Fitzgerald Farms has been raising beef on our small family farm for over 50 years. Experience has taught us many lessons and we continue learning how to make our cattle happy. One way we do this is by allowing our animals to roam and graze freely. Our cattle primarily eat grass and hay, supplemented with haylage, and spent grain from Portland-area breweries. They may enjoy a leisurely stroll to th
e forest for some shade. And then it’s off to graze in the afternoon. One more pass at the feeders in the evening completes their day. We pride ourselves on providing a healthy environment for our cattle. The animals have access to salt, minerals, and protein blocks, which help maintain the herd's health. We do not use supplemental or artificial growth enhancing methods and only employ preventative vaccinations, following medication guidelines and instructions provided by our veterinarian, when necessary. Normally, our cattle are allowed more time to fill out before we sell them. Because our operation is small, availability may be somewhat limited. This year we have several young and lean bulls, which make for excellent ground beef and lean, beefy flavored steaks. If you want to impress your friends and family at your next barbecue, these burgers are the best! In order to simplify our pricing structure, we do not charge hanging weight. Instead, you will be charged $4/pound plus the butcher’s cut/wrap price (normally $.75/pound), plus a portion of the mobile slaughter and disposal fee. A good estimate is around $4.95/pound, cut and wrapped. An average bull is 632 pounds of meat. Some animals will be smaller; not too many will be larger. Half an animal this size will feed a family of four for a year. Sample bull (half portion):
Hanging weight (full animal) | 674 pounds
Cutting & wrapping | 316 pounds x $.75/pound | $ 237
Mobile butcher fee | $50 x half | $25
Disposal | $10 x half | $5
Half beef after butchering | 316 pounds x $4/pound | $1,264
Total | $1,531
This pricing structure equates to $4.85/pound (actual price may vary depending on actual weight). Because the mobile butcher and disposal fees are fixed, the net price per pound of meat will be less. Where else can you pay under $5/pound for steaks, ground beef, ribs, roasts? If you would like to place an order, a full animal must be spoken for by single or multiple customers. Once that takes place, we will arrange the mobile slaughter and schedule butchering. We use a mobile service to slaughter onsite, which eliminates any transportation issues and undue stress on the animals. Once the mobile butcher has prepared the carcass, it will be immediately transported to Jacobsmuhlens butchers in Cornelius, Oregon. The carcass will be dry aged for two weeks in order to optimize the texture and flavor. Once aging is complete, the meat is custom cut, wrapped and quick-frozen. As soon as we are given a processing date, we will let you know when your order will be ready for pick-up at Jacobsmuhlens. The following non-refundable deposits are required to reserve your beef:
Quarter - $250
Half - $500
Whole - $1000
Please message us to arrange for payment. Include your contact information. We will call you and/or email you when your order is complete. If you would like to be notified of current availability, which happens once or twice each year, you may opt to receive email notifications. We would also appreciate any feedback on your experience with Fitzgerald Farms. Your satisfaction is important to us and we believe word of mouth and happy customers will allow us to provide an affordable product to you for many years to come!
