The Steak Breakdown

Wow. That was one of the best steaks we ever ate. Aged 70 days, it’s flavor was rich and deep. Grass-fed and local, we knew we were supporting a great restaurant, the environment, and the farm family that raised the steer (ourselves, in this case!)

The steak cost $38. When we paid for that steak (after greeting and thanking restaurant owners Taylor and Leeann), who and what were we paying for? We were paying for the wages of Mitch our server (along with a tip, of course), Raca the chef, the person who washed our dishes, the person who swept the floor, and Kara the office manager. We were paying for trash service and the remodeling of the 1940s warehouse.

Besides paying the farmers (us!) who raised the steer, that $38 paid for the delivery from the butcher to the restaurant, as well as the delivery of the live animal from the farm to the butcher. It paid for the butcher, his staff, knives, machinery, cooling and freezer units, and day to day operations, including USDA inspection.

On the farm, that $38 paid us for our labor, land rent, minerals, fencing, waterlines, other materials, and possibly new boots for Tyler. We had bought that steer this spring from the Livengoods’ grass-fed farm, so that $38 trickles through to another farm family, and pays for their fencing and waterline costs. Last winter, that steer ate hay, which was bought with that $38. The hay was grown on land that cost something, and harvested by equipment that was paid for with that steak.

You get the picture. That steak is not so expensive after all. There’s a lot that goes into it, and a lot of livelihoods that are supported by it. Just like the ecosystem, the economy is a web that is interconnected; supporting and being supported by many. Thanks for your part.

 

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Introducing Mirror Image Farms Gift Certificates! 
What better thing to give than the gift of food! MIF Gift Certificates are great for the foodie, college student, or family member in your life.