Frequently Asked Questions About Bittersweet Farms Beef
How the cows are raised
Bittersweet Farms is a second-generation crop and beef farm located just up the road from the Plaid Farm Store! Everything fed to the beef cows is grown right here in Amsterdam, NY. The hay is either chopped into silage or baled. Corn is combined every fall, dried and stored in bins at the home farm. With a corn grinder we are able to make corn meal, cracked corn and even formulate complete feeds for the cows. We take a lot of pride in the fact that our cattle are able to eat the grain that we grew!
The hard questions
Do we give our cows antibiotics?
YUP! We sure do! If we have a sick animal, we consult with our veterinarian and decide on the best medicine to treat the animal – just like any human at the doctor’s office! It is very important to us to follow labels and withhold animals that are treated from human consumption until the antibiotics are out of their system. We follow all beef quality assurance protocols to make sure the medicine is given correctly and causes no harm to the meat we consume.
Do we use hormones?
No, we do not. We believe the quality forages we grow and the attention to detail when raising the cattle is all we need to curate the best product.
Here is what we believe in
healthy, quality animals and fighting all scare tactics and propaganda that has been made up to scare folks about the origins of the food we eat. We aim to be completely transparent so if you have a question, please ask!
How do we sell whole and half beef
Our cows are sold by “hanging weight” which is the weight we get from the butcher after the animal has been killed, blood drained, head, hide, feet, entrails and organs are removed. On average you will receive about 60-65% of the hanging weight as beef for your freezer. Our price is $4.50/lb hanging.
Example
Hanging weight of 750 lbs x $4.50 = $3,375. A 750lb carcass will give you 450lbs of beef back for your freezer! That means you are getting prime cuts like filet mignon, Porterhouse and Ribeye steaks for only $7.50 per pound!
Deposits
We do require a non-refundable deposit as follows:
Whole cow $400
Half cow $200
Quarter cow $100
Looking to purchase a cow?
Please reach out to Erika, owner of the Plaid Farm Store and Bittersweet Cattle at 518-881-6558