Short answer: Pennsylvania farms we checked post $3.50 to $8.00 per lb hanging weight for a half, with a median of $5.88 per lb hanging weight across the 14 farms that post a per-pound price for a half. The farms' own estimates for a half with processing run about $1,490 to $2,940. Two farms sell halves at a flat price, $2,200 and $2,700, and one charges $11 per lb take-home weight. Hanging-weight and take-home-weight prices aren't directly comparable. Hanging-weight prices are charged on the carcass weight before cutting, so you take home less than that weight. Ask the farm what's included. Your total depends on the animal's size, whether processing is included and how you have it cut.
Half-cow prices from farm websites (checked Oct 28, 2026)
| Farm | Half price as posted | Price basis | Processing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Family Farm (Lancaster) | $3.50, current market price | Per lb hanging weight | Not stated[1] |
| Bundy Farms (town not stated) | $3.99 plus a $50 hauling fee; an average half hangs about 350 lb | Per lb hanging weight | Paid to the butcher[2] |
| McCormick Family Farm (Portage) | From $4.01, on a page titled 2025 pricing; sold out | Per lb hanging weight | Extra, $1.25 to $1.30 per lb hanging weight (Feb 2025)[3] |
| Tui Farms (Manheim) | $4.60; a half hangs about 400 lb | Per lb hanging weight | Extra, about $1.25 per lb hanging weight[4] |
| Beaver Creek Farms (East Berlin) | $4.60 | Per lb hanging weight | Extra, 70 cents per lb hanging weight plus a $32 kill fee per quarter[5] |
| Sand Springs Mountain Farm (Meyersdale) | $4.95, about $1,100 to $1,400 before processing | Per lb hanging weight | Extra, $0.80 per lb hanging weight plus $37.50 (2025 prices)[6] |
| Larue's Farm Market (Montrose) | $5.75; the farm's example is 362 lb = $2,081.50 | Per lb hanging weight | Included[7] |
| Twin B Farms (Port Matilda) | $6, subject to change | Per lb hanging weight | Paid to the butcher[8] |
| Kropf Meadows Farm (Peach Bottom) | $6.50 for a Dexter half; the farm estimates $1,488 to $1,650 with processing | Per lb hanging weight | Extra, about $350[9] |
| Cherry Hill Ecological Farm (West Springfield) | $7; the farm estimates about $1,675 with butcher fees | Per lb hanging weight | Extra[10] |
| Rural Valley Farms (Claysville) | $7; the farm estimates about $2,940 for about 420 lb | Per lb hanging weight | Included[11] |
| Willow Run Farmstead (Fleetwood) | $7.25 | Per lb hanging weight | Not stated[12] |
| Wholesome Food Farm (Alburtis) | $7.50; sold out for 2026 | Per lb hanging weight | Not stated[13] |
| Heaven Sent Farms (Avella) | $8.00 (hot hanging weight) | Per lb hanging weight | Included[14] |
| Barbour Grass-Fed Beef (Cogan Station) | The farm says to budget about $1,800 | Per lb hanging weight (farm's estimate shown) | Included[15] |
| B. Wessner Farms (New Tripoli) | The farm's example: 350 lb x $6.00 = $2,100 (current price not stated) | Per lb hanging weight (example shown) | Not stated[16] |
| Maiden Creek Beef (Lenhartsville) | $2,200 | Flat price | Not stated[17] |
| Soggy Meadows Farm (Moscow) | $2,700 for 180+ lb of beef | Flat price | Not stated[18] |
| JDS Family Farm (Lebanon Valley) | $11; the farm estimates $2,200 to $2,750 for 200 to 250 lb | Per lb take-home weight | Included[19] |
Hanging weight vs. what you take home
Most Pennsylvania farms charge by hanging weight, the weight of the carcass before it's cut. You take home less once bone and trim come off. Larue's Farm Market says take-home weight is about 72% of hanging weight, so its 362 lb half example yields roughly 260 lb of beef.[7] At $5.75 per lb hanging weight with processing included, that half costs $2,081.50, or about $8 per packaged pound (our arithmetic on the farm's numbers, not a farm quote).
Is processing included?
Ask before you compare. Larue's Farm Market, Rural Valley Farms, Heaven Sent Farms, 4 Seasons Farm, Barbour Grass-Fed Beef and JDS Family Farm say processing is in their price.[20] Tui Farms, Beaver Creek Farms, Sand Springs Mountain Farm, McCormick Family Farm, Kropf Meadows Farm, Locust Lane Farm, Bundy Farms, Cherry Hill Ecological Farm and Twin B Farms have you pay the butcher separately.[21] Where farms post a butcher rate, it's about $0.70 to $1.30 per lb hanging weight. Beaver Creek Farms and Sand Springs Mountain Farm also list a kill or slaughter fee.[5][6]
Grass-fed often costs more
The highest half rates on the list come from farms that describe their beef as grass fed: Heaven Sent Farms ($8.00 per lb hanging weight), Wholesome Food Farm ($7.50), Willow Run Farmstead ($7.25) and Rural Valley Farms ($7, 100% grass-fed and grass-finished). The lowest, Charles Family Farm at $3.50 per lb hanging weight, says its steers are finished on corn silage and grain. It isn't a rule, though: Twin B Farms says its beef is grass fed and posts $6 per lb hanging weight, close to the median.
