Ranch To Table
Walter Shealy discusses the state of the industry with Freedom HarvestSHOP NOW
BLACK GROVE 100% BLACK ANGUS BEEF PROGRAM
What is the BLACK GROVE 100% BLACK ANGUS BEEF PROGRAM?
It is our way of providing the highest quality ALL
NATURAL 100% Angus beef to our neighbors and customers in South Carolina
and surrounding areas at an affordable price. Angus cattle are recognized worldwide for their
superior marbling, which insures flavor and tenderness.
Our farm to table/ranch to table program provides our customers the choice of purchasing a 25 pound box, quarter, hallves or whole animals. Once you place an order and put up a deposit we will handle the entire process. Boxes will be delivered by Black Grove free of charge in Newberry, Chapin and the Clinton areas, or can be picked up at the ranch the weekend following the notice. Quarters, halves and wholes must be picked up at the Ranch. We will do all the legwork transportation, slaughter coordination, communication with the butcher, and delivery to the butcher so the YOU can focus on your life and not feel overwhelmed with this process.
What is BLACK GROVE?
Black Grove LLC is a family owned and operated Registered Black Angus ranch that has been in
continuous operation in Newberry, SC for over 62 years. Black Grove has been designated by the
American Angus Association as one of only 3 Historic Angus Herds in South Carolina. The Newberry
Soil & Water Conservation District awarded Black Grove the Willie Peaster Award for
Environmental Stewardship in 2013. We are committed to sustainable ranching practices.
At Black Grove we humanely raise and manage our cattle in a low stress pasture environment. We never use electric prod sticks. We invite you to come by and walk through our herd with us. We are always open to visitors. For other information about Black Grove’s line of products, including seedstock bulls, cows and weaned calves, pecans (in the shell or ready to eat), please visit our website at www.blackgrove.com.
Tell me about the cows.
Our Registered Black Angus herd lives in the beautiful rolling hills of South Carolina, grazing
on over 400 acres of local, native and seasonal grasses. These cattle live their lives on
pasture, and are grazed in an intensively managed pasture based program. Only 100% Black Angus
calves
from our registered herd are selected for this program. They are raised NATURALLY, with no
antibiotics, added hormones or steroids. At approximately 16 months of age the animals are
typically weighing around 1,150 to 1,250 lbs. and are ready to be marketed. We will be happy to
provide you with copies of the registration papers of your animal's parentage going back four
generations. This is the beef that we feed our family and that we are proud to offer you.
How many pounds can I buy?
You can buy either a 25 pound box, a quarter of animal which weighs 100+ pounds, or a half which
weighs 200+ pounds.
How much does it cost?
A 25+ pound box will cost $299 (normally $324). Before we can properly answer this question on
quarter beef we need to share some important information with you.
The Process
Here’s what happens when you order beef from Black Grove: The animal is selected from
Newberry, SC, and transported to a USDA certified slaughterhouse. Fourteen days after slaughter
the beef is ready for butcher and it is cut into all of the steaks, roasts, ground beef, etc. As
soon as it has been cut, packaged, chilled and frozen, (approximately 4 days) it is ready for
pickup.
All our hamburger comes from one animal, not from multiple animals like you might get at a
grocery store.
Weights
Weights are the next thing you need to understand. There are 3 weights used in the industry as
standards live weight, hanging weight and packaged weight.
Live weight is obvious. Again, averages from our ranch have been around 1,100
to 1,200 lbs.
Hanging weight is the weight reported by the slaughterhouse after killing,
bled-out, removing the skin and any unusable portions of the animal. It averages approximately
60% of the animal's live weight. Hanging weight is also the metric used for most "whole animal"
pricing schemes.
Packaged weight is how much actual product that you can put back into your
freezer. You can expect 35+% loss from hanging weight to packaged weight due to unusable items,
water weight and evaporation.
What is normal?
Every animal is different. The following is an estimated
breakdown of a live animal’s weights and pricing.
