Description
🥩 Alaska-Grown Half Beef
$11.00/lb — Based on Hanging Weight
Fill your freezer with Alaska-grown, grain-finished beef from Mugridge Hay & Cattle in Delta Junction, Alaska.
Reserve a half beef and enjoy a wide variety of Alaska-grown beef while supporting an Alaska agricultural operation.
🌾 About Mugridge Hay & Cattle
Your beef comes from Mugridge Hay & Cattle in Delta Junction, Alaska, operated by Scott Mugridge.
Mugridge Hay & Cattle is an Alaska agricultural operation with cattle, hay, and grain production.
The farm’s crop and livestock operations work together, with hay and grain production supporting the cattle operation.
The cattle are grain-finished before processing, giving customers the opportunity to enjoy Alaska-raised beef with the flavor, marbling, and tenderness associated with grain-finished beef.
We’re proud to work with an Alaska producer and make locally raised beef available to Alaska families through Alaska Grocery Co.
🌾 What Does Grain-Finished Mean?
Grain-finished beef means cattle receive grain as part of their finishing diet before processing.
The finishing period helps develop characteristics many customers look for in beef, including:
- Marbling
- Rich flavor
- Tenderness
- A fuller grain-finished beef profile
Mugridge Hay & Cattle’s hay and grain production are part of the farm’s larger agricultural operation, connecting the crop and livestock sides of the farm.
❤️ Why Buy Alaska-Grown Beef?
When you purchase a half beef, you’re doing more than filling your freezer.
You’re supporting an Alaska agricultural operation and helping keep more food dollars within our state.
At Alaska Grocery Co., our mission is:
Support Alaska farms.
Strengthen local food systems.
Make Alaska more self-sufficient.
We want to make it easier for Alaska families to know where their food comes from and have access to beef raised right here in Alaska.
🛒 What You’re Purchasing
When you order this product, you are purchasing a half share of a whole beef animal.
The beef is priced at:
$11.00 per pound of hanging weight
Mugridge cattle are generally around 650–700 lbs hanging weight as a whole animal, although individual animals can vary.
That means a typical half beef would be approximately:
325–350 lbs hanging weight
For planning purposes, a possible range based on a 600–750 lb whole animal would be approximately 300–375 lbs hanging weight.
Typical Estimated Cost
| Estimated Amount | |
|---|---|
| Typical half hanging weight | 325–350 lbs |
| Price per lb | $11.00 |
| Typical estimated total | $3,575–$3,850 |
| Deposit paid today | $2,700 |
| Typical estimated remaining balance | $875–$1,150 |
These are estimates only. Your actual half may weigh more or less.
Your final purchase price will be based on the actual hanging weight of the half beef you receive.
🥩 What Might Be Included in Your Half Beef?
A half beef gives you a wide variety of cuts for your freezer.
Depending on the animal and processing, your half may include:
Steaks
- Ribeye
- New York strip
- Sirloin
- Other steak cuts
Roasts
- Chuck roast
- Round roast
- Other roasts
Other Cuts
- Ground beef
- Stew meat
- Short ribs
- Brisket
- Soup or marrow bones
The exact cuts and quantities will vary from animal to animal.
Your final selection can also affect the amount of each type of cut you receive.
Every animal is different.
We provide this information to help you understand what you may receive, but specific cut quantities are not guaranteed.
✅ Before You Order
We want you to understand exactly what you’re purchasing before you reserve your half beef.
Here’s what is important to know:
- $11.00/lb is based on hanging weight.
- You are purchasing a half share of a whole beef animal.
- A $2,700 deposit is due when you place your order.
- Your deposit is applied toward your final purchase price.
- Your actual half-beef weight will vary from animal to animal.
- Your final price is based on the actual hanging weight.
- Hanging weight is not the same as final packaged weight.
- We use 60% as an estimated finished yield for planning purposes only.
- Actual finished yield can be higher or lower.
- Individual cut quantities are estimates and are not guaranteed.
- Your final balance will be calculated after the actual hanging weight is known.
- Any remaining balance is due in full before delivery or release of the beef.
