Freezer Lambs
Once again this fall Cape Street Farm will be
offering farm fresh, naturally and sustainabley raised freezer lambs
for sale to the public. All of our meat animals are raised solely on
mother's milk, pasture and local hay and a very small amount of
locally grown grain (less than 1% of total diet is grain and its
only given shortly after weaning and then again shortly after coming
off pasture in the fall). Besides a single vaccination given shortly
after birth, no other chemical medicines or wormers have been used
on any animals heading for your freezer.
These animals will weigh 35-75 pounds on the way
to the butcher, and will yield a hanging weight of approximately 45%
of the "live" weight. Animals are priced at $4.00 per pound of
hanging weight, PLUS a $65 per animal butchering and transportation
fee.
This will not be the cheapest lamb you have ever
eaten, but it could very well be the tastiest and healthiest. If you
are not familiar with the health benefits of eating naturally
raised, grass-fed animals, read information from best-selling author
Jo Robinson at www.EatWild.Com
Please use the contact page to call or email us with questions or your order.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do I need to order by?
This year we have a scheduled date of
Tuesday October 16th at one of the few remaining USDA inspected slaughterhouses in Massachusetts. Orders need to be in 3 days before than and a non-refundable
deposit of $100 has to be paid at the time of the order unless prior
payment arrangements have been made.
Why are deposits non-refundable?
Deposits need
to be non-refundable, because once the animals have been processed,
if for whatever reason you cannot, or will not take delivery, I have
no extra freezer space to store your order. They will need to be
given away or as a last resort disposed of.
If I buy a lamb, how much meat can I expect to receive?
You will receive 15-30 pounds of meat, depending on what you request
for cuts. For example, if you request cuts with bones, such as chops
or roasts with bones, the net weight will be higher. If you request
a lot of ground beef or stew lamb the net weight will be less
because the bone will be removed.
What will the cuts be like?
They will be individually packaged in appropriately-sized
packages directly from the USDA inspected butcher. Each cut will be
identified. You will receive your order frozen.
I don't have much freezer space. How much space will I need?
If your space is limited to the freezer portion of your fridge,
one whole lamb will probably take up most of that space. If you
request bones, and/or if your was a particularly large lamb, more
space may be required. If space is at a premium, you may want to go
in on a lamb with a friend or two or borrow a bit of space from a
friend or neighbour who has a extra freezer space to spare. If you
cannot find someone to share an order with, let me know and I can
see if I can pair similar requests with other customers also looking
for a 1/2 lamb.
What about decisions about cuts?
Unless you specify otherwise, we always use the "standard" cut
selection provided by the butcher and have always been satisfied
with the variety of legs, chops, ground and stew meat we get.
What is hanging weight, and why am I charged for that weight
instead of the final net weight?
The hanging weight is the weight of the lamb at the point that
it is ready to be cut to your specifications. The hanging weight
includes all of the potentially usable meat and associated bones.
This weight is obtained with the meat cutter' scale, and it is the
weight that is used to calculate charges for cutting and wrapping.
Using this weight is the fairest and most consistent method for
calculating price. Please note however that the final yield is less
than the hanging weight. The actual yield is influenced by the size
of the individual lamb and how many cuts involving removal of bone
are requested by the customer.
Where will I pick up my lamb when it's ready?
When your lamb is ready I will contact you and make arrangements
for me to deliver or you to pickup at our farm in Goshen, Mass.
When will my order be ready for pick up?
Lambs will be ready approximately October 20th-27th.
How much will this cost?
Lambs will cost $4/lb of hanging weight provided by the butcher,
PLUS a processing and transportation fee of $65 per lamb. A lamb
with a hanging weight of 20lbs will cost $145.
Is this the cheapest way to buy lamb?
Absolutely not. Eating well is never cheap, if you are looking for
the cheapest short-term cost, the large chain supermarkets will
almost certainly be cheaper. Just make sure you factor into that
price, the cost to the animal of being raised in less-than-pleasant
surroundings (probably a feed-lot), being forced to eat foods they would not normally choose
to eat, and the cost to the environment of shipping in meat from the
other side of the planet. Not to mention the potential cost to your
health if one of those animals happens to have been fed melamine or
other industrial waste products to increase profits.
Will you ship my order?
Sorry, at this time we are not setup to ship any orders. If
possible please try to support a farm in your local area.