Grass-Fed Beef Van Alstyne TX | Half, Whole & Quarter Cow

Buy a Half Cow, Quarter Cow, or Whole Cow in Van Alstyne, TX

Van Alstyne sits at the crossroads of Grayson and Collin Counties along the U.S. Highway 75 corridor, about 50 miles north of Dallas, and it's one of the fastest-growing small cities in North Texas. New developments like Highpoint Village are bringing thousands of homes, and families in Steeplechase, Georgetown Estates, and Sanford Park came looking for something better than what the chain stores put on the shelf. Van Alstyne 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 Van Alstyne.

Where to Buy Grass-Fed Beef Near Van Alstyne

Van Alstyne does not yet have its own H-E-B or large-format grocery. The nearest H-E-B is in Melissa, just south along Highway 75, with another slated for Sherman to the north, so most shoppers still drive to McKinney, Sherman, or Melissa for a full-size store. Those stores stock beef labeled "Product of USA," a standard that, as of January 1, 2026, requires the product to be born, raised, and processed in the United States. Even so, finding a specific grass-fed and grass-finished cut from a Texas regenerative ranch at the meat case is another matter. 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 or a whole lets 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, so there's nothing to figure out. It's the same clean, local, grass-finished beef whichever way you go; the share just gets you a freezer's worth 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 Van Alstyne Families Choose Texas Grass-Fed

The families moving into Van Alstyne aren't here by accident. A lot of them left Frisco, McKinney, and Plano for a reason: more space, a slower pace, and more control over how their household runs. In communities like Highpoint Village, Steeplechase, and Georgetown Estates, those same families are reading labels, cooking real food, and teaching their kids where dinner comes from. They want grassfed beef from Texas, not a shrink-wrapped product that crossed an ocean before it landed in a big-box freezer case.

Buying a share is how you take that guesswork out. Every cut is born, raised, and processed in Texas by ranchers we've built long relationships with. And when Van Alstyne families reserve a share, they're directly supporting the Texas ranchers who raise this beef on open pasture, rotating their herds across native grassland the right way. That's a supply chain you can trace straight back to Texas soil.

How Texas Ranchers Raise Grass-Fed Cattle

Our partner ranchers practice rotational grazing, moving cattle across pastures so native grasses can recover. Their herds are never sent to a feedlot and never grain-finished; that's the line between grass-finished beef and the grain-finished conventional beef that most "natural" labels still allow. The ranchers we work with use no antibiotics, no added growth hormones, no mRNA vaccines, and no glyphosate on the pastures their cattle graze. Every animal grazes on Texas grass from birth to harvest and is USDA-inspected right here in Texas. That's the grassfed standard when it's applied correctly.

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. 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 reserves your spot.

How Much Does a Half Cow Cost in Van Alstyne?

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; a quarter, half, and whole each carry 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. When you spread the cost 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 in bulk, so you pay a bulk price for beef you'd otherwise buy one premium steak at a time.

Is Buying a Quarter Cow Worth It?

For a lot of Van Alstyne 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 individually. 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 near Van Alstyne, TX?
Van Alstyne doesn't have a large grocery store yet. Nearby options in McKinney, Melissa, and Sherman carry some grass-fed products, but the sourcing is often unclear; 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.

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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Grass-fed Beef in Van Alstyne, Texas