Bang for your buck steaks.....

[DougE]

For personal use of domestic beef, you can slaughter and process your own livestock for your own consumption, but not for commercial purposes, and the meat must be for the owner, their family, and non-paying guests. Per USDA guidelines. Includes having a processor do the killing and processing. All beef I get back is clearly marked that it is not for resale.

 

[SmokinEdge]

For personal use of domestic beef, you can slaughter and process your own livestock for your own consumption, but not for commercial purposes, and the meat must be for the owner, their family, and non-paying guests. Per USDA guidelines. Includes having a processor do the killing and processing. All beef I get back is clearly marked that it is not for resale.

Like I said, we have 1 processor in the area that does “not for sale” and it’s beef only, they don’t do hogs. But they are still priced right in there. You have a good thing over there.

 

[Fueling Around]

I haven't checked lately with the 2 stock raisers I know back in MN, but last I know they weren't getting windfall profits. Finding a live kill processor is getting very rare in NW MN.
Last I recall, I can purchase live stock and have it taken to processor. They will butcher and pack as not for resale. All meat must be inspected per USDA regs. Grading is a separate reg and up to the processor.

Due to the power of oligopoly, meat processors set stupid-high prices on all cuts (while paying very little to the ranchers) to maximize profits. Restaurants, supermarkets, and consumers have no choice, therefore they are no longer cheap.

You missed another middleman in the chain between stock raiser and retailer.
The mass meat processors are ham strung by the big grocer distributors that manipulate the market. They order certain cuts and no others. This forces the processors to amass excess inventory of other meats and have to offer at discount pricing. This is when Gordon Food Service picks up their bargains.