Question and Answer Page

As natural as we can without giving up personal care that keeps our livestock and land healthy. During the summer months the entire herd; cows, calves and sheep are out on native grass and forage pastures. During the winter months the herd is grazing cover forage and supplemented with our own baled hay.

We Raise Angus Cattle and Katahdin Meat Sheep.We only market livestock that are born and raised on our farm.We only use processors that are certified Animal Humane Approved Facility.You can purchase certified beef for your freezer by the Quarter, Half or Whole or by individual USDA cuts.You can purchase certified lamb for your freezer by Half or Whole or by individual USDA cuts.

When you are ready to reserve a steer/lamb and place your order a deposit is required.At harvest time we will deliver your steer/lamb to the AWA processor.Beef will hang in the cooler for 10-12 days, Lamb hang 1-2 days.Whole and Half orders will have the chance to create a custom cut list with the processor.Cuts are vacuum sealed and marked by processor.You can pick up directly from the processor, the farm or one of our Meat Up Locations around the state.

Whole, half or quarters under the custom exempt law are sold as live weight, determined by the processors certified scales.We prefer to process steers around 1000-1100 lbs. (final freezer weight will be around 400+ lbs.)Final freezer weight after processing will be approximately 25-30% less than the hanging weight due to shrinkage from hanging, boning, trimming, etc.

When you order whole or half cow, you will have the ability to custom order your cuts.A quarter is a split half; each quarter receives equal parts of the half side from the front and back.An average quarter gives around 95 - 100 lbs: 35-40 packages chopped ground beef, chuck roasts, shoulder roasts, brisket, filets, New York strips, sirloin, ribeyes, soup bones and stew meat.

Approximately every 35 lbs. of meat will require 1 cubic ft.A quarter of beef usually fits in the freezer section of a conventional refrigerator if it is completely empty.A whole beef needs 10 cubic feet of freezer space.An average family of four will be content for a year with 1 whole beef.Vacuum-wrapped meat will keep well for 1 year in a good, cold freezer.

Yes. Our Angus cattle and Katahdin sheep are 100% grass-fed and grass-finished.They are raised on pasture and forage throughout their lives and are never grain-finished.During different seasons, their forage may include native grasses, improved pastures, seasonal cover forage, natural browse, and hay grown on our farm.

Yes. We are a true pasture-to-plate family farm.The beef and lamb we market come from animals that are born and raised on our farm.Knowing where our animals come from allows us to manage their care, nutrition, handling, and environment from birth through harvest.

Our market cattle and sheep are raised without added growth hormones or routine antibiotics.Animal welfare always comes first. If an animal requires medical treatment, we provide the care it needs and that animal is removed from the certified market program.Our focus is on good animal husbandry, quality forage, rotational grazing, clean water, proper nutrition, and preventative management.

Our beef and lamb are Certified Grassfed by A Greener World.Our farm is Certified Animal Welfare Approved by A Greener World.We are also certified through the American Grassfed Association.These independent certification programs provide standards and outside verification of our grass-fed production methods, animal-welfare practices, and farm management.Certification is important to us because it gives our customers more than simply our word about how their food is raised.

Certified Grassfed means our cattle and sheep are raised on a grass- and forage-based diet rather than being grain-finished.Our livestock spend their lives on pasture where they can graze naturally.During times when fresh forage is limited, such as winter or drought conditions, we supplement with approved forage and hay.Our farm is audited annually to be sure we are following the highest grassfed and finished standards.

Animal Welfare Approved is an independent certification program with standards covering the care and management of livestock.The standards address areas such as access to pasture, animal handling, health management, living conditions, transportation, and other practices related to animal welfare.We also select processors that meet the animal-welfare requirements associated with our certification program.

We offer meat through two different processing methods.USDA-inspected beef and lamb can be sold as individual cuts. This is the meat you will find in our online store and at our farmers' market and Meat Up locations.With custom-exempt bulk purchases, the customer purchases ownership of the animal or their portion of the animal before processing. The processor then processes that animal for the owner's personal use. Custom-exempt packages are marked "Not for Sale" and cannot be resold to other parties.This allows customers to purchase beef in larger quantities such as an Eighth, Quarter, Half, or Whole animal at a lower processing cost.

These three weights are different and understanding them makes purchasing bulk beef much easier.Live weight is the weight of the animal before harvest.Hanging weight is the weight of the carcass after harvest and initial processing, before it is cut into individual packages.Packaged or freezer weight is the amount of finished meat you take home after aging, trimming, boning, cutting, and packaging.The packaged weight will always be less than the hanging weight, and the hanging weight will be considerably less than the live weight.

