The Sell Farm, LLC
Milner, Georgia
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The Sell Farm, LLC Milner, Georgia
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Farm Direct To You : An Angus Beef Purchase Plan
Thank you all for your continued support of our small family farm!
Table of Contents for this page :
Click on any of the links below to go directly to the topic, or scroll down!
Beef Purchase Plan in a Nutshell How old are calves at slaughter? The share, dry aging and processing How many pounds of beef do I get? How much freezer space do I need per quarter (split half)? What cuts of beef do I get (Traditional Cutting)? Compare Our Beef to Store Beef before you decide Protecting you beef investment
Thank you for your interest in our locally raised Angus beef cattle. Bill Farr and Elsa Sell are husband and wife. We live on our family farm in Pike County, Georgia with our dogs and our livestock. The Sell Farm was established in the early 1950’s by Elsa’s Dad; it has been continuously involved in beef cattle production ever since.
Welcome to the land of happy cows!
Rainbow over Sell Farm Barns
Our cattle are born on the farm and raised on pasture. At about 7 to 9 months of age they are started on grain while they continue to live on the pasture until harvested. They are provided the necessary supplements (year round minerals). These supplements, and our grain, are certified by the manufacturer not to contain any added antibiotics, ruminant derived proteins, or bovine derived bone meal ! We also DO NOT use growth promoting hormones! Harvesting is conducted in Georgia Department of Agriculture inspected facility between Covington and McDonough. The type of inspection by this department is identical to that for USDA inspected facilities; it is a State inspector who conducts the inspections for many of the USDA facilities. Sell Farm cattle and the resulting beef from them leave a very low carbon footprint! Our finished calves travel about 40 miles from the farm to the meat plant - compare this to cattle that produce generic beef which must travel thousands of miles from the home farm to the stocker farm, to the feed lot in western US and then to the meat plant.
1) Make a $50 deposit to get on our list (applied to purchase) 2) We feed the animal for 5-6 months, you contract with us to provide all services and deliver it to a Meat Plant for you - see order form. 3) Upon delivery of the animal to the Meat Plant you assume ownership and pay us for the cost of your share of the live animal and you send a separate check to the processor. 4) The meat plant processes, dry ages about 17 days, wraps, labels and freezes the meat - we arrange all of this for you. A dry aging process is used, the same that is used for beef offered in upscale restaurants and gourmet food stores. 5) You pick up your share of the beef at the meat plant about three weeks after delivery. 6) We take care of all the details for you, it is really simple. One customer said, "It's too simple." 7) The minimum order is one quarter share - this results in about 90-100 pounds of boneless beef. The average weight per share in 2006 was 99 lb. Americans generally ate between 64-68 lb. of beef / person per year over the past fifteen years (Source, CattleFax, 3/05). A quarter share requires about 3 cubic feet of freezer space. If this is too much for your family, find a friend to share it with you. One of our customers bought one quarter several years ago and shared it with his two kids - they soon ran out of beef. So then he ordered three quarters so everyone would have ample meat for the year. He made a great statement that went something like this, "This is a gift that keeps giving"; each time the kids go to the grocery their bill is less because they do not have to buy beef and they remember Mom and Dad." 8) The cost is about $651 per quarter share and that includes everything - animal, processing and sales tax.
Pistachio tree - Fall 2006
Details: We are farmers, and therefore we do what we do best, raise and sell live cattle. Because of the many regulations and inspections, we do not sell you a beef product, but we do sell you a share of a live calf. You contract with us to assist you throughout the process to obtain the beef from it! It is really simple. When you purchase a share of a live animal, we will provide to you all the management, feeding, loving care, and we will transport it to the meat plant. The harvesting, aging, wrapping and freezing is provided by, and the responsibility of, the Meat Processors at the GA. Department of Agriculture inspected facility. You assume no risk during the raising process because your interest in the share of the live animal does not become effective until it is successfully delivered to the meat plant . Upon arrival at the meat plant you assume ownership of your share (s). We will facilitate for you the remainder of the process at the meat plant. You will approve the cutting instructions and we will give them for you to the processor. You simply pick up the beef when it is ready! The processor is responsible for all of the processing and care of the animal and carcass once at their facility. You may visit the processing plant at any time. We will notify you of all dates. We want you to have a good experience. Once the animal is delivered, the meat plant will provide us with the cost of their processing. We will then generate an invoice, you pay us for the animal and also send a second check to the processor. You then pick up your meat at the time we specify (about three weeks later) - see it is easy! The material below is necessarily detailed, because we want you to understand the purchase process before you place an order! How are The Sell Farm's beef cattle managed during the growing process?
