Numbers, not promises: here is the complete, package-by-package count of what came back from the USDA processor on one of our 2026 animals — 407 packages, 453.93 lb of take-home beef — and what those exact packages would cost at grass-fed grocery prices (the same benchmarks as our live price comparison).
| Cut | Packages | Total lb | Avg lb/pkg | Grocery $/lb* | Grocery value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground beef 80/20 (1-lb packs) | 327 | 327.00 | 1.00 | $10.99 | $3,593.73 |
| Ribeye steak | 13 | 25.24 | 1.94 | $24.00 | $605.76 |
| NY Strip steak | 13 | 18.40 | 1.42 | $22.50 | $414.00 |
| Filet mignon | 14 | 7.16 | 0.51 | $47.80 | $342.25 |
| Sirloin steak | 6 | 12.28 | 2.05 | $17.50 | $214.90 |
| Sirloin tip steak | 8 | 19.46 | 2.43 | $10.52 | $204.72 |
| Brisket | 2 | 17.20 | 8.60 | $11.04 | $189.89 |
| Chuck steak | 13 | 14.94 | 1.15 | $8.74 | $130.58 |
| Denver steak | 9 | 8.19 | 0.91 | $8.74 | $71.58 |
| Flank steak | 2 | 4.06 | 2.03 | $14.70 | $59.68 |
| TOTAL | 407 | 453.93 | $5,827.08 |
The math: a whole beef at today's price is $5,294 — $11.66/lb across every package above, filet mignon included. The same freezer full of beef at grass-fed grocery prices: $5,827. That's $533 saved (~9%). And per our open-books cost page, this animal cost us $4,694 all-in to raise and process — you can check our margin yourself.
Splitting a whole with another household? Here's how this one divides
Two families went in on this cow together. Because every package is labeled and weighed, a whole splits into two even halves — 228.2 lb and 225.7 lb:
| Cut | Box A pkgs | Box A lb | Box B pkgs | Box B lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground beef 80/20 (1-lb packs) | 164 | 164.00 | 163 | 163.00 |
| Ribeye steak | 7 | 13.44 | 6 | 11.80 |
| NY Strip steak | 6 | 8.82 | 7 | 9.58 |
| Filet mignon | 7 | 3.62 | 7 | 3.54 |
| Sirloin steak | 3 | 6.26 | 3 | 6.02 |
| Sirloin tip steak | 4 | 9.42 | 4 | 10.04 |
| Brisket | 1 | 8.72 | 1 | 8.48 |
| Chuck steak | 7 | 7.90 | 6 | 7.04 |
| Denver steak | 4 | 3.98 | 5 | 4.21 |
| Flank steak | 1 | 2.06 | 1 | 2.00 |
| TOTAL | 204 | 228.22 | 203 | 225.71 |
Each half is $2,647 (exactly half the whole price) and carries roughly $2,914 of beef at grocery prices — each family saves about $267 versus the store, and everybody gets ribeyes, strips, and filets.
*Benchmarks: USDA AMS Southeast grass-fed retail averages plus live retailer prices — the same sources on our comparison page. Where a cut had no direct benchmark we deliberately used a CHEAPER one (Denver & chuck steaks valued at chuck-roast price, sirloin tip steaks at roast price), so real grocery value runs higher than shown. Ready for your own freezer full? Reserve a share.