Direct from the ranch
Pasture to Freezer
Reserve a whole steer from the 2026–2027 calf crop. We make the decisions easy: we raise it, finish it, take it to the processor, and send in a proven cut sheet for you. You sign one page, put down a deposit, and pick up your beef.
Our beef steers
Selected for eating quality
Great beef starts with genetics. We hand-select our Pasture to Freezer steers out of our Red Angus cows, the calves with the frame, muscle, and temperament that finish best, sired by our registered Charolais bull. Red Angus bring marbling and tenderness; Charolais add muscle. Steers that do not make the cut are sold elsewhere, not to you.
Your steer carries the Sharpe Diamond brand. Our name and our reputation go with it all the way to your freezer.
Herd health program
No antibiotics ever. No added hormones.
Every steer in the Pasture to Freezer program is raised to the same written protocol, and every treatment goes in its lifetime record. You can ask for a copy of your steer’s record at harvest.
- Never given antibiotics. Not by injection, not in feed, not in water.
- Never given growth hormones or implants.
- Vaccinated on our veterinarian’s schedule. Vaccines are not antibiotics.
- Dewormed with ivermectin and fenbendazole (Safe-Guard) as needed, with every label withdrawal time followed. No dewormer is given in the last 60 days before harvest.
- Unmedicated feed only. We check every feed tag and our own grain mix to make sure no feed contains monensin (Rumensin), lasalocid (Bovatec), or any other antibiotic or ionophore.
- Treat and remove. If a steer ever gets sick and needs antibiotics, we treat it, because that is the humane and responsible thing to do. That steer then leaves the program, and you receive a replacement steer or a full refund of your deposit.
Your cut sheet
The Sharpe Diamond Standard
You do not have to fill out a cut sheet. Unless you tell us otherwise, we send your steer to the processor on our standard cut sheet, a proven, family-friendly mix of steaks, roasts, and ground beef:
- Aged about 14 days for flavor and tenderness.
- Steaks cut 1 inch thick, 2 per package: ribeyes, sirloins, and round steaks.
- Short loin: one side as T-bones, the other as New York strips and filet mignon, so you get all three.
- Roasts about 3 pounds each from the chuck and round.
- Brisket left whole, ready for the smoker.
- Stew meat in 1-pound packages.
- Ground beef 85% lean in 1-pound packages. About half your beef.
- Included unless you say no: soup bones, oxtail, and liver.
Want something different, like thicker steaks, a rib roast, or more ground beef? Tell us when you reserve or any time before harvest, and we will change it for you.
Storage: keep your beef in a deep freezer set at 0°F or colder. Kept that cold, it holds its quality for a year or more, and the USDA says beef kept frozen at 0°F stays safe indefinitely.
Availability
Reservations are limited. Our fall 2026 calving season is underway.
We sell whole steers only. If you want to split the beef with family or friends, that arrangement is between you and the other parties.
What is included
- The live steer, raised on our grain-finished program (grass-finished by request)
- Health and management records
- Delivery of the live animal to our processor, Fulton’s Custom Processing in Marlin, or to your preferred licensed processor within 75 miles of the ranch
- We send your cut sheet to the processor and schedule the harvest
The processor we recommend
You are free to choose any licensed processor within 75 miles of the ranch. If you do not have one in mind, this is where we send our own cattle and where we would point you.
Fulton’s Custom Processing
Ricky and Melissa Fulton
606 North Business Highway 6, Marlin, TX 76661
(254) 883-3131 · Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to noon
A family-run, Texas-licensed custom processor (license CE-0388), open in Marlin since 2020. Besides your cuts, Fulton’s makes fresh and smoked sausage, summer sausage, and snack sticks. These are optional; ask Fulton’s about them when you pick up. You pick up your beef at Fulton’s when it is ready.
What you pay separately
- Processing and packaging fees, paid directly to the processor
- Optional delivery of the finished beef from the processor to your location, at a per-mile rate
Deposit and pricing
A $500 deposit reserves your steer and is applied to your purchase price. Zelle is easiest; we also accept a check or cash. We do not take credit cards. The deposit is non-refundable if you cancel, but you may transfer your reservation to someone else. If your steer dies or cannot be harvested, we offer a replacement steer at the same price or refund your deposit in full within 14 days.
Pricing is by the pound of hanging weight: $6.00 per pound for grain-finished and $6.50 per pound for grass-finished by request, plus processing paid directly to the processor. Your price per pound is confirmed in writing when you reserve.
Read the full reservation terms and conditions.
Estimate your cost
Hanging weight is the weight of the carcass after harvest, before it is cut and packaged. Move the slider to see what a steer of that size would cost, how much beef you would take home, and how much freezer space you would need.
Processing assumptions
Based on a 2026 East Texas processor rate sheet. Your processor may charge more or less.
- Hanging weight
- Paid to the ranch
- Less your deposit
- −$500
- Balance due to the ranch
- Paid to the processor
- Packaged beef you take home
- Freezer space needed
How the estimate works
- Hanging weight is about 62% of live weight for a grain-finished steer and about 58% for grass-finished, which carries less fat.
- Packaged beef is about 62% of hanging weight after bones, fat, and moisture loss. More boneless cuts mean fewer pounds.
