Buy a Half Cow, Quarter Cow, or Whole Cow in Dripping Springs, TX
Dripping Springs is Hill Country at its best: space, clean air, and families who chose this part of Texas because they care about how they live. That same intentionality shows up in how they eat. Dripping Springs families can reserve a whole, half, or quarter share of 100% grass-fed, grass-finished Texas beef, born, raised, and processed in Texas start to finish. Pickup is in McKinney, Texas, up in North Texas. That's a real drive from Dripping Springs, so we're not there yet. You can reserve a share and make the trip, or join the list and we'll tell you the day we bring pickup closer to Dripping Springs.
Where to Buy Grass-Fed Beef in Dripping Springs
The H-E-B at 598 E. Hwy US 290 (78620) is Dripping Springs' primary grocery store for grass-fed options. The Dripping Springs Farmers Market at Veterans Memorial Park runs Wednesdays year-round and has been voted the #1 farmers market in Texas, drawing local producers from across the Hill Country.
One thing worth knowing before you shop: the "grass-fed" label tells you how a cow was raised, not where it came from. A significant portion of grocery store grass-fed beef is imported from Australia, New Zealand, Uruguay, or Brazil. Effective January 1, 2026, the USDA's "Product of USA" rule requires that label to mean an animal born, raised, and processed in the United States, so always check before you buy. For Texas-raised grass-fed beef by the share, Texas Grass Fed Farms offers pickup in McKinney.
Buy Grass-Fed Beef by the Share
Instead of buying cuts one at a time, you reserve a share of the animal: a whole cow, a half cow, or a quarter cow. A half and a whole let you choose your cuts on a cut sheet. A quarter comes as a balanced split quarter, a standard mix of steaks, roasts, and ground beef. Reserve online through our bulk grass-fed beef page, then pick up in McKinney on a scheduled Saturday once the animal is processed. New to buying a share? Our grass-fed beef planning guide covers freezer space, transport, and choosing a size. If you do make the drive, build the day around it: historic Downtown McKinney's square is minutes from pickup, with local shops, restaurants, winery tasting rooms, and TUPPS Brewery. Not ready to make the trip yet? Join the list below and we'll tell you the day we bring pickup nearer to Dripping Springs.
Why Dripping Springs Families Choose Texas Grass-Fed
Caliterra, Headwaters, Belterra, and Arroyo Ranch are home to families who moved to the Hill Country because they want more than the city has to offer, and across Hays County that shows up at the dinner table. Whether you're following a clean ancestral approach, cooking for a household with food sensitivities, or just convinced the cow's diet should come from a pasture and not a feedlot, grass-finished Texas beef is the right call. Reserving a share from Texas Grass Fed Farms means backing the Texas ranchers keeping healthy herds on well-managed Texas land and keeping that supply chain inside the state.
How Texas Ranchers Raise Grass-Fed Cattle
The ranchers we partner with raise their herds on Texas regenerative pastures, rotating cattle across natural grazing land through the year from birth to finishing. Grass-finished means the animal never enters a feedlot for grain before processing; that's the distinction from conventional beef, which uses grain in the final phase to push weight. Our partner ranchers skip that step entirely. No antibiotics, no added growth hormones, no mRNA vaccines, and no glyphosate ever applied to the pastures they manage. All processing happens at USDA-inspected facilities inside Texas. The result is beef with a richer flavor, a cleaner nutritional profile, and a completely traceable Texas origin.
Half Cow, Quarter Cow, or Whole Cow: What You Get
Every share is cut to order and packaged frozen, ready for your freezer the day you pick it up in McKinney. Roughly what each size gives you:
- Quarter cow: a balanced split quarter, roughly 75 to 90 lbs of packaged beef. A standard mix, no cut sheet needed.
- Half cow (a side of beef): your choice of cuts on a cut sheet, roughly 150 to 180 lbs of packaged beef.
