Buy a Half Cow, Quarter Cow, or Whole Cow in Hillsboro, TX
Hillsboro is the county seat of Hill County, sitting right on the I-35 corridor about 50 miles south of Dallas and 35 miles north of Waco. It's a working town with a mix of longtime farming families and commuters who settled in Hill County for the space and the lower cost of living while staying tied to the metros on either end of the highway. Hillsboro families can reserve a whole, half, or quarter share of 100% grass-fed, grass-finished Texas beef and pick it up in McKinney, an easy drive up I-35 from Hill County.
Where to Buy Grass-Fed Beef Near Hillsboro
Hillsboro has an H-E-B at 120 S Waco St and a Walmart Supercenter at 401 Coke Ave. Both carry beef, and you may find some grass-fed options at either. When you shop, flip the package and look for "Product of USA" on the label. Most grass-fed beef in American grocery stores is imported from overseas, despite packaging that can look domestic; the "grass-fed" claim tells you how the cattle were raised, not where. For Texas-raised grass-fed beef by the share, Texas Grass Fed Farms offers pickup in McKinney, born, raised, and processed in Texas start to finish.
Buy Grass-Fed Beef by the Share
Instead of buying cuts one package 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 pick your cuts on a cut sheet. A quarter comes as a balanced split quarter, a standard mix of steaks, roasts, and ground beef. Same clean, grass-finished Texas beef either way; the share just stocks the 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. New to buying a share? Our grass-fed beef planning guide covers freezer space, transport, and choosing a size. Historic Downtown McKinney's square is minutes from pickup, so it's easy to make a morning of it: local shops, restaurants, winery tasting rooms, and TUPPS Brewery are all right there.
Why Hillsboro Families Choose Texas Grass-Fed
Hill County has deep agricultural roots, and plenty of Hillsboro residents already understand the difference between how cattle should be raised and how most commodity beef actually gets produced. Grain-finishing in feedlots is a shortcut, not a tradition. Grass-finished beef, raised on rotational pasture with no antibiotics or added growth hormones, is closer to what Texas beef used to be. Reserving a share from Texas Grass Fed Farms also means backing the independent Texas ranchers we partner with, the ones keeping a model of Texas ranching alive that's worth preserving. Your order goes toward that directly.
How Texas Ranchers Raise Grass-Fed Cattle
The ranchers we work with raise cattle on grass and forage only, from birth through processing: no grain finishing, no feedlot, no antibiotics, no added growth hormones, no mRNA vaccines. Rotational grazing is standard practice, moving cattle between pasture sections to let the land recover and stay productive. No glyphosate is ever applied to the pastures our partner ranchers manage. Every animal is processed at USDA-inspected facilities in Texas: born in Texas, raised in Texas, processed in Texas, a completely traceable Texas origin from pasture to pickup.
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. 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 Hillsboro?
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. You're buying a whole side at once, so you pay a side-of-beef price for meat you'd otherwise buy one premium steak at a time.
Is Buying a Quarter Cow Worth It?
For a lot of Hillsboro 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 limited. If you cook beef most nights, or you've got a chest freezer and a big family, a half cow usually makes more sense 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 in Hillsboro, TX?
The H-E-B at 120 S Waco St and the Walmart Supercenter at 401 Coke Ave both carry beef, including some grass-fed options; check for "Product of USA" on the label. 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, an easy drive from Hillsboro.
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, an easy drive up I-35 from Hillsboro. 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 areas we serve. Want us even closer? Join the list and we'll tell you when we add a pickup nearer to Hillsboro.
Other Central Texas Towns
Waco | Woodway | Lorena | McGregor | Hewitt | Clifton | Temple | Belton | Killeen | Waxahachie
Want Us Closer to Hillsboro?
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.