This entire process is time consuming and adds to our expense, but we are in the business for the long haul and we want to stack the cards in our favor (and yours) so that the cattle we offer to the purchaser will be the best they can be! Our process is better for the cattle, better for the quality of the meat, better for the land, and we think it tastes better too! So far we have been very successful. We are sure you can find beef at a cheaper price, but you must ask the sellers a number of questions about the raising process, the length of grain feeding and ageing, what kind of cattle they offer, where did they come from, etc. Personally, we don't buy anything on the cheap, we don't raise our cattle on the cheap, and we are not going to sell on the cheap either................... Actually, to be fair, our price per pound of beef is a bit cheaper than what we found during a March, 2007 supermarket survey (see below). This was not by design, just came out that way ! Since that time the price of beef has gone up due to the cost of grain, fertilizer and fuel. The grain feeding process begins in the summer/fall and the meat from your animal can be picked up starting in early spring.
This is a limited once per year offering so please sign up early.
Please click on the Order Form Icon
when ready to purchase-->
We raise purebred registered black Angus and black Angus influenced commercial cattle using environmentally sound and humane handling practices.
About Antibiotics and Growth Hormones:
Our feed is formulated
for us by a custom feed mill in Montezuma, Ga. We are committed to producing our calves in the manner just described. It is a slow process and it is an expensive one, but we think it is worth it! After all, we eat the beef from our calves too.
Herd Sires
Lemmon High Prime N138 ("Louey")
Lemmon Precision P166 ("Hooter")
Our calves are taken care of like we would our children. They are given normal preventive vaccinations for known cattle diseases in our area. We treat them for internal/external pests known to be a frequent problem here in the southeast.
We are a Georgia Beef Quality Assurance Certified Producer We are certified
through testing conducted by a
partnership of Purdue University,
the University of Georgia, the Georgia Cattlemen's Association and the Georgia
Beef Board (certificate #GA-0087) .
We
eat the beef from the cattle we raise - and LOVE IT!
Buy a Share: We will sell to you a share of a live animal. You must purchase a minimum of ¼ share. Dry Aged Beef: After harvest, the carcass
of your animal is dry aged for about 17 days to insure the correct flavor and tenderness.
Dry aging produces the "nutty" flavor which distinguishes it from beef
exposed to wet aging which takes place in a plastic bag. Wet aging is used by most commercial
packing companies - it is more efficient and cheaper for the packing house. Dry aging allows
the meat to be tenderized by natural enzymes within the meat itself. Premium beef offerings, in upscale restaurants and
gourmet food stores
are dry aged. In August, 2007 Dry aging is the type of aging that your grandparents and parents may have talked about because it brings out that great beef taste while allowing for tenderization to occur! Two of our customers have commented that the flavor of the beef they received from their share in Sell Farm cattle reminded them of the meat they ate when they were children. Dry aging reduces moisture in the meat and therefore concentrates the flavor- it may also reduce the weight of the carcass up to 20%. This means you receive fewer pounds, but WOW you get MORE flavor. The meat does not taste dry, or feel dry to the palate because the decrease in moisture is imperceptible. Dry aging is a time consuming process, and it is expensive, but we think it is worth the time, effort and added cost to achieve the difference.
Beef is cut, wrapped, labeled and frozen:
Pick up the Beef at the Meat Processors,:
You must pickup your beef at the meat plant within a couple days of the date
that we will provide to you in our letter after delivery. If you are unable to
pick it up, let us know because the plant has limited freezer space for extra
storage. An extra fee of $5.00 for each day above this limit may be
assessed by the meat plant. It is frozen when you arrive—bring large coolers if
you live far from the plant - Transporting your beef home (the Dos and Don'ts)
Because of the rapid rise in the cost of grain, fuel, fertilizer and most everything we use in the raising of our stock, we offer a price good only for the dates stated on the order form found in this website. Prices are adjusted throughout the year as our costs change- and you will also observe this phenomenon in supermarket beef prices. The price on the order form is for the dates stated on it. Once you sign up and make your deposit, you are locked into the price of the share in a live calf ( our part ) that is stated on the order form - it can not be increased! There might be a slight increase in processing fees or sales tax. A typical
breakdown during processing is as follows:
It is important to realize
these amounts may vary considerably from animal to animal. When you buy ¼ share, you will receive the meat from a
split half- this means rather than getting meat from only the front or hind quarter,
you will receive meat from both the front and hind quarters. This makes it equitable for
all share holders.
