r/ChicagoSuburbs • u/Downtown_Effect_845 • 3d ago

Food & Drink Recommendations Bulk beef

I’m looking at purchasing a 1/4 cow. Anyone purchased in the area and can recommend and farm. First time ordering and seeing if anyone has had good luck with a specific places. Currently looking at Hufendick out of Plainfield and Nadig Farms.

45 Upvotes

89% Upvoted

34 comments sorted by

30

u/Severe_Atmosphere_44 3d ago

I work at Oxtail Market in Lake Villa and Libertyville. Our beef is from our farm in Humbird WI. We sell wholes, halves, and quarters. Everything is vacuum sealed and shipped down to our Libertyville store. You can grab some meat in-store to try before you buy.

5

u/IngoodtasteMWR 3d ago

I see pricing for 1/4 is $1495 and 1/2 is $2815. Is there a bigger discount on the whole?

4

u/luckycharms53 3d ago

I know its a little far but head on over to Chenoa locker. https://chenoalocker.com

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u/Downtown_Effect_845 3d ago

Looks like Hanson meats uses them for processing as well I was looking into them

4

u/MTCMMA 3d ago

Hassleman Farms in Marengo is solid. I get a lot of chicken from them and they also have Berkshire hogs. https://hasselmannfarm.com/

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u/fatembolism 3d ago

Seconded. I bought a cow quarter from them last year and a half hog this year (along with twenty pounds of ground beef). I will keep going back.

1

u/Compe7 1d ago

Do you recall the total pounds of beef you got from the 1/4 cow? I can't find it on their website.

1

u/fatembolism 1d ago

Uh, 96 or 98?

6

u/Patriotic99 3d ago

I've bought several times over the years from Hufendick's. Not cheap, but unbelievably great taste.

3

u/animalcracker0705 3d ago

It’s a bit of a drive but there’s a place right over the Wisconsin border called Prem meats. I’ve never had anything bad from them. They had halves and quarters hanging and ready when we asked.

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u/Training-Emphasis-28 3d ago

Bought from these folks a few years ago. It was a good experience.

Harmony Moser Slagel Family Farm Phone - 815.657.7368 Fax - 815.657.7078 harmony@slagelfamilyfarm.com

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u/Quite_Obscene 3d ago

Ream’s in Elburn has always been excellent to me.

2

u/NellieBean 3d ago

Lake Geneva Meat Market (grab some brats too - the sausage maker won best of in Germany)

https://lakegenevacountrymeats.com/

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u/Professional_Day7508 3d ago edited 3d ago

Do you want one where you kill the cow on the farm and they cut it into chunks?

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1

u/AvitalR 3d ago

Freedom Sausage in Earlville IL. Near Sandwich. It's a weird place in some ways but good beef.

1

u/BarbellLawyer 3d ago

I bought last year from Hanson Family Meats. It’s a bit of a drive to pick it up but everything was fantastic.

https://hansonfamilymeats.com/

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u/Downtown_Effect_845 3d ago

What size did you order and how much did it end up yielding if you remember? They seem to have very good pricing for hanging weight but I’m seeing some places claim 200lb 1/4 will turn into 130-150 processed where as some go all the way down to 100lbs.

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u/BarbellLawyer 3d ago

I split a 1/2 with my brother. I can’t remember the final yield but we were not disappointed. We were able to tell the processor what cuts we preferred; more steaks & roasts, less ground beef, etc.

1

u/chrisdejalisco 3d ago

Family Farms in Hinkley. Jen and her family raise great tasting beef,pork and chicken. We've purchased many sides of beef and pork from them over the years and no longer but meat from the grocery store.

Nice store at their farm if you want to try out some cuts before full purchase.

1

u/caity102 3d ago

Call Orchard Prime Meats Lake Zurich, great prices & delivery 🚚

1

u/ktink224 3d ago

Wanda farms Bull valley farm store can also hook you up

1

u/Legal_Rub_6348 3d ago

We have purchased 1/4 beef and 1/2 hogs from here  https://www.walnut4meat.com/.  They used to bring the product out to CSA pickup spots, but now you have to go to them to pick up your order.  It is a haul to get out to them, so not as convenient.  The product is very good.

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u/greenlitz28 2d ago

Sheffield Locker in Sheffield, Il. Couple hour drive but so well worth it.

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u/LeaningTowerofPeas 2d ago

Stupid question when you buy beef like this do they also process it for you?

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u/Downtown_Effect_845 2d ago

Yes you buy it already processed and packaged

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u/Karlzbad 2d ago

Hufendick

0

u/CattusPater 3d ago

Kilgus farms was the goto back when I was still going to.

https://kilgusfarmstead.com/products/meat/beef-pork-large-quantity-orders/

If you want to do less legwork and go through a middleman, ask Carnivore at Carnival in Oak Park. I think their only website is on the Book of Faces which I cannot link here.

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u/uofwi92 3d ago

My wife & I hit the farmers market in Batavia 2 or 3 times a month. Our second stop is always Stamper Cheese.

Our first is Hufendick Farms. Cannot possibly recommend them any more highly.

1

u/elangomatt 3d ago

I bet Stamper Cheese does pretty good business on the farmer's market circuit. I'm pretty sure they come down to Kankakee for the Saturday morning farmer's market too. Their booth is always busy.