Buying Local
How to Buy a Share of Local Beef
Published August 6, 2026 · 1 min read · By The Road Apple Company
Buying beef directly from a local ranch is the least expensive way to eat well-raised meat, but the vocabulary trips people up.
Share sizes
A quarter is roughly 100 to 125 pounds of packaged beef. A half is double that. Most families with a standard chest freezer start with a quarter.
What you pay for
You pay the rancher by hanging weight and the processor for cutting, wrapping and freezing. Ask for both numbers up front so there are no surprises.
Placing your order
You will choose steak thickness, roast size and how much ground beef you want. When in doubt, ask for more ground beef — it is the most used cut in nearly every household.
- meat
- buying local
- csa
