Custom Beef Shop Opening Date...Friday May 8th at 4pm(EST)
- Allie@FoothillFrolicFarm
- 2 days ago
- 7 min read
Attention to all Custom Beef shareholders from last season: We have finalized the pricing and details for the 2026-2027 Custom Beef Season. The Online Custom Beef SHOP at Foothill Frolic Farm on Gammon Creek will have all the Custom Beef Shares available and ready for order this Friday, May 8th, at 4 pm.
This is the time when all shareholders from our previous season can submit their official orders for the upcoming custom beef season.
Many of you have expressed interest in increasing your share size from last year. Due to our expanded availability of custom beefs this season, thanks to an increase in calves starting in 2024, you will have priority over waitlisted customers to choose and order the share size you desire for this season. We should be able to accommodate everyone's hopes for larger share sizes.
Once all existing shareholder customers have placed their orders, we will open the SHOP for new waitlist customers. If you have signed up for the waitlist, keep an eye out for an email or text notifying you that the Online Beef Shop is now available for you to place an order, should you still wish to do so.
If you are a current shareholder or have joined our custom beef waitlist and have any questions about ordering, please contact us before this Friday, the 8th.
Meanwhile, we have compiled a detailed Shareholder Letter below that I encourage everyone to read. Additionally, I've summarized this Shareholder Note with headings for easier interpretation, which you can access on the website for reference. This information will be useful in deciding the best share size for you this season before viewing the products in the Online Beef SHOP.
Dear Custom Beef Shareholders,
Over the past several custom beef seasons, our shareholders have consistently received exceptional value through our Custom Beef Share program at Foothill Frolic Farm on Gammon Creek. When we carefully review and analyze the actual processing data from previous years, the numbers continue to demonstrate just how beneficial purchasing a custom beef share can be for families seeking premium-quality, nutrient-dense beef at a fair and transparent price.
For our 2025–2026 Custom Beef Share season, our farm conducted a detailed statistical analysis using the final processing data from all completed beefs. Based on Whole Beef Share averages, the results were extremely encouraging for our shareholders. The average live weight of our cattle was approximately 1,155 pounds, with an average hanging weight of 693 pounds. From those animals, shareholders received an average of approximately 502 pounds of final edible beef products.
Most notably, the average final total cost for Whole Beef Shareholders during that season was approximately $4,490. When calculated against the final edible beef product received, this averaged anywhere from the low $8 per pound range to the low $9 per pound range for premium 100% grassfed and grassfinished regenerative beef products. In today’s marketplace, especially when comparing against retail pricing for comparable premium grassfed beef cuts, this represented an extraordinary value for our shareholders.
As we move into each new season, we work very carefully to balance two important responsibilities. First, we want to continue providing our shareholders with outstanding value and access to truly exceptional beef raised with integrity and transparency. Second, we must ensure that our pricing honestly reflects the increasing realities of operating a regenerative livestock farm committed to the highest standards of animal care, land stewardship, infrastructure maintenance, processing costs, and daily labor.
Our family pours an enormous amount of time, energy, sacrifice, and financial investment into this farm operation year after year. Quite honestly, our lives revolve around caring for our animals and land every single day — often without vacations or extended breaks — because we deeply believe in what we are building and the quality of food we are producing for families. While we genuinely love this work, we also recognize the importance of creating a financially sustainable farming enterprise that allows us to continue improving our farm systems, investing in regenerative practices, supporting our family’s livelihood, and expanding future offerings for our customers.
Even with the pricing increases that have occurred over recent years due to rising operational costs, processing expenses, and agricultural inflation, we still believe our Custom Beef Share program remains priced below many farms offering similar products and production methods. At the same time, we strongly believe that the standards we maintain at Foothill Frolic Farm on Gammon Creek exceed many other operations in our category. Our commitment to quality is reflected through the Eleven Premium Standards and farming principles we openly share with customers on our website.
Our long-term goal is not simply to sell beef. Our vision is to build a stable, thriving regenerative farm capable of continuing to serve families with integrity for many years to come. As our primary farming enterprise becomes stronger and more sustainable, it also creates opportunities for us to responsibly expand and offer additional farm products produced under the same high standards and regenerative principles our customers have come to trust and additional educational farm experiences, like an accredited farm/nature school or a farm homeschool bridge program.
We are deeply thankful for every shareholder who supports our farm and understands the true value behind ethically and regeneratively raised food. Your support directly helps preserve responsible agriculture, strengthens local food systems, and allows our family to continue stewarding this land and producing premium-quality beef with care, honesty, and dedication.
