Good Beef Comes to Those Who Wait

Nicole (our Customer Service Manager) was recently out for a couple of days.

Which meant I was on phone answering duty.....

We use one of those call apps so multiple people can man the phones, and normally Nicole handles about 95% of incoming calls. She's very good at her job. I am... fine at it.

But a few days back in the mix reminded me of some important things.

First, we get a ton of calls. This still blows my mind. For years, getting a phone call was so rare I just listed my personal cell number and was usually caught off guard when it was a customer. Then we went viral, and I talked so much I literally lost my voice, and we hired Nicole and apparently the calls never stopped.

Second, the whole Beef Share thing remains genuinely unusual for the average person who hasn't been fully indoctrinated yet.

Things I take completely for granted apparently sound insane to someone who just found us on the internet.

Exhibit A: The Waitlist

Several people I talked to were a little flummoxed by the whole "give money to a farmer you met on the internet and then wait three months for beef" situation.

And honestly, when they put it to me that way... I had to admit it has a certain Nigerian Prince vibe going on.

But I defy you to find one of those princes with 150+ five-star Google reviews!

Anyway....

We have absolutely become an instant gratification society

You place an order and expect it in two days. Amazon has rewired our brains. I get it.

But that instant gratification comes with real tradeoffs.

The beef at your grocery store is "instant" because it's been "wet-aging" its way through a massive supply chain for weeks (yum). Butcher Box can ship on demand because they are importing entire shipping containers of mediocre gamey beef from Australia.

Why dry aging matters (and why dry aged grass fed beef requires patience)

Real dry aged grass fed beef can't be rushed. The whole reason it tastes like beef instead of pink water is that we hang the carcass in a cooler for weeks and let enzymes break down the muscle fibers and concentrate the flavor. Moisture evaporates. Funk develops. Steaks get tender. You can't shortcut that with two-day shipping. The waitlist is what makes it possible.

That's also why the beef on a grocery store shelf is sealed wet in plastic. It's the cheap way: "age" the meat in its own juices in a cryovac bag while it slowly works its way across the country. (More on why that beef ends up watery here.)

So I come before you, humbly, to preach the many merits of the Waitlist

For us, it allows us to plan our harvests, shipments, and so on, well in advance. Which is the kind of competitive advantage a small farm needs to do things right and compete in this day and age.

This is obviously great for us, but it's not a one sided deal.

For you, it means that you are getting THE BEST of the best. We never send an animal to the butcher if we don't feel it is perfectly finished and ready. In return for your trust and patience, we are going to fill your freezer with the best beef you've ever eaten and have you thanking "past you" every single time you cook some up.

That is our standard, and it's only possible thanks to our amazing customers who embrace the somewhat odd way we do things. (For the full version of why we do it this way, see the B.E.E.F. System.)

Slow beef vs. instant beef, plainly

Reserve your spot for the June harvests

Speaking of the waitlist, we are already reserving shares for our June harvests!

So if you want to be grilling the best tasting, most nourishing, 100% Grass Fed Beef in existence all summer long, it's time to put down your deposit (it's fully refundable btw) and claim your spot......

Reserve your next Beef Share here.

Not sure which share size fits your household? Take our 60-second beef share quiz before you put down a deposit.

Your Farmer,
Josh

P.S. It's 80º and I am kicking myself for not finishing all my winter office projects a month ago. This is cowboyin' weather, and yet I am forced to submit loan documentation.