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messmaker523 t1_j4v8og5 wrote

I'd go to a farmers market and talk to one of the meat vendors there. If you looking for a whole dead cow. That would be easiest. Also the suburban Craigslist sites have adds for whole or half cows

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useyourownjudgement t1_j4ws69n wrote

That's a helluva lot of meat.

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keyjan t1_j4v82yj wrote

a live cow or a dead cow?

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FacitBull5O t1_j4vamts wrote

Hayfield Farms down near Fredericksburg. Got half a cow last year and they let you pick your cuts. Meat was delicious. Half a cow was about 210 lbs

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Optimal-Nose1092 t1_j4xtt0o wrote

I got a half a cow once from a farm in West Virginia. I was in a group that made group purchases of beef and lamb. I had no idea how much meat that was. Someone had to bring me a medium size freeze to hold it.

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InevitableCloud t1_j4v8lw0 wrote

Studley farms has cow shares if that’s what your going for…

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DemureCynosure t1_j4veo1l wrote

I'm just going to ask because I've had friends who wanted a whole cow for the first time, only to realize just how much meat a whole cow is:
You have a separate deep freezer for storage, right?

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LivelyJellyfish t1_j4vj34u wrote

You can look for 4-H fairs in some of the surrounding communities if you’re willing to drive a bit. My parents have been buying a steer from the county fair for years. There’s usually a recommended butcher that will work with the farm directly to process everything so you just have to go pick it up when it’s ready. It’s often cheaper than other methods because there’s an auction, so you can likely get meat for less than $2 per pound.

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truce_m3 OP t1_j4vv8u9 wrote

Wow -- this is a heckuva tip. Definitely points for originality.

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Oneightyoner t1_j4vdkjf wrote

The Mennonites out by mechanicsville would be a good source

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ElsieDCow t1_j4vhgqx wrote

This is a good answer especially because Mennonites are very ethical in how they treat animals.

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arronski_again t1_j4vp76k wrote

No they’re not; they run puppy mills. (Amish are more known for this, but Mennonites do too.)

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gutterbrain73 t1_j4v9hms wrote

Why not assemble one yourself? Your local butcher could help...

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truce_m3 OP t1_j4vboxi wrote

Trying to support a local farmer without the middleman.

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johnbburg t1_j4vnfky wrote

And leave that poor middleman without a means to make their living?

The butcher at the Dupont farmers market is great. He may know where to go.

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NPRjunkieDC t1_j4veoyt wrote

Are you sure you have a big enough fridge/freezer or do you live with a large group of people?

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truce_m3 OP t1_j4vv1cj wrote

I have a big enough freezer.

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NPRjunkieDC t1_j4w3970 wrote

Great, but you might be aware that eating so much meat is not healthy

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Chaseyoungqbz t1_j4w7kz9 wrote

Eh. The studies on meat and its health effects usually cite relative risk rather than absolute risk. There’s quite a few other substances that have similar relative risk profiles and we never talk about them

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NPRjunkieDC t1_j4w93h3 wrote

Excess protein is not healthy . Carbs like pastries aren't healthy either . Or Soda. But OP is talking about a cow . I didn't say that eating beef is the worst ecologically since this isn't exactly the point, I think .

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Chaseyoungqbz t1_j4wa8yo wrote

True, eating protein as a primary substrate isn’t the healthiest because the body converts excess to sugar via a process in the liver known as gluconeogenesis. But in terms of cancer and heart disease - many of the studies are relative risks. Like 100 people eat little meat and 3 of them get colon cancer. 100 people eat a lot of meat and 4 gets cancer. That’s a 33% increase /s. This can be very scary for someone who doesn’t know better to read.

I never brought up ecology. Maybe you meant to reply to someone else

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NPRjunkieDC t1_j4wawpv wrote

When you mentioned other substances were also very bad . In large numbers 33% is huge.

IMO it's not so much avoiding carbs but adding vegetables/salad at every meal if possible .

What about butter? I use it generously and am overweight but no sugar or lipid problems

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Chaseyoungqbz t1_j4we0ky wrote

Generally, it’s better science to consider absolute risk, especially when many of these are meta review studies (AKA choose whatever studies support what I want to prove and make a portfolio of them.). You can see why this is an issue when you start with a belief and shape the studies to fit what the scientist wants, rather than interpret the data first to formulate a hypothesis. All of this varies study to study but I’ve seen quite a bit of bad science around this topic in particular.

I cannot say for certain but I likely use more butter than you. I am very generous with butter, ghee, and tallow. I am 58.5 pounds down (248.5 -> 190). I’d say beyond processed carbs, an issue for modern society is the extreme increase in omega 6 fats. In times of antiquity, humans would get about 1% of their calories from omega 6 fats. Now, western societies eat omega 6 at a breathtaking level. I can dig up some studies if you’d like but this high level of omega 6 can cause mitochondrial disfunction, less structurally sound cell membranes, and obesity.

Additionally, other mammals use high omega 6 to enter into a prehibernation state called torpor. Torpor is characterized by malaise, temperature reduction, and weight gain in preparation for hibernation. To me, it’s no coincidence that the average human temperature has gone down 1 degree Fahrenheit over the last 100 years, the rates of diseases of civilization up, and obesity up.

