About the register
A record, not a ranking of farms.
The Local Beef Index is a neutral publication of what farms say about their cattle, feed programmes, places, and prices. Farms are the subject. Verification is the work.
Purpose
Why publish this
Most directories stop at a farm name and address. That helps people locate a producer, but it does not help them understand what is offered or compare the prices farms already publish.
This register keeps the useful context together: breed, feed programme, geography, a verbatim source quote where available, and a normalized price with an explicit confidence level. It does not sell beef, take commissions, or declare one farm better than another.
Methodology
How prices are made comparable
- Find the farm’s own source.We verify against a farm page, store listing, or price sheet and preserve the source URL and, when recorded, the date checked.
- Identify the basis.Bulk beef can be quoted by hanging weight, packaged weight, share total, or deposit. Those are not interchangeable.
- Normalize only when supported.The index uses the all-in half-share cost per pound of hanging weight. Share-size and processing adjustments are recorded on the farm page.
- Refuse false precision.If the source does not support a responsible conversion, the comparable price stays empty and the reason is published.
- Keep retail cuts separate.Individual cut prices are transcribed into their own ledger. They do not determine the bulk index.
Hanging weight is not take-home weight.
It is the carcass weight before cutting, trimming, and packaging. The amount placed in a customer’s freezer will be lower and varies with the animal and cut instructions.
Confidence
What the labels mean
- High confidence
- The source clearly supports the normalized figure and whether processing is included.
- Medium confidence
- The published price is usable but needs a limited, disclosed interpretation or adjustment.
- Low confidence
- The figure needs more assumptions, comes from a less direct price presentation, or has an important unresolved caveat.
- No comparable price
- No responsible half-share hanging-weight figure can be produced from the published source.
Confidence measures the evidence behind a price record. It is not a judgement about meat, farming practice, service, or value.
Geography & limits
What the register does not claim
All locations are town- or county-level and are not independently verified. County-level locations are explicitly marked approximate. The register does not claim inventory is available, certify production practices, or replace a conversation with the farm.
Prices can change after the verification date. A visible old-year marker is added when a source carries an older year. Before ordering, confirm price, processing, pickup, deposit, and expected packaged yield directly with the farm.
Represent a farm, or know a record needs context? Send an update for review.