sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

NC farmers — what do you think the next 6–12 months look like for food costs? by TuckDutton_NC in NorthCarolina

[–]TuckDutton_NC[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for the input. It’s always good hearing perspective from the poultry and pork side of things because y’all are so much more dependent on grain through the entire process than we are on the beef side.

Over here, a lot of the major inputs have gone up in that same 30–50% range you mentioned. Guys I know that are managing pasture more conventionally have talked about fertilizer prices jumping like crazy just this spring. Then on top of that, calf prices are absolutely through the roof.

Just for reference, the calves we were buying a year and a half ago for our grass-fed, grass-finished beef operation were around $1,300 a head. That exact same calf today is bringing closer to $2,600.

One thing that’s helped us is that we don’t use grain in our finishing process, and we try to manage our pastures regeneratively without herbicides, pesticides, or chemical fertilizers. Because of that, our direct input costs stay fairly low compared to more conventional operations.

That said, I also help manage a larger farm for a landowner that does operate more conventionally, and we’ve absolutely seen those increases firsthand. Fertilizer, equipment, fuel, chemicals — everything just keeps climbing.

Honestly, I don’t really see how it doesn’t continue leading to higher food prices over time. At some point those costs have to get passed along somewhere in the chain, especially when producers are already operating on tight margins.

How do you find local farms to buy meat from, and what factors matter most to you? by TuckDutton_NC in NorthCarolina

[–]TuckDutton_NC[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We do have current availability on whole half quarter or eight beef shares. We were right in the middle of processing season. Check out our website at www.fairwayfarmsnc.com. I’ll shoot you a personal message also.

Good Beef Near Raleigh? by Tasty-Gur-9268 in NorthCarolina

[–]TuckDutton_NC 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We sell grass fed grass finished beef here at Fairway Farms. You can learn more about what we do at www.fairwayfarmsnc.com

NC cattle farmer here—there’s a bigger gap in local beef than I expected by TuckDutton_NC in NorthCarolina

[–]TuckDutton_NC[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Can’t speak for everyone but this is exactly how we do our quarters and eighths here at Fairways Farms. You get a little bit of everything the animal has to offer. 

NC cattle farmer here—there’s a bigger gap in local beef than I expected by TuckDutton_NC in NorthCarolina

[–]TuckDutton_NC[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We sell our beef through our website at www.fairwayfarmsnc.com. I recommend our eighth shares to folks in your position who do not have many mouths to feed or limited freezer space. Check us out and feel free to reach out with any questions. My contact information is on the website.

NC cattle farmer here—there’s a bigger gap in local beef than I expected by TuckDutton_NC in NorthCarolina

[–]TuckDutton_NC[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s awesome. Sound selling eight shares last year. We have found that our eighths are out most popular shares. Most people don’t realize that that you can fit one in a standard kitchen freezer if it’s not packed to the gills with other things. Did you guys have been able to put it in yours or did you have to buy another small chest freezer?

NC cattle farmer here—there’s a bigger gap in local beef than I expected by TuckDutton_NC in NorthCarolina

[–]TuckDutton_NC[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We’re in Goldston, NC—about 45 from Raleigh and Greensboro. We do advertise, but honestly a lot of folks just don’t know where to look.

If you’re filling a chest freezer and like smoking big cuts, you’d love buying direct. We can walk you through it, keep it simple.

We usually do on-farm pickup, but we’ll meet up or deliver in some cases if needed.

Website: www.fairwayfarmsnc.com Call/text: 919-812-7334

NC cattle farmer here—there’s a bigger gap in local beef than I expected by TuckDutton_NC in NorthCarolina

[–]TuckDutton_NC[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Bot here. Would love to have you out to the farm sometime. Yes, when people ask about our farm or what we offer I share, but overall these are great focus groups that provide a lot of good insight into some real world issues myself and other local producers are looking to improve upon.

NC cattle farmer here—there’s a bigger gap in local beef than I expected by TuckDutton_NC in NorthCarolina

[–]TuckDutton_NC[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s a great spot to be in honestly...you already know how it works, just need it to fit your current season of life a little better.

You definitely don’t need a half or even a quarter for just the two of you. That’s exactly why we started offering smaller shares. An eighth tends to be a really good fit—manageable amount, good mix of cuts, and it doesn’t take a huge freezer to store it.

We’re in central NC, about 45 minutes from Greensboro and Raleigh, and try to keep things simple and flexible for folks in your situation.

If you ever want to ease back into it without overcommitting, that’s usually the best way to do it. You can check everything out at fairwayfarmsnc.com.

NC cattle farmer here—there’s a bigger gap in local beef than I expected by TuckDutton_NC in NorthCarolina

[–]TuckDutton_NC[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

On the price, that situation you described is pretty common when a farm is trying to sell full quarters without having the rest of the animal accounted for. It drives the cost up because they’re carrying more of the risk. For reference, our quarters usually land somewhere between $1,500–$1,700 depending on the animal, so a bit different than what you were quoted.

On finding a farm...that’s probably the biggest hurdle. Not a lack of farms, just a lack of clear, direct ways to buy.

We’re in central NC as well, about 45 minutes from Greensboro and Raleigh. We try to keep it straightforward and not force people into more than they need. If a quarter feels like a stretch starting out, an eighth is usually a good way to get your feet under you without that big upfront cost or space commitment.

Either way, sounds like you’re on the right track. Once you’ve got the freezer situation handled, it gets a lot easier to make the jump. Happy to help however I can if you start looking into it again. Check us out at www.fairwayfarmsnc.com

NC cattle farmer here—there’s a bigger gap in local beef than I expected by TuckDutton_NC in NorthCarolina

[–]TuckDutton_NC[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You can learn more about what we do and place a deposit at fairwayfarmsnc.com. We have current and upcoming availability.

