A&M Farms Grass Fed Beef
Hillsville
★5.0(7)Local beef supplier in Hillsville, West Virginia. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Quick Answer
Half a cow in West Virginia costs $2,000-2,500 ($8.77-11.03/lb per pound take-home). There are 35 local suppliers to choose from. Best time to buy: May-July or October-November. Most farms offer grass-fed beef.
West Virginia occupies a distinct niche within the U.S. beef crisis. Unlike corn-dependent feedlot systems, West Virginia's beef economy is predicated on the cow-calf model dictated by rugged Appalachian geography. The state's topography - steep hillsides, narrow valleys, and non-arable land - is ideally suited for forage production. West Virginia maintains approximately 365,000 head with production concentrated in the Greenbrier Valley and Potomac Highlands on limestone-rich soils that produce nutrient-dense forages.
Half cow: $2,000-2,500
Hanging weight: $4.50-5.50/lb
Take-home: $8.77-11.03/lb
Peak season: May-July or October-November
The Spring Flush (May-July) produces premium grass-fed beef when cattle graze lush, rapidly growing grasses with high sugars and beta-carotene. Fall harvest (October-November) offers consistent quality at peak weight before winter. Avoid late winter grass-fed (February-April) unless farmer has exceptional stored forage. The 'Deer Blackout' (November-January) severely limits processing.
Black Angus, Hereford, Simmental, Murray Grey, Scottish Highland
Typical practice: Grass-fed
The Greenbrier Valley is the 'Napa Valley' of West Virginia beef - limestone soils allow for high-density stocking and superior grass-finishing. When interviewing farmers, ask if they harvest during the Spring Flush for the yellowest fat and most complex flavor. Murray Grey cattle are moderate-framed and marble well on grass - ideal for manageable share sizes.
Hillsville
★5.0(7)Local beef supplier in Hillsville, West Virginia. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Hedgesville
★5.0(3)Local beef supplier in Hedgesville, West Virginia. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Lewisburg
★5.0(5)Local beef supplier in Lewisburg, West Virginia. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Montvale
★5.0(44)Local beef supplier in Montvale, West Virginia. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Bent Mountain
★5.0(16)Local beef supplier in Bent Mountain, West Virginia. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Local beef supplier in Aroda, West Virginia. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Reedsville
★5.0(10)Local beef supplier in Reedsville, West Virginia. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Shanks
★5.0(5)Local beef supplier in Shanks, West Virginia. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Renick
★5.0(19)Local beef supplier in Renick, West Virginia. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Harts
★5.0(14)Local beef supplier in Harts, West Virginia. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Ronceverte
★5.0(5)Local beef supplier in Ronceverte, West Virginia. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Gainesville
★5.0(10)Local beef supplier in Gainesville, West Virginia. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Elkins
★5.0(17)Local beef supplier in Elkins, West Virginia. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Burgettstown
★5.0(12)Local beef supplier in Burgettstown, West Virginia. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Romney
★5.0(145)Local beef supplier in Romney, West Virginia. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Martinsburg
★5.0(3)Local beef supplier in Martinsburg, West Virginia. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Hedgesville
★4.9(21)Local beef supplier in Hedgesville, West Virginia. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Wardensville
★4.9(37)Local beef supplier in Wardensville, West Virginia. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
The Plains
★4.9(18)Local beef supplier in The Plains, West Virginia. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
White Sulphur Springs
★4.9(10)Local beef supplier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Terra Alta
★4.9(10)Local beef supplier in Terra Alta, West Virginia. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Burgettstown
★4.8(69)Local beef supplier in Burgettstown, West Virginia. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Martinsburg
★4.8(439)Local beef supplier in Martinsburg, West Virginia. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Capon Bridge
★4.8(248)Local beef supplier in Capon Bridge, West Virginia. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Burlington
★4.8(97)Local beef supplier in Burlington, West Virginia. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Lost River
★4.8(45)Local beef supplier in Lost River, West Virginia. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Wheeling
★4.8(154)Local beef supplier in Wheeling, West Virginia. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Terra Alta
★4.8(20)Local beef supplier in Terra Alta, West Virginia. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Hamilton
★4.8(48)Local beef supplier in Hamilton, West Virginia. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Morgantown
★4.8(109)Local beef supplier in Morgantown, West Virginia. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Lost River
★4.7(14)Local beef supplier in Lost River, West Virginia. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Huntington
★4.7(35)Local beef supplier in Huntington, West Virginia. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Charleston
★4.6(82)Local beef supplier in Charleston, West Virginia. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
Ona
★4.6(44)Local beef supplier in Ona, West Virginia. Contact them directly for current availability and pricing on bulk beef purchases.
New Castle
★4.2(6)Local beef supplier in New Castle, West Virginia. 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 West Virginia costs $2,000-2,500 total. At $4.50-5.50/lb hanging weight (360 lbs), you pay the farmer $1,620-1,980, plus $40-50 slaughter fee (split) and $324-414 processing ($0.90-1.15/lb). Your take-home yield is about 230 lbs, making effective cost $8.77-11.03/lb. This delivers ribeyes and filet mignon at ground beef prices.
The 'Deer Blackout' runs from early November through mid-January. West Virginia's massive deer hunting season overwhelms local meat processors - they switch almost entirely to venison processing. If you want beef for Thanksgiving or Christmas, schedule slaughter by late October at the latest, or plan for February pickup.
The Greenbrier Valley sits on karst limestone formations that naturally buffer soil acidity and promote nutrient-dense forages like clover, orchardgrass, and fescue. Cattle grazing these limestone-based soils develop stronger skeletal structures and more complex flavor profiles. It's West Virginia's premier beef-producing region, sometimes called the 'Napa Valley' of Appalachian beef.
Cattle spend their lives on pasture but receive a bucket of grain daily for the final 90-120 days. This creates a hybrid product: the lifestyle of a pastured animal with the white, firm fat and milder flavor of grain-finished beef. It's often the best entry point for consumers transitioning from supermarket beef to local products.
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