Buy a Half Cow, Quarter Cow, or Whole Cow in Gunter, TX
Gunter sits in southwest Grayson County along Preston Road, roughly 60 miles north of Dallas, right in the path of the next wave of North Texas growth. Just north of fast-growing Celina, the town has already seen big land moves, including the 2,000-acre Platinum Ranch development slated for more than 4,200 homes, yet it still holds onto the rural character that drew many of its families here in the first place. Gunter families can reserve a whole, half, or quarter share of 100% grass-fed, grass-finished Texas beef and pick it up in McKinney, a short drive from most of Gunter.
Where to Buy Grass-Fed Beef Near Gunter
Gunter doesn't have a large-format grocery store in town, so most residents make the drive to Sherman, Celina, or McKinney for a full grocery run. Some of those stores carry grass-fed options, but the supply is inconsistent and the sourcing is often vague. When you do find grass-fed beef on the shelf, check each package for "Product of USA." A lot of the grass-fed beef sold in the US is imported from Australia, New Zealand, or South America; the grass-fed label tells you how the animal was fed, not what country it came from. For Texas-raised grass-fed beef by the share, Texas Grass Fed Farms offers pickup in McKinney.
Buy Grass-Fed Beef by the Share
Rather than picking up a package or two at a time, you reserve a share of the animal: a whole cow, a half cow, or a quarter cow. With a half or a whole, you pick your cuts on a cut sheet. A quarter comes as a balanced split quarter, a standard mix of steaks, roasts, and ground beef. It's the same clean, grass-finished Texas beef whichever size you choose; the share just fills your freezer in one trip. Reserve online through our bulk grass-fed beef page, then pick up in McKinney on a scheduled Saturday once the animal is processed.
Why Gunter Families Choose Texas Grass-Fed
Gunter families who've been here a while came for the land, the space, and the freedom from metro congestion. The newer households arriving ahead of Platinum Ranch are making a similar call, trading closeness to the city core for a different kind of life. A lot of these folks live on acreage lots, keep chickens out back, or run their kids to Gunter ISD, and they already think carefully about what ends up on the table. Grass-fed beef from a Texas ranch fits that picture without much explaining.
Buying a share is what removes the guesswork behind the label. Every cut is born, raised, and processed in Texas by ranchers we've built long relationships with. And when Gunter families reserve a share, they're directly supporting the Texas ranchers who run cattle on native pasture the way it used to be done, building soil and keeping that model alive for the next generation.
How Texas Ranchers Raise Grass-Fed Cattle
Our partner ranchers run rotational grazing across Texas pastures, moving herds through sections of land so the native grasses recover between grazing cycles. The cattle never see a feedlot and are never grain-finished; that's the line that separates real grass-finished beef from the grain-finished conventional beef that a lot of "natural" labels still allow. The ranchers we work with use no corn, no soy, no antibiotics, no added growth hormones, no mRNA vaccines, and have never put glyphosate on the land they manage. Every animal is born, raised, and USDA-inspected in Texas. That's the grassfed standard applied the right way.
Half Cow, Quarter Cow, or Whole Cow: What You Get
Every share is cut to order and packaged frozen, ready for the freezer the day you pick it up in McKinney. Here's 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. 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 holds your spot.
How Much Does a Half Cow Cost in Gunter?
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 carry their own deposit amount. Once the animal is processed and the hanging weight is confirmed, we figure 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 under what boutique grass-fed cuts run at retail. You're buying in bulk, so you pay a bulk price for beef you'd otherwise pay a premium for one steak at a time.
Is Buying a Quarter Cow Worth It?
For a lot of Gunter families, yes. 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 is the right starting point if you've never bought freezer beef before or your freezer space is tight. If you cook beef most nights, or you've got a chest freezer and a big household, a half cow usually pencils out better per pound. Either way you're getting local, grass-finished beef and supporting the Texas ranchers who raise it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I buy grass-fed beef near Gunter, TX?
There's no large grocery store in Gunter itself, so the nearest in-store options are in Sherman, Celina, or McKinney; check for "Product of USA" on the label when you get there. For Texas-raised grass-fed and grass-finished beef, you can reserve a whole, half, or quarter cow from Texas Grass Fed Farms and pick it up in McKinney.
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, on a scheduled Saturday. We announce the date once the animal is processed and 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.
Ready to reserve? Browse sizes on our bulk grass-fed beef page, or see our Texas grass-fed beef page for the towns we serve.
New to buying a share? Our grass-fed beef planning guide covers freezer space, transport, and choosing a size.
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