Quick Answer
Half a cow in Washington costs $2,200-2,900 ($10.00-11.00/lb per pound take-home). There are 37 local suppliers to choose from. Best time to buy: August-November. Both grass-fed and grain-finished options available.
Washington maintains 1.12 million cattle, with production divided by the Cascade Mountains. Eastern Washington (Columbia Basin) is the production powerhouse with grain-finishing operations fed by irrigated corn and alfalfa. Western Washington produces artisan grass-fed beef for the Seattle market. The WSU Wagyu program makes Washington a premier region for American Wagyu outside Japan.
Half cow: $2,200-2,900
Hanging weight: $4.60-7.50/lb
Take-home: $10.00-11.00/lb
Peak season: August-November
Spring (March-May) is the reservation window—book now for fall delivery. Grass-fed peaks August-September when pasture sugar content is highest. The general 'Fall Run' (October-November) is when grain-finished cattle are harvested before winter feeding costs kick in. Processing backlogs are severe: 12-18 months out.
Black Angus, Red Angus, Hereford, Wagyu, Highland
Typical practice: Mixed (pasture-raised, grain-finished)
For Seattle buyers, the 'Last Mile' across Snoqualmie Pass is the logistical challenge. Pack coolers tight with no air gaps—frozen meat acts as its own thermal mass. 'Cow-pooling' a whole cow from Eastern WA saves $1/lb over buying quarters. Check WSDOT for pass conditions in October-November, and use drop-point services from farms like Farm Fresh Northwest to avoid the drive entirely.
Seattle
Online butcher sourcing from 55+ small-scale farms. A la carte ordering with no subscription required. Filter by grass-fed, pasture-raised, or organic.
Battle Ground
★5.0(15)Local beef supplier in Battle Ground, Washington. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Wapato
★5.0(4)Local beef supplier in Wapato, Washington. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Tenino
★5.0(3)Local beef supplier in Tenino, Washington. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Yakima
★5.0(5)Local beef supplier in Yakima, Washington. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Shelton
★5.0(80)Local beef supplier in Shelton, Washington. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Cheney
★5.0(3)Local beef supplier in Cheney, Washington. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Richland
★5.0(24)Local beef supplier in Richland, Washington. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Clinton
★5.0(4)Local beef supplier in Clinton, Washington. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Yelm
★5.0(47)Local beef supplier in Yelm, Washington. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Chimacum
★5.0(35)Local beef supplier in Chimacum, Washington. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Lynden
★5.0(68)Local beef supplier in Lynden, Washington. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Sedro-Woolley
★5.0(3)Local beef supplier in Sedro-Woolley, Washington. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Stanwood
★5.0(101)Local beef supplier in Stanwood, Washington. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Ellensburg
★5.0(121)Local beef supplier in Ellensburg, Washington. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Sequim
★4.9(16)Local beef supplier in Sequim, Washington. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Seattle
★4.9(86)Local beef supplier in Seattle, Washington. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Woodland
★4.9(16)Local beef supplier in Woodland, Washington. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Marysville
★4.9(245)Local beef supplier in Marysville, Washington. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Issaquah
★4.9(531)Local beef supplier in Issaquah, Washington. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Loon Lake
★4.9(62)Local beef supplier in Loon Lake, Washington. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Colville
★4.9(41)Local beef supplier in Colville, Washington. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Maple Valley
★4.9(226)Local beef supplier in Maple Valley, Washington. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Mountlake Terrace
★4.8(1498)Local beef supplier in Mountlake Terrace, Washington. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Burlington
★4.8(11)Local beef supplier in Burlington, Washington. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Tenino
★4.8(29)Local beef supplier in Tenino, Washington. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Seattle
★4.8(196)Local beef supplier in Seattle, Washington. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Seattle
★4.7(219)Local beef supplier in Seattle, Washington. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Tenino
★4.6(54)Local beef supplier in Tenino, Washington. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Spokane
★4.6(178)Local beef supplier in Spokane, Washington. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Snohomish
★4.6(205)Local beef supplier in Snohomish, Washington. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Woodland
★4.6(73)Local beef supplier in Woodland, Washington. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Puyallup
★4.5(346)Local beef supplier in Puyallup, Washington. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Auburn
★4.5(341)Local beef supplier in Auburn, Washington. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Wapato
★4.5(26)Local beef supplier in Wapato, Washington. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Sedro-Woolley
★4.3(27)Local beef supplier in Sedro-Woolley, Washington. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Snohomish
★4.0(4)Local beef supplier in Snohomish, Washington. 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 beef runs $2,200-2,900 total. At $5.70-6.15/lb hanging weight (350-400 lbs), you pay the rancher about $2,000-2,500, plus $62.50 slaughter fee and $1.00/lb processing. Take-home yield is approximately 235 lbs (65% of hanging weight), making your effective cost $10-11/lb for all cuts—a significant discount on premium steaks.
Eastern Washington (Columbia Basin) is the production powerhouse: large-scale feedlots, grain-finished beef, consistent quality, lower prices due to economies of scale. Western Washington has rain, grass, and proximity to Seattle: small-scale artisan operations, grass-fed focus, heritage breeds like Highland and Wagyu, but higher prices due to land costs and the 'mud tax' of winter management.
Commercial retail beef is wet-aged in plastic and sometimes gas-flushed to maintain bright red color. Your local bulk beef is dry-aged (hung 14-21 days), which oxidizes the myoglobin to a deeper burgundy or purple. This is a quality indicator: dry-aging concentrates flavor and improves tenderness. The meat will bloom red when exposed to air.
A half cow (8-10 boxes) fits in an SUV. If the meat is hard-frozen by the butcher (-10°F), it acts as its own thermal mass for a 3-hour drive. Pack coolers tight with no air gaps—fill empty space with sleeping bags. For drives over 4 hours, add dry ice (place cardboard between dry ice and meat). Crack a window slightly when using dry ice in a passenger vehicle.
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