- Freezer space assumes about 35 pounds of packaged beef per cubic foot.
- Grocery comparison: see the table below for the cuts and prices behind the store figure.
- For comparison, the USDA national price for a dressed (hanging) fed steer was about $3.53 per pound for the week ending October 16, 2026. That is a feedlot price for cattle sold by the pen. Ranch-direct beef costs more because you get one animal raised and handled for you, with its records.
What a whole steer gives you, at grocery store prices
About half of a whole steer becomes ground beef. The rest is roasts, steaks, and the premium cuts. Shares are typical for a standard cut sheet; yours will vary with the cuts you choose.
| Cut | Share of your beef | Store price per lb |
|---|---|---|
| Ribeye, boneless | 6% | $18.46 |
| T-bone | 4% | $11.82 |
| New York strip | 3% | $16.66 |
| Filet mignon (tenderloin) | 2% | $21.08 |
| Sirloin steak | 7% | $14.59 |
| Round steak | 8% | $10.04 |
| Chuck roast | 10% | $9.63 |
| Brisket | 4% | $4.50 |
| Stew meat | 6% | $8.31 |
| Ground beef | 50% | $6.89 |
| Blended, per pound of beef | 100% | $9.41 |
Store prices: ground beef, chuck roast, sirloin, and round steak are U.S. average shelf prices for July 2026 from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Ribeye, T-bone, strip, filet, brisket, and stew meat are national average advertised grocery prices for the week of October 19, 2026, from the USDA. Advertised prices are often sale prices, so the store figure here is on the low side.
Timeline
Grain-finished steers raised on pasture first are typically ready at about 18 to 22 months of age. Grass-finished steers take longer, about 24 to 30 months, because they gain more slowly on forage alone. After harvest, the beef ages and is cut and wrapped, which takes about 3 to 4 more weeks.
Don’t know the date? We give you your steer’s birth date and tag number when you reserve.
- Harvest window
- Aging, cutting, and wrapping
- 3 to 4 weeks
An estimate. Steers are ready when they reach a healthy finished weight, and weather, processor schedules, and health can move the date. We keep you posted as your steer grows.
Freezer space and power
A whole steer typically yields about 350 to 475 pounds of packaged beef. At about 35 pounds per cubic foot, that takes 10 to 14 cubic feet. Plan on a 16 to 20 cubic-foot upright or chest freezer so there is room to organize. The calculator above estimates this for your steer.
Once the beef is in your freezer, it is a significant investment in feeding your family, and an extended power outage can mean a total loss. Check with your homeowner’s insurance about coverage for freezer contents, and consider a backup generator if you don’t already have one.
Keep the hide
Want to use the whole animal? Ask us before harvest, and we will arrange for your steer’s hide to be saved, salted, and sent for tanning. It makes a one-of-a-kind rug carrying the Sharpe Diamond brand. We handle the arrangements; tanning is paid separately.
Picking up your beef
Your beef is frozen solid and packed for the drive home, so there is no need for ice chests. Have your freezer empty and cold the day before. The processor can answer any questions about packaging.
How to reserve
Email rancherrob@sharpediamondcattle.com or use the contact form, and include:
- Your name and phone number
- How many steers you would like
- Anything you would like changed from our standard cut sheet (optional)
- If you want grass-finished instead of our grain-finished program (optional)
We will reply with current availability, your price per pound, and a one-page reservation agreement to sign. Send it back with your $500 deposit. Zelle is easiest; a check or cash works too.
Signing your agreement
We email the agreement as a PDF. You can sign it on your phone or computer for free, with no printer and no account:
- iPhone or iPad: open the PDF from our email, tap the Markup pen icon, tap +, then Add Signature. Sign with your finger, drag it onto the signature line, type your name and date, and tap Done. Reply to our email with the signed PDF attached.
- Android: install the free Adobe Acrobat Reader app, open the PDF, tap Fill & Sign, add your signature, name, and date, then share the signed copy back to us by email.
- Mac: open the PDF in Preview, click the Markup toolbar, then the Sign button. Save and email it back.
- Windows: open the PDF in the free Adobe Acrobat Reader, choose Fill & Sign, sign, save, and email it back.
- Prefer paper? Print it, sign it, and mail it or email us a clear photo of each page.
We sign our part and email you the fully signed copy for your records, along with a receipt for your deposit.
What happens next
Once you reserve, there is nothing to keep track of. We contact you at each step:
- Reserved. We send your signed agreement, a deposit receipt, and your steer’s tag number and birth date.
- On feed. We text or call when your steer comes in to start its grain finish, about four to five months before harvest.
- Harvest date set. We tell you the date, confirm your cut sheet, and take your steer to the processor.
- Final invoice. When the processor reports the hanging weight, we send your balance. It is due within 7 days.
- Ready for pickup. About 3 to 4 weeks after harvest, the processor calls you. Pay their bill and pick up your beef.
Not ready to reserve yet?
Join our waitlist and we will email you when steers open up for the next calf crop. No deposit, no obligation.
Why this matters
We believe in honest cattle and clear communication. You will know the animal’s background, how it was raised, and exactly what you are paying for, from pasture to your freezer.