What is the typical breakdown of the retail product that you might expect to receive from a single quarter (split half) of an animal weighing 1150 lb live weight?
This may vary widely due to animal characteristics and trim necessary at the
time of cutting .
Claves off in the distant pasture having an early breakfast of grain!
Ribeye steak from a 2005 calf
boneless shoulder roast (1-2 roasts) eye of the round that will be cut into fajita strips- if you are not interested in fajitas you can cut them into stew meat. (1-2 packs) rump roast (1 roast) - since there is only one roast per side, another item will be substituted. sirloin tip roast (1 roast)
top blade steaks 3/4" thick (also known as flat iron steaks) - 2 packs ribeye steaks 1" thick - 3 packs strip steaks 1" thick - 3 packs fillet mignon, greater than ~1.5" thick - 1-2 packs top sirloin, 1" thick (one steak per package) - 2-3 packs Cube steaks - these come from the London broil and bottom round and are a very desirable item here in the south; from our experience eating them, they are very good. Approximately one pound per packages. - 5 or more packs
stew meat in 1 - 1.5 lb packs
in approximately 1 lb packs (85% meat/ 15% fat)
The total weight of meat product is the above scenario is 100 lb.
As we mentioned above, in our experience the average weight of a quarter share was 99 lb in the past, so the above figures are a tiny bit higher than you might expect based on averages. Since each animal is different, it is conceivable that some will receive more beef and others less. The yield does not only depend on the size of the animal, but the genetics of it, and the butcher of the day. We ask that our customers be flexible. Americans generally eat between 64-68 lb. of beef / person per year over the past fifteen years (Source, CattleFax, 3/05). Note about 40 + % of the meat product will be made up of stew meat and ground beef! We personally love the ground beef, almost better than the steaks. It has such a great flavor and when grilled is fabulous, not only our opinion but that of our clients.
Visit the Ribeye Gallery Click Here to see representative ribeyes from our calves
What
are the
costs and how do you pay?
When you buy a share in a live animal from The Sell Farm, LLC, we require a $50 deposit per quarter share to guarantee a place on our sale list. It is due at the time of the order and is applied to your purchase price. On the day of delivery the animal is weighed on a state certified scale, it is at the time of delivery to the meat plant that you become the actual owner of the calf. After delivery we will notify you of the actual cost of your live animal share. You must send The Sell Farm, LLC a check within one week for the balance due us for your share in the animal (see below). On delivery, the
processor will notify us of the cost of his processing and we will pass this on
to you. You will generate a check to him and send it within one week of
receiving the invoice. The processing fee includes the services
to harvest, the dry aging, cutting, wrapping, packaging, labeling and
freezing of the meat from your animal.
We guarantee the delivery of a live animal for you to the meat plant. You assume no liability for prior death loss, or anything else, during the feeding, and delivery process. We will
also pay for you a one dollar/animal fee to the Georgia Beef Board for the
mandated Beef Check Off. This payment is required by law whenever a beef animal
is sold - and is the due from the buyer, but we will pay this for you. If for any reason, a natural disaster or otherwise, we are unable to deliver a live animal to the meat plant, you may elect that your full deposit (plus any partial payments) be returned, or you may elect to be included on the list for the next feeding cycle. Cost Breakdown - 2009
Assuming a theoretical animal weighs 1150 lb at the time of delivery. The total cost is based on two weights: 1) The calf cost is $1.80 / lb live wt determined on a certified scale the day it is delivered to the meat plant plus 7% sales tax*. This is due the Sell Farm, LLC 2) The processing fee: We do not have the final cost from the processor, but we feel that ~$98/ quarter share is a very realistic ballpark figure to plan on.
