From Pasture to Plate: Our Journey to the Butcher and Why It Matters

I love watching the fluffy baby calves grow and the kids giggling as they play with the new piglets, but raising the animals is only half the story. The journey from our farm to the butcher and into your freezer shouldn’t be a mystery! Today I’m walking you through the whole process—from the day we load the trailer to the moment the meat lands in our freezer (or yours).

The Loading Day We usually schedule our butcher dates six or more months in advance. Each animal finishes at its own pace, so in the weeks leading up to the appointment, AJ and I carefully watch and decide which ones have reached the right size and marbling.

On the big day, AJ backs the trailer up to the barn. The animal walks on gently and with respect. We say a quiet “thank you,” and AJ drives them up to Luxemburg. We do everything we can to keep the process calm and low-stress, just like the care they’ve received every day on the farm.

Heading to Paulie’s Chop Shop We take our animals to Paulie’s Chop Shop in Luxemburg, Wisconsin—a local, family-run butcher we trust completely. They specialize in custom processing and do an excellent job with both beef and pork.

The Custom Cutting Process One of the best parts of buying meat directly from a farm is that you get to make the decisions that grocery stores usually make for you. You can choose cuts and packaging that fit your family’s cooking style and busy schedule.

Check out our FAQ for a full list of options, but here are some of the choices we make for our own family:

FAQ

• Servings per package: We often choose 4 servings per pack because our kids are little and like to share. A couple might prefer 2 or 3 steaks or pork chops per package instead.

• Thickness: This makes a big difference in how the meat cooks. I love grilling, so I usually pick 1-inch thick steaks (instead of ¾ inch) and ⅓-pound burger patties (instead of ¼ pound). The extra thickness helps them develop great flavor on the grill without drying out.

• Ground and specialty products: These are favorites in our house! AJ works for himself and is often home for lunch, so he loves our Kenneke Farm hot dogs—they heat up quickly but make a hearty, high-protein meal. The kids enjoy snack sticks, and AJ looks forward to brat patties on the grill all summer long.

  
  

Aging, Packaging & Quality At Paulie’s, the beef gets proper time to hang and age, which improves tenderness and flavor. Everything is then vacuum-sealed to stay fresh in the freezer and clearly labeled so your freezer stays organized and easy to use.

Why This Process Makes the Meat Taste Better The meat goes straight from our farm to the butcher and then directly to you. It never sits on a grocery store shelf for weeks, so it stays fresher. Most importantly, you know exactly where it came from, how the animal was raised, and how it was handled every step of the way.

Bringing It Home – For Our Family & Yours There’s a deeply satisfying feeling when I open the freezer on Sunday night to pull out meat for the week. Seeing it stocked with healthy, delicious choices we raised ourselves makes me smile. It’s fun to cook meals the kids actually love and to know the full story behind every package—from the pasture all the way to our table.

If this sounds like the kind of meat you want on your table—raised with care on our farm and processed with skill—we’d love to help. Whether you’re ready for a quarter beef, half hog, or just want to ask questions about cut sheets and availability, reach out! Text Erin at 920-905-3806 or message us on Facebook. We can’t wait to share our harvest with more families who value transparency and great flavor.

Thanks for following along on our farm journey!