While most farms use hanging weights to price bulk beef, Black Grove prices are always based on packaged weights, like in your grocery store.
| Example I | |
| Whole beef | 470lb. N/A |
| Half beef $13.99/lb. | 235lb. $3288 |
| *Quarter beef $13.99/lb. | 100lb. $1399 |
| Box | 25lb. $324 |
*Quarters price includes $50 premium for splitting and packing. Quarters weight will range
from 100lbs to 140lbs.
Prices are subject to change.
If you were to buy all of the cuts separately, you would be paying significantly more.
And what exactly am I getting?
We have a standard cut sheet that most people follow. It works out to around 30% steaks, 20%
roasts, and 50% ground beef.
The way that we define quarter shares is "halved quarters." So, let's say you want a quarter share. Quarter share would get half of the front quarter and half of the back quarter. This way you will get some of most everything, and everybody stays happy.
Boxes include approximately 30% steak, 20% roasts and 50% ground beef.
But will it fit in my freezer?
As a general rule of thumb you should plan for 35 lbs. meat per cubic foot of freezer space. A
standard kitchen refrigerator/freezer combo is around 7 cubic feet, meaning that if it were
totally empty you could fit approximately 245 lbs. of beef in there.
If you are like most people and do not have much space in the freezer, we recommend you buy the 25 pound boxes of our all natural Black Grove Beef.
So how do I get it?
Please be advised that this is a limited quantity program, so we advise placing your order in
advance by calling one of the numbers listed below. Large orders for quarter beef require the
following non-refundable deposit with the balance being due upon receipt of your product.
| Half Deposit: | $1,000.00 |
| Quarter Deposit: | $600.00 |
Box orders will require payment in full upon ordering. You can pay with any of the following credit cards: Visa, Mastercard, and American Express.
Delivery
Boxes delivered free of charge in Newberry, Chapin and the Clinton areas,
or can be picked up at the ranch the weekend following the notice. All quarters, halves and wholes must
be picked up at the ranch.
Product Features
- 100% Registered Black Angus Genetics
- Bred for flavor (marbling) and tenderness
- USDA inspected
- All natural beef
- Pasture raised
- Grass fed and corn finished at an earlier age
- Our beef is aged for 14 days before packaging
- No feed lots
- No growth hormones (implants)
- No antibiotics
- Humanely raised and managed on pastures
- Sustainable ranching practices
Next Steps!
To enjoy the delicious benefits of our ALL NATURAL, locally grown, grass fed beef from our
Registered Black Angus cow herd, simply place your order by clicking the SHOP NOW button.
If you have any specific questions regarding our 100% Black Angus farm to table/ranch to table Beef Program, would like more detail, or have issues with ordering, send us an email at walter@blackgrove.com or give us a call at 803-924-1000.
For further information on Black Grove, please go to www.BlackGrove.com.
SHOP NOW
@freedomharvest South Carolina Cattle Rancher, Walter Shealy explains how foreign influence should have never been allowed to impact our meat industry to the extent it does today. This is a major risk to our national security and our food supply in the US. While we are on the topic of cattle ranches, our Texas cattle ranches are suffering greatly right now due to the wildfires. I dont think we have to speculate on how those started, but the devastation to those families and our national food security is immeasurable. Our hearts go out to those in Texas who are suffering such devastating losses. You are in our thoughts and prayers. #cattle #food #texas #steak ♬ original sound - Freedom Harvest
@freedomharvest Walter Shealy, a rancher in Newberry, South Carolina and owner of Black Grove cattle ranch shares his views on the impact corporate consolidation has had on the cattle and food industries. His perspective is particularly unique considering he spent 25 years as a leader in corporate America in the banking and financial sector. Bottom line is, we prefer to know where our food is raised, which means we want mandatory country of origin labeling requirements back. Click the link in our bio to add your farm to the waitlist! No time commitment required and the first month is free for all who join the waitlist before April 1st! Email info@freedomharvest.com for more information! #cattle #beef #food #farm ♬ original sound - Freedom Harvest