Why is Wagyu beef more expensive?

Wagyu beef actually takes longer to raise than other breeds. The typical time to raise Wagyu beef is around 30 months, where other breeds take around 18 months. It can also be compared to letting a tomato ripen on the Vine. That is what gets the extra marbling and flavor that is predisposed in that breed of beef!

Buying a Quarter, Half or Whole Beef can be confusing sometimes. Here we break it down

Live Weight = This is the weight of the whole beef with everything on it. The skin, hooves, etc.

Hanging weight = This the weight of the beef after everything is removed that you will not eat. This weight is normally 60% of the live weight.

When the beef is ready, they are sent to the butcher. The butcher then weighs the beef which gets the live weight, and then after removing the parts that are not eaten, weighs the beef again, giving the hanging weight.

Due to input cost doubling, our price is currently $3.25 per pound of the live weight. And our beef come in anywhere from 1300 - 2000 pounds.

In addition to the live weight price, the butcher processes the meat and charges per pound of the hanging weight, plus extra for certain beef products and/or cuts. We use Elma Locker in Elma, IA and you can find out more information about their processing and fees here.

The total of the live weight plus the processing is approximately $6.00 per pound. And that includes every cut - ground beef, roasts and steaks!