Pricing depends on the size of beef share your purchase.For Whole and Half Beef, the farm portion of the price is based on the animal's certified live weight after harvest. Processing charges are paid separately to the processor and are generally based on hanging weight and processing services.Quarter and Eighth Beef are offered as predetermined packages with processing included in the stated package price.Because animals naturally vary in size, final weights and costs can vary. Current pricing and estimated take-home weights are listed on our Bulk Beef page.

For a Whole or Half Beef, you will receive a farm invoice from Sampson Family Farm and a separate processing invoice from the processor.For our Quarter and Eighth Beef packages, processing is included in the package price and handled by the farm.A deposit is required when you reserve your beef.Final payment arrangements will be explained when your animal is scheduled for harvest.

A Quarter Beef is not simply the front quarter or hind quarter of an animal.Our quarters are split halves, which means each Quarter Beef receives a balanced selection of meat from both the front and rear portions of the animal.This allows each customer to receive a variety of steaks, roasts, ground beef, stew meat, and other cuts rather than receiving only the cuts found in one section of the animal.

Customers purchasing a Whole or Half Beef have the opportunity to speak with the processor and customize their cutting instructions.You can discuss steak thickness, number of steaks per package, roast sizes, ground beef, and other available processing options directly with the processor.Quarter and Eighth Beef are packaged using our standard cut selection so that each customer receives a balanced assortment of cuts.

Customers purchasing a Whole or Half Beef can discuss available organ meats and specialty items with the processor when completing their cutting instructions.Depending on availability and the animal, these may include items such as liver, heart, tongue, soup bones, or other specialty cuts.We also periodically have USDA-inspected organ meats, bones, and specialty products available through our individual-cut inventory.

Our harvest dates are scheduled based on when we expect an animal to be properly finished, but farming does not always follow an exact calendar.Because our cattle are grass-fed and grass-finished, weather, rainfall, heat, pasture conditions, and forage quality can affect how quickly an animal reaches the proper finish.We would rather allow an animal the additional time it needs than harvest simply because a date is on the calendar.Processor schedules can also occasionally affect harvest dates. If there is a change to your scheduled animal, we will contact you.

We stay in contact with you throughout the process.After you place your deposit, your order is reserved for an upcoming harvest. As the harvest date approaches, we will provide the information you need regarding processing, cutting instructions when applicable, final payment, and pickup.Once processing is complete, arrangements will be made for you to receive your order.

Our beef and lamb are professionally cut and packaged by the processor and frozen for safe transportation and storage.Package sizes vary depending on the cut and your processing instructions. Ground beef is generally packaged in convenient family-sized portions, while steaks, roasts, and other cuts are packaged according to the processor's specifications or your custom instructions when available.

Yes. You do not have to purchase bulk beef or lamb to buy from Sampson Family Farm.We offer USDA-inspected individual cuts of beef and lamb, including a rotating selection of ground meat, steaks, roasts, stew meat, organ meats, bones, sausage, and other products.Availability changes throughout the year, so check our online store for current inventory.

Our Meat Ups are scheduled pickup locations that allow customers in other areas of Florida to purchase from our farm without having to drive all the way to Live Oak.Customers place their orders ahead of time, and we bring the completed orders to the scheduled Meat Up location.Current dates and locations are posted on our website and social media.

Sampson Family Farm is a working family farm and our home, rather than a traditional retail storefront.Farm pickups and visits are by appointment so we can make sure someone is available to help you.For customers who prefer regular shopping hours, you can also find us at the Alachua County Farmers Market or use one of our scheduled Meat Up locations.

We recommend reserving as early as possible.Our animals are raised and finished naturally on pasture, so we only have a certain number available for each harvest period. Bulk orders are reserved with a deposit, and availability can fill before a scheduled harvest date.If the date you want is full, we can usually place you on the next available harvest.

Yes. Grass-fed and grass-finished beef is produced differently from cattle finished on grain.Our cattle spend their lives eating grass and forage, which generally produces beef that is leaner than heavily grain-finished beef while still providing the natural flavor and tenderness we select for in our Angus cattle.Because grass-fed beef can be leaner, it often cooks more quickly than conventional beef.

Grass-fed beef generally benefits from slightly lower cooking temperatures and careful attention to cooking time.For steaks, avoid overcooking and allow the meat to rest after cooking. Slow-cooking methods work very well for roasts, brisket, and other cuts that contain more connective tissue.One of the advantages of purchasing bulk beef is receiving a variety of cuts, and we are always happy to help customers learn how to use cuts they may not have cooked before.