Estimated Cost Breakdown/ Quarter Share
* animals sold to individuals who are not practicing animal husbandry, which means raising the cattle for sale, are taxed at the rate in effect at the point of the animal's sale - Newton County. Presently the sales tax is 7%. * this fee is for Capes Sausage Company only and currently we feel is a very close estimate; other processors may charge more!
Orders are accepted in increments of 1/4 interest. To determine the cost multiply by the above figures by the number quarters you wish to buy. If we assume a quarter share in a Sell Farm calf results in 100 lb of beef from the hypothetical 1150 lb animal, then the average price per pound of the boneless beef is approximately $ 6.51 / pound which includes the sales tax. The beef product weight will vary from one animal to another as will the price per pound of resulting meat. After delivering 60 quarters so in 2006-7, the average weight of the boxes of beef our clients received was 99 lbs, we don't have the numbers for 2008.
Cost of Retail Beef - A limited Survey
Survey date: March 1, 2007 On 3/1/07 we did a cost survey in an Ingles Market in Griffin, GA, for a similar basket of beef as that listed above and the cost per pound was $6.64/lb. Most of the beef entered in the survey was generic, but there were some from Coleman's natural beef (antibiotic and hormone free) ribeyes, strips and ground beef to compare - the rest was generic beef - not labeled as dry aged or Angus or antibiotic or hormone free. This means the Ingle's price would probably be higher if it were Angus and if it were dry-aged. Our current price is $6.51/lb. This price difference is in no way a negative for Ingles, a market in which we shop almost daily - they do a good job and offer products from suppliers that can fulfill their needs. Small farmers like us can not do that. When they, or any grocery, buys beef this is what happens along the way: the calf leaves the farm by trailer, goes to a sale barn, then an order buyer makes a purchase for someone out there in USA cyberspace, then a trucker delivers it to the buyer, probably a stocker feeder somewhere - he/she usually feeds it on grass when available for a while, then the poor sole is then trucked again to a feed lot in Nebraska, Texas, Oklahoma or Colorado, etc where they are pumped up with grain, antibiotics, hormones and NO pasture in a very smelly mess, then the fat darling is trucked once again to a slaughter facility - its final resting place. But, the journey continues, the end beef product is then trucked once again to a regional distributor somewhere in the USA, then it is trucked again to a local distributor, who finally sells the beef to a Market and finally you put the beef in your auto and take it home - UGH! It a long road home, thousands of miles. Our calves make one trip to the meat plant located about 30 miles from the farm, and then you take the meat to your home. Saves a lot on stress on the animal and less fuel is used by everyone. As they say, it produces a small carbon footprint!
It really isn't fair to compare only the price/lb of the generic beef available at the local supermarket with the beef you will obtain from your Sell Farm calf. If you just take the price into consideration, you might conclude that ours is only $ 0.13 less based on the above survey! However, you are really getting a lot more from Sell Farm animals when you consider the facts below. Consider what you already know about beef from The Sell Farm's cattle, compared to what you DO NOT know about generic beef sold in a store. All of the Sell Farm's beef cattle are: 1)Angus genetics , 2) truly hormone and antibiotic free - some supermarkets carry this type of beef at a premium price, but we have not found (in a typical supermarket) beef that is both from Angus sires and is also dry aged, 3) dry aged just like in upscale restaurants and gourmet retail groceries- this increases tenderness and flavor, and it is not only the steaks that are dry aged but roasts and ground beef too - everything. Dry aged beef has the taste your parents would remember. It was the process used until about 40 years ago, now mostly replaced by wet aging in a plastic bag because it is cheap and quick to do. Dry aged beef is juicy, but contains slightly less water than wet aged beef. Because of this the weight of the final product is slightly less than wet aged beef - your not paying for water - like you do in some supermarket offerings! Dry aged meat is still available on the Internet and in a few stores, but at a great premium. 4) truly source verified - that is, the Sell Farm beef comes from calves that were born here on our farm. 5) from calves that grazed on pasture throughout their lives and were neither subjected to a life in a confinement feed yard, nor trucked half way crossed the country to a feed yard, 6) from animals 15 months of age when harvested; youth translates into tenderness. Young animals are more tender than old. Most hamburger you buy in stores comes from old dairy and beef cows that are no longer productive. 7) we use a very slow, meticulous, process of feeding calves and aging the meat, both of are expensive, but we feel it is worth the time and effort because of the flavor and tenderness we achieve. Since we eliminate many of the middle men, we are able to bring to you our beef at a very competitive price and despite being a very small operation. We do not receive the large discounts that huge feedlots get when then buy feedstuffs for thousands of cattle in their pens. 8) our beef is NOT injected with fluid and "natural flavors" as one of the largest meat sellers in the country does. We don't need to add flavor, it is already there. When you go to the super stores, turn over the beef package and note what the little label on the back states - you'll be surprised. 9) when comparing our beef to other Georgia cattle producer's product please take into consideration the following: The Sell Farm Angus beef calves are grain fed for about 6 months, the carcass is dry-aged for about 17 days, Angus calves are born on our farm and are around 15 months of age at when harvested, they live on pasture their entire lives and are not penned up for feeding, and of course we never use added hormones or antibiotics! Finally, our customers (see Feedback section) tell us that there just isn't any comparison in taste of the dry aged product derived from The Sell Farm, LLC's cattle compared to that purchased at the supermarket ! We DO NOT embellish their remarks!
