When my folks buy a half or whole beef creature from the farmer down the hill, it works out to be cheaper than buying the same cuts at retail. Last time I ran t

When my folks buy a half or whole beef creature from the farmer down the hill, it works out to be cheaper than buying the same cuts at retail. Last time I ran the numbers it was $3.50 - $4/pound; of course that's over everything, from stew meat and liver to ribeyes and tenderloin. The farmer takes the animal to the butcher shop, where it's slaughtered, hung, cut, packaged, vacuum-sealed, and flash frozen. In every way, it's superior to grocery store meat. You just need to be able to purchase it in bulk and have an entire freezer to store it.