- We will contact you by email and phone when your beef is ready.
- Your delivery date will be scheduled once your beef is ready and final payment has been completed.
⚖️ Hanging Weight vs. Packaged Weight
Why won’t my freezer contain the same number of pounds as the hanging weight?
This is one of the most important things to understand when purchasing a half beef.
Our beef is priced by hanging weight.
Hanging weight is the weight of the beef carcass after slaughter and initial dressing.
It is not the weight of the finished packages you take home.
During processing, weight is removed through things such as:
- Bones
- Excess fat
- Gristle and connective tissue
- Trimming
- Other portions that aren’t packaged as meat
- Natural moisture loss during aging and processing
So, for example, a 350 lb hanging-weight half will not result in 350 lbs of packaged beef.
That is normal and expected.
📦 How Much Beef Will I Actually Take Home?
For planning purposes, we’re using an estimated 60% finished yield from hanging weight.
This is an estimate—not a guarantee.
Using that estimate:
300 lbs hanging weight → approximately 180 lbs packaged beef
325 lbs hanging weight → approximately 195 lbs packaged beef
350 lbs hanging weight → approximately 210 lbs packaged beef
375 lbs hanging weight → approximately 225 lbs packaged beef
So a typical 325–350 lb half beef could result in approximately:
195–210 lbs of packaged beef
A half beef in the broader 300–375 lb range could result in approximately 180–225 lbs of packaged beef.
Your actual finished yield may be higher or lower.
Yield can vary depending on:
- The individual animal
- Fat content
- Bone structure
- Size and condition of the animal
- Aging
- Trimming
- Cutting instructions
- Bone-in vs. boneless cuts
The 60% figure is a planning estimate only. It is not a guaranteed packaged weight.
💰 Your $2,700 Deposit
$2,700 reserves your half beef.
When you place your order, you pay a $2,700 deposit toward your final purchase price.
We use a set deposit rather than charging you for an estimated final weight because every animal is different.
Once your beef has been processed and the actual hanging weight is known, we’ll calculate your final purchase price.
Final price calculation:
Actual hanging weight × $11.00/lb = Final purchase price
Then:
Final purchase price − $2,700 deposit = Remaining balance
Based on the typical 325–350 lb hanging-weight range, your estimated remaining balance would be:
$875–$1,150
Your actual remaining balance will depend on the actual hanging weight of your half beef.
🔒 Why Is the Deposit Non-Refundable?
We want to be upfront about this before you order.
When you place your order, your deposit reserves a half beef specifically for you.
We then commit to purchasing, processing, packaging, and preparing that beef for your order.
Half beef orders are reserved and custom-processed for individual customers. Once your order is placed, that portion of the animal is committed to you rather than being regular inventory that can simply be returned to our shelves.
For that reason, the $2,700 deposit is non-refundable once the order is placed, except where required by applicable law.
Your deposit is not an additional charge.
Your full $2,700 deposit is applied toward the final purchase price of your beef.
Our goal is to be completely transparent about this before you order so you know exactly how your purchase works.
📋 What Happens After You Order?
1. Reserve Your Half Beef
You pay the $2,700 deposit to reserve your half.
2. Your Beef Is Processed
Your beef is processed and the actual hanging weight of your half is determined.
3. We Calculate Your Final Price
We calculate:
Actual hanging weight × $11.00/lb
Your $2,700 deposit is applied toward that total.
4. We Contact You
Once your beef is ready, Alaska Grocery Co. will contact you by email and phone.
We’ll provide:
- Your actual hanging weight
- Your final purchase price
- Your remaining balance
- Delivery information
5. Final Payment
Your remaining balance is due in full before your beef is delivered or released to you.
6. Schedule Your Delivery
Once your final payment has been received, we’ll work with you to schedule your delivery date.
🚚 Delivery
Your beef will be delivered through Alaska Grocery Co.
Because animal weights and processing schedules can vary, we cannot guarantee an exact delivery date when you place your order.
We’ll contact you once your beef is ready and work with you to coordinate your delivery.
