—Marin Sun Farms · Petaluma, California
Beef Shares
This is not feedlot beef.
Every animal is raised on open pasture in Marin and the Sonora foothills — on family ranches, by people we can name, not a number on a dirt lot in another state. The cattle live on grass and forage the way cattle are meant to: moved across the land, never crowded or pushed to weight on confinement.
Grass-Fed is 100% grass, start to finish. Certified Organic Grass Fed is that same pastured, grass-fed life carrying the USDA Organic seal — organic on the herd, the feed and the land.
How an animal is handled at the end matters — and not only ethically. Fear and stress at slaughter flood the muscle with adrenaline and degrade the meat. Ours are handled calmly and processed humanely at a USDA-inspected, Animal Welfare Approved facility. Calm animal, clean process, better beef — no trauma in the meat.
Whole-animal butchery, nothing wasted. When you reserve a share, you aren’t buying anonymous beef. You’re buying this animal, from this land, cut for your family.
Both programs, every animal: no added hormones, no rBST, no vaccines, no antibiotics. That is the floor — not an upgrade you pay for. Both are grazed on organic pastures under regenerative management.
Raised in California. Butchered, vacuum-sealed and frozen at a USDA-inspected plant in Petaluma. Picked up cold at 429 McHenry Ave, Modesto.Choose your program
Two ways to raise it, both done right. They eat a little differently, and they price a little differently.
Grass-Fed, 100% Grass
Raised and finished on grass and forage in Marin and the Sonora foothills, on family ranches farmed regeneratively without synthetic inputs. Leaner, deeper mineral flavor, higher omega-3.
From $9.50/lb hanging · whole
Quarters $10.50/lb
Certified Organic Grass Fed
That same pastured, grass-fed life carrying the USDA Organic seal — organic on the herd, the feed and the land, with the certificate and the audit trail behind it.
From $10.50/lb hanging · whole
Quarters $11.50/lb
Buy a quarter, a half or a whole animal and fill your freezer for the year. California cattle, butchered and vacuum-sealed at a USDA-inspected plant in Petaluma, priced by the pound of hanging weight with the cut and wrap included. There is no separate butcher bill. Two programs, both raised right — Grass-Fed or Certified Organic Grass Fed, whichever matches how you cook.
Prices and deposits
| Share | Hanging weight | Price per lb | Estimated total | 50% deposit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grass-Fed, 100% Grass | ||||
| Rear quarter | 160 lb | $10.50 | $1,680 | $840 |
| Front quarter | 200 lb | $10.50 | $2,100 | $1,050 |
| Half | 360 lb | $10.00 | $3,600 | $1,800 |
| Whole | 720 lb | $9.50 | $6,840 | $3,420 |
| Certified Organic Grass Fed | ||||
| Rear quarter | 160 lb | $11.50 | $1,840 | $920 |
| Front quarter | 200 lb | $11.50 | $2,300 | $1,150 |
| Half | 360 lb | $11.00 | $3,960 | $1,980 |
| Whole | 720 lb | $10.50 | $7,560 | $3,780 |
Beef is priced per pound of hanging weight — the chilled carcass before it is cut. That price is all-in: the beef, the butchering, the cut and wrap, the vacuum sealing and the freezing. There is no separate butcher bill. Totals are estimates; no two animals finish at the same weight, so your real total is set once your share is weighed. The deposit is credited in full against it.
How much beef do you actually take home?
| Share | Hanging | Take-home (packaged) | Freezer | Real cost per lb of meat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rear quarter | 160 lb | 112 lb | 4–5 cu ft | Grass-Fed $15.00 · Organic $16.43 |
| Front quarter | 200 lb | 140 lb | 5–6 cu ft | Grass-Fed $15.00 · Organic $16.43 |
| Half | 360 lb | 252 lb | 8–11 cu ft | Grass-Fed $14.29 · Organic $15.71 |
| Whole | 720 lb | 504 lb | 15–22 cu ft | Grass-Fed $13.57 · Organic $15.00 |
Packaged yield runs about 70% of hanging weight — bone, fat and trim come off during cutting. The last column is what the beef actually costs once it is in your freezer, averaged across ribeye, tenderloin, roasts and ground alike.
The cut list
Typical yields. Cutting follows our standard butcher’s sheet, so what’s below is what to expect.
| Cut | From | Rear qtr | Front qtr | Half | Whole |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ribeye steaks or prime rib roast | front quarter | — | 13 lb | 13 lb | 26 lb |
| Tenderloin — filet mignon | rear quarter | 4 lb | — | 4 lb | 8 lb |
| New York strip steaks | rear quarter | 11 lb | — | 11 lb | 22 lb |
| Top sirloin steaks | rear quarter | 11 lb | — | 11 lb | 22 lb |
| Tri-tip | rear quarter | 3 lb | — | 3 lb | 6 lb |
| Flank steak | rear quarter | 2 lb | — | 2 lb | 4 lb |
| Chuck roasts & chuck steaks | front quarter | — | 38 lb | 38 lb | 76 lb |
| Round roasts — top, bottom, eye | rear quarter | 25 lb | — | 25 lb | 50 lb |
| Sirloin tip & rump roast | rear quarter | 9 lb | — | 9 lb | 18 lb |
| Brisket | front quarter | — | 10 lb | 10 lb | 20 lb |
| Short ribs | front quarter | — | 10 lb | 10 lb | 20 lb |
| Stew meat | both | 7 lb | 9 lb | 16 lb | 32 lb |
| Soup bones & shank | both | 6 lb | 10 lb | 16 lb | 32 lb |
| Ground beef | both | 34 lb | 50 lb | 84 lb | 168 lb |
| Total packaged beef | 112 lb | 140 lb | 252 lb | 504 lb |
A half gives you about 17 ribeyes, 15 New York strips, 15 top sirloins, 10 filets, a tri-tip and a flank steak — plus roughly 84 one-pound packages of ground beef, a dozen or so roasts, a brisket and a rack of short ribs. A quarter is half of that; a whole is double.