We cannot guarantee the price per pound of RETAIL PRODUCT (MEAT) that you will
receive since this will vary with each animal’s yield and trim and shrinkage
during aging.
WE CAN GUARANTEE
the price of our live animals at $1.80 live wt (plus sales
tax in effect at the time of delivery)
The processing fee is to be determined per quarter, but is estimated at $97.65/quarter. This cost/quarter could change throughout the year and therefore will affect the final amount - hopefully not. We will update this portion of the website as the final figures are available to us.
Prices listed on this website take precedence over our printed materials and we will update this page as changes occur.
Most people do not need a whole cow! ‘Holy Cow’ that is a lot of BEEF! You must however buy a minimum of ¼ share in a calf. If this is too much, you may arrange to divide it up with friends and relatives, but that is something you must do. Estimated Payments & Schedule
These are estimates based on one split half (1/4 carcass share) on the hypothetical 1150 lb animal above.
* This portion is available for a periodic payment schedule, details below.
Remember, the total cost is only an estimate, but it should be in the ballpark. Send your $ 50 deposit for each quarter share (split half product) to the address below AND include the order form. TO: The Sell Farm, LLC 764 Liberty Rd. Milner, Ga. 30257
Pickup:
We are now
offering a processing location at Capes Sausage Company between McDonough and Covington, GA.
You must pickup the meat
at the meat plant within the time frame stated in a letter you will receive from us after
delivery. Additional storages charges may
pertain if pickup is delayed.
You will be notified in advance of the pickup date. We
will also provide to you detailed directions to the facility.
The Meat plant is open Monday through
Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.. We will provide directions and times of operation when we notify
you of your pickup date. Thank you!
If you still have questions, just ask us!
That of course, is
your decision. Purchasing from a local farmer may, or may not be cheaper than buying
at a Wal-Mart Supercenter. Then, of course, when
you buy from a store you won’t have any information on the origin, addition of
antibiotics and hormones to the growing animal and his feed, animal treatment
procedures, or whether at the time of processing the meat was more than minimally
processed. Many of the retail
products out there are not minimally processed, but have additives and
treatments performed at the time of processing that are not part of the process
employed at the meat plants we are utilizing. The experience of buying a share of an
animal through The
Sell Farm, LLC does have several advantages to both of us.
Your Satisfaction with the Beef Product from our yearling calves is very Important to us! If you are not satisfied with the quality of meat from your share of a calf, let us know immediately, keep it frozen, and we will do what is right!
Protecting you Beef Investment Several of our past year's customers lost their beef due to a freezer malfunction. One new customer related a similar story. It can happen, so be prepared to detect it early and have an action plan to save the beef. A new customer this year ruined their beef on the trip home - it was in cardboard boxes, they put in the bed of a pickup when the ambient temperature was in the 90 degree range and then put ice on top of the packaged meat. We have developed an educational page that goes into considerable detail on this subject. Please CLICK HERE!