I have some sources from a group out of University of Cornell on all the above, if it’s something you’re interested in

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NPRjunkieDC t1_j4wjk13 wrote

Many thx . I've read a lot since it's one of my favorite subjects. My husband is vegetarian + dairy . I stopped eating beef maybe 7 years ago. I eat eggs, occasionally shrimp and crabmeat , or chicken. Mostly eat animal protein when we eat out . I like pork too. My Dr asked me to do Prolon FMD once a month this year .

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Chaseyoungqbz t1_j4wmbgd wrote

Nice! Prolon. That’s Dr Valter Longo’s company. He is legitimately one of the best longevity doctors in the world with a great portfolio of well done studies.

Your diet sounds great to me. If I could add any pointers about the omega 6, chicken and pork fat contain a fair amount due to the nasty feed they are fed in factory farming (soybeans/corn). That isn’t natural food that chicken or pigs would eat in the wild. I would recommend either leaner cuts of chicken and pork OR if you have a local farm that has pasteur raised then that would be the best. Appreciate chatting with you, it sounds like you and your husband have a nice healthy diet by the sounds of it!

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le_carre_jamming t1_j4y6xu9 wrote

Replying only to say, this was an interesting and enjoyable conversation to read.

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Chaseyoungqbz t1_j507dyj wrote

Thanks. I enjoyed having it. Anyone, feel free to DM me any questions you have about the above.

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hoosyourdaddyo t1_j4vij5n wrote

I can help you out. Friend has a farm down near Charlottesville, and sells Roseda beef.

Dm me!

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Xanthu t1_j4vpnig wrote

I got a half cow pre-pandemic from This farm delivered to my home freezer, and survived really well off that protein.

Get ready to have roasts for weeks!

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winenotkids t1_j4yfwe7 wrote

Cannot recommend Hedgeapple Farms in Maryland highly enough. Family-owned, direct to consumer, grass fed farm that’s pretty cutting edge on environmental practices for such a little operation. I don’t see whole carcass options on their website, but I guarantee if you called they’d be happy to work with you on it.

http://www.hedgeapplefarm.com/about-us.html

I’ve also heard good things about Seven Hills Farms in Virginia. The Virginia Cattlemen’s Association or VDACs websites might also have good directories.

If you’re looking to get spendy and are open to a broadish definition of local, you will never eat a better piece of beef than anything akaushi.

https://lsfamilyfarmsnc.com/ https://www.colecreekfarmsllc.com/

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truce_m3 OP t1_j4zwikv wrote

Thanks -- that first one is hitting all the right notes.

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ElsieDCow t1_j4vhcim wrote

Do you need to meet the steer? If not, contact Springfield Butcher. You can probably buy one there.

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JohnnyLaw281 t1_j4w2fii wrote

Soldier Hill Farms in Warrenton, Virginia

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ijustwantanaccount91 t1_j4wioi2 wrote

Springfield farms has good quality beef and eggs. They set up stands at a couple local farm markets, but you can also order via email and pick up at the farm (I have had them bring like whole briskets and larger cuts to one of the markets for me, but a whole cow seems like more than they could bring to something like that). I'm not sure if they can accommodate a whole cow, but it's definitely worth an ask, great qualify food and nice people. The farm is out in Baltimore county.

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notevenapro t1_j4wm590 wrote

Wagner meats in MT Airy MD. Right off 70 and 27.

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WayyyCleverer t1_j4x15ke wrote

If you wait until August you can go to the steer auction at the Harford county farm fair.

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DCJoe1970 t1_j4xba82 wrote

I will advise that the cow is alive before purchasing.

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simplesir t1_j4xkt32 wrote

Not really local but I have used richland farm in Cecil County, MD. They do 1/4s, halves and wholes butchered to your liking. Richlandfarmmd@gmail.com 410-618-8871. I tried a quarter cow last year to stock up for the family and it was awesome.

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reachouttouchFate t1_j5wyk4c wrote

How much did the quarter run to the pound and did pricing include delivery, designated pickup spot, or neither?

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gnucheese t1_j4xn2h7 wrote

There is a list from the department of agriculture showing all beef farmers. I saw the list when I was into bee keeping. I considered buying half a cow for the lolz

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Lazy-Jacket t1_j4y1or1 wrote

Try Cibola Farms in Culpepper.

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oozfrabah t1_j4yl3pi wrote

Haven’t done a whole cow from them, but J and L Green Farm in Shenandoah has been great with all the other stuff I’ve ordered, and they do whole cows with lots of options available https://www.jlgreenfarm.com/

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LilInterweb t1_j4vrdom wrote

What do you do with a whole cow? Where to do butcher it? Do you have a large chest freezer in dt DC?

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truce_m3 OP t1_j4vugyl wrote

Normally, you buy it already butchered -- you just get the cuts. And yes, I do have a chest freezer.

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OmarNBradley t1_j4x54si wrote

Hemp’s Meats in Jefferson MD. We’ve been buying from them for nearly the past 20 years, which is a fraction of the time they have been in business. They also have outstanding country ham and pork chops. Their bacon is phenomenal, my mother grew up 70 years ago on a subsistence farm and she says that their bacon is the best she has had since she was a girl.

Plus there’s a pretty good bakery next door. Tough to beat!

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