Apple Creek Farm
Bowdoinham
5.0(7)Local beef supplier in Bowdoinham, Maine. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Half a cow in Maine costs $2,000-2,900 ($9.00-12.00/lb take-home). There are 43 local suppliers to choose from. Best time to buy: September-December. Most farms offer grass-fed beef.
Jump to the 43 suppliers ↓See the full half a cow price breakdown →Maine ranks 44th-48th nationally with 73,000-80,000 cattle across 7,000 farms. The industry is value-driven, not volume-driven - farms capture more value per animal through direct sales rather than commodity auctions. The state's food processing sector grew 14% from 2018-2023, outpacing neighboring states. Maine beef is marketed on traceability and terroir rather than industrial consistency.
Half cow: $2,000-2,900
Hanging weight: $4.00-6.50/lb
Take-home: $9.00-12.00/lb
Peak season: September-December
Fall harvest (September-December) is optimal when cattle have grazed sugar-rich summer pastures. Book 12-18 months in advance - Maine processors have severe capacity constraints. Beef harvested in spring (after winter on hay) may be leaner with milder flavor.
Belted Galloway, Black Angus, Hereford, Maine-Anjou
Typical practice: Grass-fed
The Belted Galloway ('Beltie') is Maine's iconic breed - the black-and-white 'Oreo cow' originated in Scotland and thrives in Maine winters. Belties produce smaller cuts than commercial breeds but with excellent meat-to-bone ratio and intense, earthy flavor. Always request offal (heart, liver, tongue) and soup bones - they're 'free' but discarded if not specified.
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We'll connect you with a nearby farm, butcher, or co-op selling quarter, half, or whole beef. Free, no accounts, and only one farm gets your contact details.
These farms have half a beef for sale in Maine — most also sell 1/2 and 1/4 cow shares direct from the farm, priced by hanging weight.
Bowdoinham
5.0(7)Local beef supplier in Bowdoinham, Maine. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Paris
5.0(19)Local beef supplier in Paris, Maine. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Corinna
5.0(7)Local beef supplier in Corinna, Maine. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
New Portland
5.0(9)Local beef supplier in New Portland, Maine. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Turner
5.0(4)Local beef supplier in Turner, Maine. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Union
5.0(7)Local beef supplier in Union, Maine. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Charleston
5.0(9)Local beef supplier in Charleston, Maine. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Poland
5.0(12)Local beef supplier in Poland, Maine. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Gorham
5.0(5)Local beef supplier in Gorham, Maine. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Dover-Foxcroft
5.0(35)Local beef supplier in Dover-Foxcroft, Maine. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Harpswell
5.0(20)Local beef supplier in Harpswell, Maine. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Shapleigh
5.0(5)Local beef supplier in Shapleigh, Maine. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
South Portland
4.9(31)Local beef supplier in South Portland, Maine. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Livermore
4.9(65)Local beef supplier in Livermore, Maine. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Leeds
4.9(71)Local beef supplier in Leeds, Maine. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Charleston
4.9(224)Local beef supplier in Charleston, Maine. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Damariscotta
4.9(44)Local beef supplier in Damariscotta, Maine. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Cumberland
4.9(32)Local beef supplier in Cumberland, Maine. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Sidney
4.9(13)Local beef supplier in Sidney, Maine. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Alfred
4.9(15)Local beef supplier in Alfred, Maine. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Chelsea
4.8(24)Local beef supplier in Chelsea, Maine. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Portland
4.8(197)Local beef supplier in Portland, Maine. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Paris
4.8(23)Local beef supplier in Paris, Maine. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Kennebunk
4.8(11)Local beef supplier in Kennebunk, Maine. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Skowhegan
4.8(41)Local beef supplier in Skowhegan, Maine. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Windham
4.8(135)Local beef supplier in Windham, Maine. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Buxton
4.7(6)Local beef supplier in Buxton, Maine. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Gorham
4.7(18)Local beef supplier in Gorham, Maine. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Guilford
4.7(59)Local beef supplier in Guilford, Maine. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Albion
4.7(36)Local beef supplier in Albion, Maine. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
New Gloucester
4.6(10)Local beef supplier in New Gloucester, Maine. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Scarborough
4.4(126)Scarborough butcher shop known for USDA Certified Black Angus Choice beef and locally sourced meats. Sells quarter, half, and whole beef with excellent selection and customer service. A local favorite with 126 reviews.
