One of the questions we get asked most often at the ranch is:

“Should I buy a beef share, or should I just buy individual cuts?”

The honest answer? Neither is better.

They’re simply two different ways of buying beef, and each one serves a different purpose. Some families love the flexibility of filling their cart with exactly what they need for the week. Others want to stock their freezer, save money over the long term, and know they’ll never miss out on their favorite steaks.

At Widnor Farms, we offer both because every family cooks differently. However, our shares take more planning ahead and aren’t always available. The following is more information on why shares may or may not be a good fir for your family.

Buying Beef by the Cut

Shopping by the cut is exactly what it sounds like. You choose the cuts you want, when you want them. Need a few pounds of ground beef for tacos this week? Perfect. Planning a special anniversary dinner? Grab a couple ribeyes. Making pot roast on Sunday? Pick up a chuck roast.

Buying by the cut is ideal if you:

• Have limited freezer space.
• Prefer shopping as you go.
• Cook less frequently.
• Want to try our beef before committing to a larger purchase.

The biggest advantage is flexibility. You’re in complete control of what ends up in your cart.

The tradeoff, however, is that premium cuts carry premium prices. Ribeyes, tenderloin, New York strips, and other sought-after steaks make up a surprisingly small percentage of the animal, so they’re naturally more expensive when purchased individually.

Buying a Custom Beef Share

A custom share is a completely different experience. Instead of shopping for individual cuts, you’re purchasing a portion of an entire animal before it’s butchered. That means your freezer is filled with a variety of cuts: steaks, roasts, ground beef, stew meat, soup bones, and even fat for rendering if you’d like it.

Rather than hoping ribeyes are still in stock, they’re already yours. So are the roasts. So is the ground beef.

It’s your animal, processed specifically for your family.

Understanding the Whole Animal

Here’s something many people don’t realize until they start learning where their food comes from:

A steer isn’t made entirely of steaks. In fact, some of the most popular cuts make up only a tiny portion of the animal. Tenderloin accounts for roughly one percent of the carcass. Ribeye? Around eight percent.

The majority becomes ground beef, roasts, stew meat, short ribs, soup bones, and the many hardworking cuts that feed families every single day.

When you buy individual steaks, you’re paying for those rare, highly desirable cuts. When you buy a share, the value of those premium steaks is spread across the entire animal.

That’s why people often say buying a beef share is like getting steaks for close to the average price of everything else in your freezer.

One of the Unexpected Benefits

One of my favorite conversations happens months after someone buys their first share. They’ll stop me in the store and say,

“I never would have bought that cut on my own…but now it’s one of our favorites.”

Maybe it was a Denver steak. Maybe coulotte. Maybe osso buco.

Buying a share gently nudges you outside your comfort zone. Instead of cooking the same handful of cuts over and over again, you begin exploring the incredible variety a single animal provides. It’s one of the reasons I believe buying a share makes us better home cooks.

Is a Beef Share Right for Everyone?

Honestly? No.

If you don’t have freezer space, only cook occasionally, or simply enjoy choosing exactly what you want each week, buying by the cut may be the perfect fit. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.

On the other hand, if your family cooks at home regularly, has room in the freezer, enjoys trying new recipes, and wants the best value over time, a custom share is hard to beat. That’s exactly why we offer both.

So…Which Should You Choose?

Here’s a simple way to think about it.

Buying by the Cut might be best if you:

• Want complete flexibility.
• Have a smaller freezer.
• Shop week to week.
• Prefer selecting specific cuts.

A Custom Share might be best if you:

• Want the best value per pound.
• Have freezer space.
• Cook at home often.
• Enjoy trying new cuts.
• Want a freezer stocked with everything from premium steaks to everyday ground beef.
• Appreciate receiving bones and fat to make the most of the whole animal.

At the end of the day, there isn’t a wrong choice.

Whether you’re buying a single steak for date night or filling your freezer with a custom share, you’re supporting local agriculture, choosing beef you know and trust, and helping us continue raising animals right here in the Pacific Northwest. And that’s something we’re incredibly grateful for.

Ready to hear the nitty gritty details on how shares work? Here’s more information.