A Freezer Full of Beef

So it's hard to remember today when it is overcast and has been raining all weekend but this summer the Midwest had a scorching drought.  We were put on water restriction and most of the corn and soy bean crops in the country were either stunted or nonexistent.  The result of this, meat prices this next near are going to go through the roof.  It put a little extra motivation on us to do something we'd thought about before...and that is order a whole lot of beef.  Our neighbor approached us and asked if we wanted to go in on a cow with them.  So we bought a steer with her and two other families.  It was local, grass feed, hormone and antibiotic free.  I didn't actually get to see the steer while it was still alive but I did get to go to the butcher to tell them how we wanted our 160lbs of meat.  I took the kids with me.  This many lbs of ground beef, this many roast, this many steaks.  Then we walked out to the sound of pigs screaming.  Captain E turned to me and said, "Mom, they are turning those pigs into meat."  That's right sweetie, that's right.  A few days later I went in to pick up my order.  160lbs of meat in four big boxes.  When I opened up the boxes I found each packet already frozen with a tag saying not for sale (it is law that the meat has to be marked like that when it is for personal use) and a stamp telling me what was in each package.  Then we filled the freezer.  We've eaten a lot more beef this month.  It's crazy having a freezer full of beef.  Sometimes I don't know what to do with it.  But it was a great price.  After it was all said and done we spent about $2.60 a pound.  Which for ground beef isn't a half bad price but when you add in all the stake and roast cuts and the fact that it was grass feed, it was an amazing price.  I would definitely be willing to do it again!