Chesterville
Family livestock farm and store selling quarter, half and whole Belted Galloway beef. Contact to reserve a share and arrange collection; store offers weekend hours and appointments.
Berwick
Dirigo Ranch offers quarter beef shares with frozen beef collected at the ranch on a scheduled date. Shares are waitlisted, and the farm says the wait can be up to a year. Ranch pickup directions are sent to buyers; the public Berwick address is its Feed & Seed store.
Pownal
Homestead Farm Angus offers quarters and sides of beef raised on its Pownal farm. Contact the farm to arrange pickup or delivery and confirm the next allocation; returning customers receive the first chance to reorder.
Penobscot
King Hill Farm offers organic beef by the quarter or half, cut to the buyer’s specifications and vacuum-sealed. Contact the farm to arrange pickup or delivery and confirm the next beef allocation.
Lisbon Falls
Little Ridge Farm offers quarter, half and whole grass-fed, grass-finished beef, with processing in late fall or early winter. All beef shares are currently sold, and the farm offers a waitlist. Contact the farm to arrange pickup or delivery for a future allocation.
Harmony
N Bar A Ranch offers quarter, half and whole grass-fed beef with pickup or arranged delivery in much of Maine. Ask the ranch about the next allocation and whether delivery reaches you.
Rocky Ridge Livestock offers quarter, half and whole beef from cattle finished with grain. Buyers can arrange pickup or delivery with the farm. The site describes a wait of roughly two to four months, so confirm the processing date before reserving.
East Waterboro
Southern Maine Stockyard offers quarter, half and whole beef from cattle raised on the farm and finished with grain. Buyers collect frozen, vacuum-sealed beef directly from the processor and should confirm the next processing date with the farm.
Leeds
Sparkplug Farm offers occasional half and whole grass-fed beef shares through an email waitlist. Contact the farm to confirm the next allocation and arrange pickup or delivery; farm visits are by appointment.
Cumberland Center
Wormell Farms offers quarter and half beef shares through limited monthly harvests. Arrange an appointment for farm pickup or ask about its scheduled Portland pickup. The map shows the approximate Cumberland Center area; harvests may sell out and email subscribers receive first access.
South Paris
Young’s Greenhouse raises beef and accepts quarter, half and whole beef preorders for 2026. Orders must be collected at Young’s Greenhouse on the scheduled pickup day, arranged about a week in advance.
Explore suppliers in neighboring states - many offer delivery or are worth the drive.
Expect $2,000-2,900 total for a half cow in Maine. Conventional/grain-assist runs $4.00-4.75/lb hanging weight; grass-fed is $4.75-5.75/lb; certified organic/heritage (like Belted Galloway) reaches $5.75-6.50/lb. Add $525 processing fees. Your take-home yield is about 234 lbs, making effective cost $9-12/lb.
Maine prices run 15-35% above national averages due to three factors: (1) grain must be trucked from the Midwest, adding transportation cost; (2) harsh winters require expensive hay just to maintain cattle weight; (3) limited processing capacity means higher overhead per animal. The premium reflects genuine production challenges, not marketing.
Plan 12-18 months ahead. Maine processors (Herring Brothers, Luce's, Bubier) book that far out. Contact farms in January-March to reserve a fall harvest slot. Your best chance for 'immediate' beef is getting on a farm's cancellation waitlist - shares occasionally open when buyers back out.
Belted Galloways ('Belties') are the iconic black-and-white 'Oreo cows' of Maine. Originating from Scotland, they developed a double coat for cold weather and don't need thick backfat for warmth - resulting in leaner, higher-yielding carcasses. The meat has intense, earthy flavor. Cuts are smaller than commercial breeds, but meat-to-bone ratio is excellent. Aldermere Farm in Rockport maintains a world-renowned herd.
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