- Whole cow: the full animal, two halves, roughly 300 to 360 lbs of packaged beef, your cut choices throughout.
Across those shares you get steaks, roasts, ground beef, brisket, short ribs, and soup bones, plus Hill Country smoker cuts. Your price is based on the hanging weight (the hot carcass weight) once the animal is processed, and a fixed deposit set by share size reserves your spot.
How Much Does a Half Cow Cost in Dripping Springs?
Half cow cost works differently than a per-package price at the store. You reserve your share with a fixed, non-refundable deposit set by size; quarter, half, and whole each have their own deposit amount. Once the animal is processed and the hanging weight is confirmed, we calculate the final total from that weight, and the balance (final total minus your deposit) is due then. Spread across every cut, from ground beef to ribeyes, the per-pound price on a half cow lands well below what boutique grass-fed cuts run at retail or even most Austin health-food stores. Factor the drive to McKinney into your decision; for a lot of Hays County families a half or whole is what makes the trip worth it.
Is Buying a Quarter Cow Worth It?
A quarter cow runs roughly 75 to 90 lbs of packaged beef, enough to keep a couple or a small family in grass-finished beef for months, and the per-pound cost beats buying the same cuts one at a time. A quarter suits a first-time bulk buyer or a smaller household. That said, from Dripping Springs you're making a real drive to McKinney, so many families size up to a half or whole to make one trip count. If the drive isn't practical yet, join the list and we'll tell you when we bring pickup closer to Dripping Springs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I buy grass-fed beef in Dripping Springs, TX?
H-E-B at 598 E. Hwy US 290 (78620) carries grass-fed options, and the Dripping Springs Farmers Market at Veterans Memorial Park runs Wednesdays year-round; check for "Product of USA" on the label. For Texas-raised beef by the share, you can reserve a whole, half, or quarter cow from Texas Grass Fed Farms and pick it up in McKinney, or join the waitlist for closer pickup.
What cuts do you get from a half cow?
A half cow comes with steaks, roasts, ground beef, brisket, short ribs, and soup bones, cut to your preferences on a cut sheet.
How much meat is in a quarter cow?
Roughly 75 to 90 lbs of packaged, frozen beef. A quarter comes as a balanced split quarter, a standard mix of steaks, roasts, and ground beef rather than a custom cut sheet.
How much freezer space does a half cow need?
Plan on roughly 10 to 15 cubic feet of freezer for a half cow, and about 7 to 10 for a quarter. Real-world packing wastes space, so size the freezer up rather than down.
What is the difference between grass-fed and grass-finished beef?
These days, none. Grass-fed cattle can't be fed grain, so grass-fed and grass-finished describe the same thing: an animal that ate grass and forage its whole life. Our beef is 100% grass-fed and grass-finished. And the label says nothing about country of origin, so always check for "Product of USA" when you shop in-store.
Where does most grass-fed beef in US grocery stores come from?
Australia, New Zealand, Uruguay, and Brazil are the primary sources of grass-fed beef sold in the US. "Grass-fed" describes the feeding protocol, not the origin. Effective January 1, 2026, the USDA requires beef labeled "Product of USA" to be born, raised, and processed in the United States. Every share we sell meets that standard.
Where and when is pickup?
Pickup is in McKinney, TX, north of Dallas, on a scheduled Saturday. That's a real drive from Dripping Springs, so today this works for families willing to make the trip. We announce the date once the hanging weight is confirmed, then we meet you in McKinney to hand off your beef. Pickup only: you collect your share, nothing gets mailed out. Join the list and we'll tell you the day we bring pickup closer to Dripping Springs.
Ready to reserve? Browse sizes on our bulk grass-fed beef page, or see our Texas grass-fed beef page for where we serve and where we're headed next.
Other Austin Metro Towns
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Want Us Closer to Dripping Springs?
For now, you pick up your share in McKinney, and you're welcome to make the drive. Tell us where you are and we'll let you know when we bring pickup or delivery closer to you.