Quick Answer
Half a cow in Missouri costs $2,000-2,800 ($9.00-12.00/lb per pound take-home). There are 51 local suppliers to choose from. Best time to buy: May-July or November-January. Both grass-fed and grain-finished options available.
Missouri ranks 3rd nationally in beef cows with 1.86 million head and maintains 3.95 million total cattle. The state is primarily a 'cow-calf' operation where calves are born and raised until weaning. This abundance of breeding stock makes Missouri a net exporter of calves to feedlots in the Great Plains, but also provides a massive, decentralized inventory of animals available for local finishing and direct sale.
Half cow: $2,000-2,800
Hanging weight: $4.25-7.95/lb
Take-home: $9.00-12.00/lb
Peak season: May-July or November-January
The Spring Flush (late May-early July) is the gold standard for grass-fed beef when pastures are lush with clover and vegetative fescue. Late Fall/Early Winter (November-January) is ideal for grain-finished beef. Avoid late August-September grass-fed beef due to 'fescue toxicity' heat stress. The Deer Blackout (November-January) severely limits processing availability.
Black Angus, Red Angus, Hereford, Charolais, American Wagyu
Typical practice: Mixed (pasture-raised, grain-finished)
Missouri lies in the 'Fescue Belt' where Kentucky-31 Tall Fescue hosts a fungal endophyte toxic to cattle in summer heat. For grass-fed beef, target late spring harvest (June/July) or ask about 'stockpiled fescue' winter harvest when toxin levels drop after hard freeze.
Monticello
★4.1(30)Fully grass-fed and pasture-raised meat with a la carte ordering. Large selection with bundles for different diets including keto and carnivore.
Edgar Springs
★5.0(3)Local beef supplier in Edgar Springs, Missouri. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Liberty
★5.0(18)Local beef supplier in Liberty, Missouri. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Rocheport
★5.0(40)Local beef supplier in Rocheport, Missouri. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Rolla
★5.0(22)Local beef supplier in Rolla, Missouri. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Pacific
★5.0(22)Local beef supplier in Pacific, Missouri. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Bourbon
★5.0(6)Local beef supplier in Bourbon, Missouri. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Kearney
★5.0(40)Local beef supplier in Kearney, Missouri. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Adrian
★5.0(16)Local beef supplier in Adrian, Missouri. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Sedalia
★5.0(533)Local beef supplier in Sedalia, Missouri. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Purdy
★5.0(4)Local beef supplier in Purdy, Missouri. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Hartville
★5.0(5)Local beef supplier in Hartville, Missouri. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Owensville
★5.0(22)Local beef supplier in Owensville, Missouri. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Leslie
★5.0(19)Local beef supplier in Leslie, Missouri. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Robertsville
★5.0(36)Local beef supplier in Robertsville, Missouri. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Mount Vernon
★5.0(10)Local beef supplier in Mount Vernon, Missouri. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Windsor
★5.0(34)Local beef supplier in Windsor, Missouri. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Richmond
★5.0(4)Local beef supplier in Richmond, Missouri. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Franklin County
★5.0(40)Local beef supplier in Franklin County, Missouri. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Pleasant Hill
★5.0(22)Local beef supplier in Pleasant Hill, Missouri. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Buckner
★5.0(4)Local beef supplier in Buckner, Missouri. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Stewartsville
★5.0(14)Local beef supplier in Stewartsville, Missouri. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Freeburg
★5.0(15)Local beef supplier in Freeburg, Missouri. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Belton
★4.9(8)Local beef supplier in Belton, Missouri. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Ash Grove
★4.9(93)Local beef supplier in Ash Grove, Missouri. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Parkville
★4.9(680)Local beef supplier in Parkville, Missouri. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Buffalo
★4.9(127)Local beef supplier in Buffalo, Missouri. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Maplewood
★4.8(328)Local beef supplier in Maplewood, Missouri. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Kansas City
★4.8(273)Local beef supplier in Kansas City, Missouri. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Joplin
★4.8(181)Local beef supplier in Joplin, Missouri. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Breckenridge Hills
★4.8(308)Local beef supplier in Breckenridge Hills, Missouri. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
La Monte
★4.8(293)Local beef supplier in La Monte, Missouri. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
New Franklin
★4.8(45)Local beef supplier in New Franklin, Missouri. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Troy
★4.8(21)Troy, Missouri sustainable Angus cattle farm. Free range on pasture, never given chemicals or hormones. Bulk freezer beef in 1/4, 1/2, and whole.
Camdenton
★4.8(235)Local beef supplier in Camdenton, Missouri. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Montreal
★4.8(142)Local beef supplier in Montreal, Missouri. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Washington
★4.8(187)Local beef supplier in Washington, Missouri. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Archie
★4.8(22)Local beef supplier in Archie, Missouri. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Vienna
★4.7(51)Local beef supplier in Vienna, Missouri. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Bonne Terre
★4.7(13)Local beef supplier in Bonne Terre, Missouri. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Springfield
★4.7(167)Local beef supplier in Springfield, Missouri. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Mountain Grove
★4.7(15)Local beef supplier in Mountain Grove, Missouri. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Seymour
★4.7(34)Local beef supplier in Seymour, Missouri. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Richland
★4.7(15)Local beef supplier in Richland, Missouri. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Raytown
★4.6(299)Local beef supplier in Raytown, Missouri. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Springfield
★4.6(161)Local beef supplier in Springfield, Missouri. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Jackson
★4.5(65)Local beef supplier in Jackson, Missouri. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Buckner
★4.5(45)Local beef supplier in Buckner, Missouri. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Salisbury
★4.4(7)Local beef supplier in Salisbury, Missouri. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Eagle Rock
★4.2(5)Local beef supplier in Eagle Rock, Missouri. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Local beef supplier in Buffalo, Missouri. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
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Explore suppliers in neighboring states - many offer delivery or are worth the drive.
A half cow in Missouri typically costs $2,000-2,800 total. Conventional grain-finished runs $4.25-5.50/lb hanging weight, while grass-fed/regenerative is $5.50-7.95/lb. Add $60 kill fee share and $1.10/lb processing. Your take-home yield is about 225 lbs, making effective cost $9-12/lb for all cuts.
The 'Deer Blackout' - Missouri's massive deer hunting season (mid-November through January) overwhelms local meat lockers. Processors switch almost exclusively to venison. If you want beef for the holidays, reserve your animal and schedule slaughter by late October. Otherwise, plan for February pickup.
Northern Missouri (above I-70) is grain country producing high-marbling, steakhouse-quality beef. The Ozarks is grass-fed territory where rocky terrain makes row crops impractical. Northern beef tends to be milder and fattier; Ozarks beef has a more robust, mineral-rich flavor with yellow-tinted fat from beta-carotene.
Missouri is in the 'Fescue Belt' where Kentucky-31 grass hosts a fungal endophyte toxic to cattle. During summer heat (July-August), affected cattle enter a 'Summer Slump' - they stop gaining weight and suffer heat stress, potentially affecting meat quality. Buy grass-fed beef harvested in spring (May-July) or after the first hard freeze when toxin levels drop.
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