Understanding Current Custom Beef Weight & Yield & Share Sizes
At Foothill Frolic Farm on Gammon Creek, we are deeply grateful for your continued trust in our family farm and for your commitment to supporting Premium 100% Grassfed and Grassfinished, regenerative, organically raised custom beef.
As we prepare for our 2026–2027 Custom Beef Share season, we want to provide important information regarding our updated Custom Beef Cost and Weight Analysis so that every shareholder clearly understands the value, costs, and expected yields associated with their beef share purchase.
Our pricing structure is based on a projected live animal weight of approximately 1,150 pounds. From this live weight, the average hanging weight is estimated at approximately 690 pounds, which ultimately yields around 490 pounds of usable beef products after processing and aging. Because beef processing naturally results in weight loss from bone, fat trimming, and moisture reduction during aging, the final take-home weight will always be lower than the original live weight or hanging weight. This is a normal and important part of producing high-quality beef.
For the 2026–2027 season, we will continue offering Whole, Half, Quarter, and Eighth Shares to better accommodate the needs of our customers and families of varying sizes.
A Whole Share averages approximately 490 pounds of usable beef products with an estimated final total cost of $5,658, averaging about $11.50 per pound of take-home beef products. Based on current retail values of comparable individual cuts, this represents an estimated savings of approximately $2,207.
A Half Share averages approximately 245 pounds of usable beef products with an estimated final total cost of $2,880.75, averaging about $11.75 per pound, with estimated savings of approximately $1,051.75 compared to purchasing similar cuts individually at retail prices.
A Quarter Share averages approximately 122.5 pounds of usable beef products with an estimated final total cost of $1,483.50, averaging about $12.11 per pound, with estimated savings of approximately $482.75.
An Eighth Share averages approximately 61.25 pounds of usable beef products with an estimated final total cost of $763.32, averaging about $12.46 per pound, while still offering estimated savings of approximately $219.80 over retail pricing.
Each shareholder’s final cost is made up of three primary components:
• The live animal custom beef cost, based on hanging weight pricing
• Custom hauling and handling fees
• Processing costs, which are passed directly through to the shareholder based on actual butcher and processing expenses
For this season, hanging weight prices range from $7.10 per pound for Whole Shares to $7.75 per pound for Eighth Shares. Smaller shares require additional coordination, splitting, and handling, which is reflected in the incremental price adjustments.
One of the greatest benefits of purchasing a custom beef share is the exceptional overall value received across a wide variety of premium beef cuts. Based on current retail comparisons, the estimated average retail value of the usable beef products from a full animal is approximately $7,865, averaging around $16.05 per pound when purchased as individual cuts. By purchasing a share directly from our farm, shareholders receive substantial savings while also securing a dependable supply of nutrient-dense, ethically raised beef for their household.
In addition to financial value, your purchase supports regenerative agricultural practices that prioritize soil health, animal welfare, biodiversity, and sustainable land stewardship. Our cattle are raised entirely on chemical free pasture with no grain finishing, and we remain committed to producing clean, high-quality beef in harmony with nature and our local ecosystem. This is accomplished by keen holistic management in which we rotate all 4 of our herds without the use of chemical fly sprays, chemical de-wormers, chemical de-licers, growth hormones, or routine pharmaceutical antibiotics or medications. Moreover our farm family is totally committed to NOT using ANY form or type of VACCINES for any of our 250 cattle, which might be one of the rarest premiums within our cattle practices.
Please remember that all weights and totals listed in the analysis are averages and estimates. Actual final weights and processing yields may vary slightly from animal to animal due to natural biological variation and individual processing selections.
We are honored to provide your family with nourishing food raised with integrity, transparency, and care. Thank you for supporting Foothill Frolic Farm on Gammon Creek and for being part of our growing community of conscientious beef shareholders.
If you have any questions regarding share sizes, costs, processing options, or reserving your 2026–2027 Custom Beef Share, please do not hesitate to contact us.
With gratitude,
All of us here at Foothill Frolic Farm on Gammon Creek
Premium 100% grassfed & grassfinished-regenerative-organically raised Custom Beef Animals
Until Next Time, Eat Well and Be Well and Please Pass Along through your favorite media!,
(even though we have held off on having a social media presence, we are perfectly fine for our readers to share.)
Allison Mills Neal of Foothill Frolic Farm
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