Budget for these too
- Deposit: Pennsylvania farms that post one ask $100 to $700 to hold a half (JDS Family Farm $100, Soggy Meadows Farm $700). Several say it's non-refundable.
- Butcher fees: if processing isn't included, budget for it. Tui Farms says its butcher bill is about $1.25 per lb hanging weight.
- Freezer space: a half needs about 8 cubic feet.[23] See the freezer space guide.
- Timing: availability moves fast. McCormick Family Farm and Wholesome Food Farm show their shares as sold out, while Sand Springs Mountain Farm and Willow Run Farmstead show shares open.
FAQ
How much is half a cow in Pennsylvania?
Farms we checked post $3.50 to $8.00 per lb hanging weight for a half, with a median of $5.88 per lb hanging weight. The farms' own estimates for a half with processing run about $1,490 to $2,940.
Does the price include processing?
Sometimes. Larue's Farm Market, Rural Valley Farms, Heaven Sent Farms and JDS Family Farm include it. Others, like Tui Farms, Beaver Creek Farms, Sand Springs Mountain Farm and Kropf Meadows Farm, have you pay the butcher separately. Where farms post a butcher rate, it's about $0.70 to $1.30 per lb hanging weight, sometimes plus a kill fee.
How much meat is in half a cow?
It depends on the animal. For example, Barbour Grass-Fed Beef says a half typically yields about 200 lb of freezer beef, JDS Family Farm lists 200 to 250 lb, Soggy Meadows Farm 180+ lb, and Logan Family Farms 175 to 200 lb. Kropf Meadows Farm raises Dexters, a small breed, and lists 105 to 150 lb.
Other states: How much does half a cow cost in Florida? · How much does half a cow cost in Michigan? · How much does half a cow cost in Indiana? · How much does half a cow cost in Ohio? · How much does half a cow cost in Wisconsin? · How much does half a cow cost in Texas?
Sources
- Charles Family Farm (Lancaster, PA) (seen Oct 28, 2026)
- Bundy Farms (seen Oct 28, 2026)
- McCormick Family Farm (Portage, PA) (seen Oct 28, 2026)
- Tui Farms (Manheim, PA) (seen Oct 28, 2026)
- Beaver Creek Farms (East Berlin, PA) (seen Oct 28, 2026)
- Sand Springs Mountain Farm (Meyersdale, PA) (seen Oct 28, 2026)
- Larue's Farm Market (Montrose, PA) (seen Oct 28, 2026)
- Twin B Farms (Port Matilda, PA) (seen Oct 28, 2026)
- Kropf Meadows Farm (Peach Bottom, PA) (seen Oct 28, 2026)
- Cherry Hill Ecological Farm (West Springfield, PA) (seen Oct 28, 2026)
- Rural Valley Farms (Claysville, PA) (seen Oct 28, 2026)
- Willow Run Farmstead (Fleetwood, PA) (seen Oct 28, 2026)
- Wholesome Food Farm (Alburtis, PA) (seen Oct 28, 2026)
- Heaven Sent Farms (Avella, PA) (seen Oct 28, 2026)
- Barbour Grass-Fed Beef (Cogan Station, PA) (seen Oct 28, 2026)
- B. Wessner Farms (New Tripoli, PA) (seen Oct 28, 2026)
- Maiden Creek Beef (Lenhartsville, PA) (seen Oct 28, 2026)
- Soggy Meadows Farm (Moscow, PA) (seen Oct 28, 2026)
- JDS Family Farm (seen Oct 28, 2026)
- 4 Seasons Farm (Tyrone, PA) (seen Oct 28, 2026)
- Locust Lane Farm (York, PA) (seen Oct 28, 2026)
- Logan Family Farms (Irwin, PA) (seen Oct 28, 2026)
- University of Maine Cooperative Extension, Bulletin #1071: What To Expect When Buying A Freezer Beef (extension bulletin)
Prices on this page are examples from the farm websites listed in Sources, checked on Oct 28, 2026, plus our own arithmetic, and they can change. Each farm sets its own prices and terms. Beef Share Finder isn't the seller and isn't part of your purchase, so confirm the price, what it includes and the deposit terms with the farm before you pay.