Buy a Half Cow, Quarter Cow, or Whole Cow in Manor, TX
Manor sits at the eastern edge of the Austin corridor, where Hwy 290 and FM 973 cross and master-planned communities are putting down roots fast. Whisper Valley, ShadowGlen, and Carillon are places where families made deliberate choices about where to live, and a lot of them make the same deliberate choices about what they eat. Manor families can reserve a whole, half, or quarter share of 100% grass-fed, grass-finished Texas beef, born, raised, and processed in Texas from start to finish. Pickup is in McKinney, up in North Texas. That's a real drive from Manor, 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 the Austin area.
Where to Buy Grass-Fed Beef in Manor, TX
The H-E-B at 13100 N FM 973 opened in October 2025 and carries grass-fed beef options. The Manor Community Farmers Market runs Wednesdays from 4 to 7 p.m. and on the third Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to noon (seasonal, March through November) at Jennie Lane Park on E. Rector St., where local vendors show up though the beef selection varies week to week. The label only tells you so much, though. Grass-fed describes how the cattle were fed, not where they came from; a meaningful share of what sits on US shelves is imported from Australia, Uruguay, or South America. 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 check before you buy.
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 pick 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 Manor.
Why Manor Families Choose Texas Grass-Fed
Whisper Valley was built around intentional living: geothermal heating, solar panels, and Google Fiber wired into every home. Residents who thought carefully about their home's energy footprint tend to think just as carefully about their food. ShadowGlen and Carillon draw families who wanted space and community without giving up quality. Manor ISD serves this whole corridor, from Manor High School down through the elementary campuses, and parents here are asking harder questions about food labels than the generations before them. Reserving a share from Texas Grass Fed Farms means backing the Texas regenerative ranchers we partner with and keeping sustainable agriculture viable on Central Texas land.
How Texas Ranchers Raise Grass-Fed Cattle
The ranchers we partner with raise pasture-raised cattle on native Texas pastures from birth through 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. They use rotational grazing, no synthetic inputs, 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. These are family farm and ranch operations across Central Texas committed to land stewardship, not commodity suppliers, and the result is beef with 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. 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 Manor?
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. Factor the drive to McKinney into your decision; for a lot of Manor 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 Manor 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 reach the Austin area.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I buy grass-fed beef in Manor, TX?
The H-E-B at 13100 N FM 973 carries grass-fed options, and the Manor Community Farmers Market at Jennie Lane Park on E. Rector St. (Wednesdays 4 to 7 p.m., seasonal) sometimes has local beef vendors; 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, Uruguay, Brazil, and New Zealand 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 Manor, 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 the Austin area.
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
Austin | Elgin | Bastrop | Pflugerville | Hutto | Taylor | Round Rock | Georgetown | Lockhart | Kyle | San Marcos | Leander
Want Us Closer to Manor?
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.