Grassfed and Finished Beef

They are rotationally grazed for most of the year on perennial plants that are common to Pennsylvania.

Orchard grass, clover, timothy, fescue, and rye are among them.

They are also supplied with hay in the winter that is made from that same grasses.

Salt/Minerals are also given as Free Choice.

No, we do not use any Vaccines, Hormones, or Antibiotics on our cattle we offer as meat sales to the public.

In necessary cases, we may use antibiotics to treat a sick animal, but those animals no longer qualify for "Antibiotic & Hormone Free" and at no point enter our inventory.

Unqualified cattle are sold at auction or to larger packers that supply grocery stores and restaurants.

Our animals are treated humanely and are raised in a low-stress, pasture environment. We prioritize low-stress livestock handling, and select docile animals (because it's lower stress on us as well, we dislike wild and worked up cattle).

We also use our sister company's (same ownership as Keystone Cattle Co) Mobile Slaughter Service for all of our 1/4, 1/2, and whole animal shares!

(For bundle boxes we must take animals to our local USDA inspected processor)

Mobile Slaughter produces SUPERIOR quality beef, because the animal is calm and comfortable in its own surroundings, right up to the moment of dispatch. More info at www.mountainmanllc.com

Cost of animal: Since the Spring of 2023 (due to ongoing droughts in the Mid Western USA), live cattle market price at New Holland Sales Stables (New Holland, PA) has risen dramatically, and as a result cattle are worth more.

Grassfed Beef is also time intensive and takes lots of land to properly rotationally graze. Since the farmer in not getting income from monocrops that would otherwise be grown in those fields, a higher price must be paid to compensate for that income.

Also most Farmers would much rather ship their finished cattle to auction, as it is MUCH easier than cultivating a brand and dealing with customers, facility inspections, and inventory.

So a higher retail price is what needs to happen to incentivize farmers to sell directly to you, instead at the cattle auction.

For all of our 1/4, 1/2, and Whole beef shares (in store pickup only), we use "Meat Master Mobile Harvest LLC" (they purchased our mobile slaughter truck in Oct 2024).

These animals are processed on farm, without having to be caught and trailered. This yields SUPERIOR quality beef, as the animal never gets stressed from shipping, but is comfortable in its own environment until the very moment of dispatch.

This is how we first started filling peoples freezers in 2019, and remains our favorite way to serve family's!

The beef in our bundle boxes is prepared more traditionally, as we must use our local USDA butcher: Hi-Way Meat Market in order to comply with regulations. My Grandmother used to shop there in the 1960's! They have an excellent reputation for cleanliness & food safety, and we appreciate their services. -Derek