The
Sell Farm, LLC's Feed and Supplement vendors December
26, 2003
Southern States Beef Mineral or Ultralyx Minerals: “Free
from Restricted Ruminant Protein Products per Title 21, CFR 589.2000” Thermolas: a protein tub used as a protein/trace mineral supplement used during winter hay feeding period for growing heifers, bulls and brood cows - it not given to calves in the beef program once they start on grain. Contains no animal protein, antibiotics or hormones. Mid-Georgia Farm Services, LLC ( Feed/Grain Ration): "This is to certify that this feed ration does not contain any ruminant derived protein, bone meal, blood products, antibiotics or ionophores (this means antibiotics) such as Bovatec or Rumensin." None of the above products contain an antibiotic or ionophore. An ionophore is a type of antibiotic typically used in large-scale cattle feeding facilities. We do NOT add any growth-promoting hormones to the management of our calves. As of March 10, 2004 the USDA will NOT allow individual producers, packing plants, or anyone else, to test for BSE independently of the national screening project they have set in place. Our calves average 15 months of age at time of harvest.
What else do we do? We
thought it might be helpful for us to review with you all of the things that we
are doing to insure the safety of your calf and your resulting beef product.
We
only buy breeding stock from reputable established breeders here in Georgia. We
never buy cattle as breeding stock, or for the beef program, from a sale barn.
All animals offered in the beef purchase plan have an identification number, complete health records and are born
on our farm. The animals will be processed in a State inspected plant, and one of us will be present at the time of final processing to supervise the cutting and to obtain data on carcass merit for use in our ongoing beef and genetic improvement program. People
will remove the meat from the bone, not machines.
What is the genetic makeup of The Sell Farm, LLC’s Angus Beef? Angus cattle are
known for their carcass traits, flavor and enjoyable eating experience. Supermarkets,
and restaurants, charge a premium for Angus influenced beef! Our Momma
brood cows are sired by Angus, Brangus and
Simmental bulls. Brangus is a breed in which the genetics of the animal
are composed of 5/8ths Angus and 3/8ths Brahman. Brangus are known for being
heat tolerant, resistance to pests and tenderness. They do well in the
southeast. Some of our cattle also possess some Simmental genetics which
contributes to increased retail product.
We are not organic because access to organic practices and finding organic grain are very difficult, really impossible, at the present time in our area. If we found a source of organic feed, we could not afford it and you probably wouldn't want to pay the very high price for the beef. It can be done out west, because they have access to cheap grasslands to raise grass-fed beef without the use of grain. Our animals live on grass, and receive grain, therefore they are NOT considered grass-fed. Personally we find that there is a marked difference in taste between strictly raised grass-fed beef and grain fed beef - we love the latter.
Natural Beef The USDA defines the term natural as follows, "natural may be applied only to products that contain no artificial ingredients, coloring ingredients, or chemical preservatives; and the product and its ingredients are not more than minimally processed. " It is important to note that the above USDA definition does NOT say anything about prior use of added growth hormones or feed antibiotics ! Natural also does NOT mean organic, that is a whole other issue!
Shipping: At the present time we do not ship within, or outside, Georgia. Links: This link is very good in discussing where various cuts of meat come from the carcass and what their characteristics are: http://www.victoriapacking.com/beefinfo.html
Please visit our Education Page where you will find a lot of information. Most importantly how to take steps to safeguard your frozen food in the event of a freezer failure, and how to know when your freezer is not working, plus where to get a freezer alarm. CLICK HERE
Safe Handling of Meat of All Types The Following information pertains to the safe handling of all beef and other fresh meat products. Please read about safe handling of meat and cooking of beef on the Georgia Beef Board's Site: http://www.gabeef.org/gbb/foodsafety/
Whole Foods is a Natural and Organic Grocer with several branches in Georgia. They have very good selections of all types of products which are hard to find in a regular grocery. Their website has a good section on safe handling and keeping of all forms of meat. Next time you go to Atlanta plan to visit and you can even have lunch there too.
http://www.wholefoods.com/issues/fs_handlingfood.html
To read what past customers say about the Angus beef they have received, and the process of purchasing click on the Customer Feedback Link at either the top or bottom of this page. Contact Please contact us if you have any questions, or would like to participate in the plan. Phone numbers are on the Home page at the bottom and on the order form. Click Here-> wmfarr@bellsouth.net
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Send mail to wmfarr@bellsouth.net with questions or comments about this web site.Last modified: July 21, 2008 08:56:10 AM |
