This is my take on it! Do your home work! Get to know the farmer ask all the right questions. Here are some of them:
The Farmer
Legally what they do is sell live weight. Its the law they can't sell you a dead animal. Then for us we take it to the processor and it is the responsibility of the buyer to tell the processor how they want it processed. Most all farmers only take cash! (Yeah that is the scary part) Just as much as you need to build a trust with them they need to build a trust with you.
Example: Our Steer would yield $1665.00. No credit cards and a farmer doesn't want to loose that amount on a bounced check. That why CASH speaks!
Are they grass fed?
How do you finish them (Usually 6months before slaughter is corn or corn mix)
Do you use growth hormones? (Touchy question to some farmers)
Who do you recommend for processing or Where do YOU take your cattle for processing? (Most farmers don't process and rather take it to a certified federal processor.)
How old is this Steer? You only want steer! No more than 18 months (NO DAIRY COWS)
Has the one your buying have all the legal shots?
Has the one your buying have any antibiotics? and Why? Not really a big deal but your buying the steer! You want to know all the health issues of it if there are any.
If they advertise be weary! Rather word of mouth because most farmers don't want to bother and they rather take them to a sale barn. Word of mouth also could be considered a recommendation as well. I only have two processors I use for beef and one for pork.
The processor
Tour the processing facility (If they do not allow that RUNNNNNNNNN!)
How clean is it!
What Days do they process pork and what days do the process beef! Leagally they have to go through a cleaning for the proccesing area before they can switch aminals and will only process one kind of animal per day.
Example Rule of thumb around our parts is Beef on Tuesdays and Pork on Thursday.
Payment again Cash is king but some will take Checks if they know you and CC not usually.
Beef should hang for at least two weeks before butchering. (if you get three weeks all the better (Rocky mod)
Oh if it is deer season the processor will be booked and wont take anything but deer.
Do they do VAC SUCK? Last a lot longer!
The meat will taste different but better!
Example our Steer hung two weeks (You then know kill date) Processed on Tuesday we had it on Sat. Now I could have picked it up Wed. but didn't have time.
By all means after you made your purchase give feedback to the farmer about his products and about your whole experience including the processor.
That it for now! Feel free to PM me and ask more questions. I will add more as I think about it. We have been doing this along time so my comfort zone is great with the processor ect.
Oh Also buy the whole cow and split with family/Friends. Farmers rather sell a whol one than a half or quater then they have to find somebody. It is also cheaper per lb to get it processed.
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