Rear quarter or front quarter?
Two different kinds of cooking. Neither one is the leftover.
Rear quarter — the steak end
Tenderloin, New York strip, T-bone and porterhouse, top sirloin, tri-tip, flank, and the big round roasts. Lighter carcass, about 160 lb hanging.
Front quarter — the smoking end
Ribeye and prime rib, chuck roasts and steaks, brisket, short ribs, shank, and a great deal more ground beef. Heavier, about 200 lb hanging.
The ribeye lives in the front quarter; the filet and the strip live in the rear. Because a front quarter hangs about 25% heavier, at the same price per pound you take home roughly 28 lb more beef for the money — most of it ground, chuck and brisket. Take the rear if you grill steaks. Take the front if you smoke, braise and live on ground beef.
How it works
- You reserve. Fill in the form below, then call us at (209) 968-8435 — or expect our call within 2 to 4 hours during business hours. Fastest of all: pay the 50% deposit online right now, which is the step that actually holds your share.
- We order. Shares go to Petaluma in batches so several customers ship on one pallet. We will tell you the cutoff date for the next run.
- We weigh and call. Once your share is butchered we know the exact hanging weight and your final total.
- You pick up. Pay the balance and load out — boxed, vacuum-sealed, frozen and labeled. Bring coolers. Beef is picked up in store; we do not ship it.
Questions people ask
What does hanging weight mean?
Hanging weight is the weight of the chilled carcass after the hide, head and organs are removed, before it is cut into steaks and roasts. It is the standard way bulk beef is priced. You do not take home that many pounds — you take home about 70% of it, because bone, fat and trim come off during cutting.
How much beef is in a quarter, a half and a whole?
A rear quarter comes home as about 112 lb of packaged beef and needs 4 to 5 cubic feet of freezer. A front quarter is about 140 lb and 5 to 6 cubic feet. A half is about 252 lb and 8 to 11 cubic feet. A whole is about 504 lb and 15 to 22 cubic feet.
What is the difference between Grass-Fed and Certified Organic Grass Fed?
Both are pasture-raised on grass and forage in Marin and the Sonora foothills, on family ranches under regenerative management — and neither is feedlot beef. Certified Organic Grass Fed carries the USDA Organic seal on the herd, the feed and the land, plus the certificate and audit trail behind it. If you buy organic on principle and want the seal on the box, that is the one; otherwise Grass-Fed is the same quality of animal, raised the same way.
Are the cattle given hormones, rBST, vaccines or antibiotics?
No. Every animal in both programs is raised without added hormones, without rBST, without vaccines and without antibiotics. That standard does not change between programs and is not something you pay extra for. Both are grazed on organic pastures under regenerative management.
How is the beef handled at slaughter?
Calmly and humanely, at a USDA-inspected, Animal Welfare Approved facility. Stress and fear at slaughter flood the muscle with adrenaline and degrade the meat — so how the animal is handled at the end matters for the eating quality, not only ethically. No trauma in the meat.
How is the beef cut?
To our standard butcher’s sheet — the everyday mix of steaks, roasts, stew and ground beef most families want, everything vacuum-sealed, frozen and labeled. Exact packaging varies a little from run to run, so we don’t promise a particular count per package. If there is something the butcher should know, put it in the notes on the form and we will talk it through when we call.
How much is the deposit and when is the balance due?
Fifty percent at reservation, credited in full against your balance. The balance is figured on the actual hanging weight of your share and is due when you pick it up. Deposits are refundable until the order is placed with the ranch.
Is offal included?
No. Liver, heart, kidney and tongue, along with the head, tail and feet, are removed at the plant. They are not in your box and their weight is not part of the hanging weight you are billed on. Ask us and we will try to source them for you separately.
How long does it take, and do you ship?
Roughly two to three weeks from the batch cutoff date. Beef is picked up cold at 429 McHenry Ave in Modesto — we do not ship beef. Bring coolers.
Where does the beef come from and is it USDA inspected?
Both programs are California-raised and butchered at Marin Sun Farms’ own USDA-inspected facility in Petaluma. Every package comes back labeled and sealed under federal inspection.
Reserve your share
No payment on this form. After you send it, call us at (209) 968-8435 — or expect our call within 2 to 4 hours during business hours.
Already know what you want? Skip the call — reserve your share and pay the 50% deposit online right now. It’s the one step that actually holds your spot in the next batch.
Reserve and pay the depositBulk boxes — beef & organic chicken
Not ready for a whole share? Order a case of the same Marin Sun Farms beef or organic chicken — grass-fed or certified organic, made to order with a 7–10 day turnaround. Pick it up at the store, or add it onto your share.
Whole chickens, breast and ground · ground beef, steaks, roasts and stew · by the case.