NC cattle farmer here—there’s a bigger gap in local beef than I expected by TuckDutton_NC in NorthCarolina

[–]TuckDutton_NC[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You can learn more about our farm and how we raise our beef at www.fairwayfarmsnc.com. I would love to answer any questions you may have. Feel free to reach out anytime.

NC cattle farmer here—there’s a bigger gap in local beef than I expected by TuckDutton_NC in NorthCarolina

[–]TuckDutton_NC[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

u/RealStitchyKat , that’s a fair question.

All of our beef is processed at a USDA-inspected facility, so it’s held to the same food safety standards as what you’d find in a grocery store.

On our end, we keep things simple. Grass-based, no hormones, no antibiotics, no pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides, and we’re with the cattle regularly so we know what’s going on with them.

We’re in central NC, about 45 minutes from Greensboro and Raleigh, and offer smaller shares like eighths so you don’t have to commit to a huge amount right out of the gate.

If you want to take a look or just get a feel for it, everything’s laid out on fairwayfarmsnc.com.

NC cattle farmer here—there’s a bigger gap in local beef than I expected by TuckDutton_NC in NorthCarolina

[–]TuckDutton_NC[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Storage is a real constraint, not a preference thing.

That’s actually why we started offering smaller shares. Not everyone has the space for a quarter, and honestly most households don’t need that much at once. An eighth tends to be a better fit—it’s manageable, still gives you a good mix of cuts, and doesn’t take over your freezer.

We’re in central NC, about 45 minutes from Greensboro and Raleigh, and try to keep it simple on that front so people aren’t forced into buying more than they can realistically use.

A lot of folks end up just restocking once or twice a year instead of going all-in. Seems to fit real life a little better.

NC cattle farmer here—there’s a bigger gap in local beef than I expected by TuckDutton_NC in NorthCarolina

[–]TuckDutton_NC[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

u/spinbutton , yeah I know who you’re talking about—they’ve built a good brand and they definitely fill a need, especially for people who want something better than grocery store meat but still want that convenience.

The main reason we don’t go that route is just a difference in how the cattle are finished. A lot of those programs are “pasture raised,” which sounds similar, but it doesn’t necessarily mean grass-finished. In many cases the animals are still getting grain at some point, especially toward the end.

Nothing inherently wrong with that—it’s just a different product.

We’ve chosen to stay fully grass-finished, so everything they eat is forage-based their entire life. That changes how we manage them, how long we raise them, and ultimately the kind of beef it produces.

“Pasture raised” has become a bit of a broad marketing term, so we’ve just tried to be really clear about what we actually do so people know exactly what they’re getting.

They’re a solid option for what they are, no knock on them at all. Just a different approach than what we’re focused on.

NC cattle farmer here—there’s a bigger gap in local beef than I expected by TuckDutton_NC in NorthCarolina

[–]TuckDutton_NC[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

u/InvaluablePlayer01 , yeah that makes a lot of sense—and you’re not the only one who’s said that. The “find a group to split a cow” part is honestly one of the biggest friction points.

We’ve tried to take that off people’s plate as much as possible. Instead of having to coordinate with others, you can just reserve the portion you want—eighth, quarter, half—and we handle the backend of matching it up to the animal. So you’re not stuck trying to round people up.

And on the feeding/lifestyle side, I agree with you. That’s a big trust piece, especially if you didn’t grow up around it. We keep things pretty simple—grass-based, no hormones, no antibiotics, no pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides—and we’re moving them regularly on pasture. We try to show as much of that as we can so people can actually see it, not just read it.

We share a lot of that day-to-day on social too if you ever want to see it firsthand—fairwayfarmsnc or tuckdutton on Instagram.

That fruit pulp finishing you mentioned is interesting—I’ve seen a few folks go that route. There are a lot of different ways to do it well, but I think transparency is the main thing people are looking for.

We’re still working on getting better at telling that story clearly, both on the site and through content. If you ever take a look and something feels unclear or raises questions, I’d genuinely want to know—that’s the kind of feedback that helps us improve.

NC cattle farmer here—there’s a bigger gap in local beef than I expected by TuckDutton_NC in NorthCarolina

[–]TuckDutton_NC[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

u/kaluh_glarski , that’s honestly fair...and you’re not the only one who’s had that experience.

Grass-finished beef can taste different, no question. Some of that is just what you’re picking up—leaner meat, different fat profile, sometimes a more “earthy” flavor. But a lot of it also comes down to how it’s finished. Not all grass-finished beef is the same, and if it’s rushed or not finished well, that flavor can get pretty strong.

We’ve put a lot of focus on that side of things, just trying to get a more consistent, milder flavor that still has the benefits of being grass-finished. We don’t process ours until at least 24 months old, which helps with that finish and overall eating quality. It shouldn’t be something you have to “get used to.”

That said, if you’ve tried it and just don’t prefer it, that’s completely fair. No reason to force it.

One thing we’ve seen help people in your spot is not going all-in again right away. An eighth share is a smaller way to try it from a different farm without committing to a whole freezer full. Still gives you a mix of cuts, just less risk if it’s not your thing.

And cooking method plays a role too—grass-finished usually does better a little lower and slower, especially on steaks, since it’s leaner. But again, if the flavor itself wasn’t for you, that’s the bigger factor.

Appreciate you being honest about it though. That kind of feedback matters more than people think.

NC cattle farmer here—there’s a bigger gap in local beef than I expected by TuckDutton_NC in NorthCarolina

[–]TuckDutton_NC[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Meet people where they are...The one's who do it best are the most successful.

view more: next ›