattle are raised in a stress-free environment using sustainable agriculture practices.  Our goal is to raise healthy, safe, delicious meat that can be enjoyed with family and friends knowing the premium beef was raised in a nature-friendly way.  We realize that a market for organic beef exists, however we, being a small operation, made a business decision to not feed organic feeds.  Also, we feel our product is of a high quality that switching to an organic system could sacrifice the outstanding eating experience we are striving so hard to provide our customers. 

13.Define how your beef is natural?

Pleasant Home Premium beef is an antibiotic and hormone-free operation.  Although, proven completely safe for human consumption we do not use hormones in our cattle because is has been revealed through research that the eating experience suffers through a tougher, dryer piece of meat.  Along with corn the cattle are also fed a supplemental ration of all the essential vitamins and minerals.  In the supplement a natural ionophore is contained.   Ionophores allow ion transfer through a membrane.  Ionophores in cattle feed are used to assist the animal’s rumen (1 of the 4 stomachs) in the digestion of the feed.  The ionophores enhance the rate of “good” microflora in the rumen.  This improves the digestion of cellulose (plant material, ie corn) which helps make the animal healthier and a more efficient converter of feed energy.  Pleasant Home Cattle’s position is that ionophores are beneficial to cattle and humans who consume the meat.  We have never detected an ionophore residue in our meat.   

14. Is your operation good for the environment?

Yes.  Our production practices are sustainable and environmentally-friendly because we do not use propane or natural gas or propane to raise our cattle.  We raise our own straw for bedding, which is returned to the land as a natural fertilizer to work with the cycles of nature. 

15. When and how do I place an order?

You can place your order at any time.  Usually we are taking orders for 1-2 months in advance.  You can contact us and we will talk you through the cut/processing instructions for your custom order.  You can find the order sheet on the website www.premiumbeefandpork.com or we can email/fax a cut sheet or simply fill it out over the phone.  The meat is dry aged for 14-21 days to lock in the flavor and tenderness our cattle are known for.  This process is based upon years of animal science research.  Once the meat is processed and packaged, we will call and set up a delivery to your house.   

16. I have not ever ordered freezer beef before.  Will you give me some recommendations on how to place my order?

Yes.  We will walk each customer through step by step and make recommendations on each decision.  We have been marketing freezer beef for over 8 years and have a significant base of customer preferences to pull from.  Also, you will be able to call the butcher with any questions as well. 

17. What are the cuts and how many of each will I receive?

¼ Beef Option                                                ½ Beef Option

Ribeye                         10                                                                    20

T-bone                         12                                                                    24

Sirloin                          12                                                                    24       

Roasts             (3 lbs.)            

            - chuck                        4                                                                      8

            - Pot                4                                                                      8

            - Round           4                                                                      8         

Gr. Beef (1 lbs.)          54                                                                    108

Gr. Beef (3 lbs.)

            - Patties           48                                                                    96

Approx. Hang Wt.    200.00 lbs.                                                     400.00 lbs.

Approx. ACTUAL   160.00 lbs.                                                       320.00 lbs.

18. Where will the animals be processed and packaged?

We work closely with 2 local processors, Whitefeather Meats, Creston Ohio and Butcher Block and Deli , Wooster, Ohio.  Both use sound, industry accepted processes under the inspection of the USDA and Ohio Dept. of Agriculture.  Both package in vacuum-sealed, dry age and flash freeze all helps with locking in the flavor of the beef.