CASTAGNASSO FARMS AND BELTANE RANCH
Are pleased to announce the availability of
Natural, Grass-fed Sonoma Valley Beef
HOW WE RAISE OUR CATTLE
Our cattle are bred and born in the open hills above Sonoma Valley. We select our calves at approximately one year of age and allow them to mature naturally for another year or more in our pastures. They are rotated through several pastures to the benefit of both the cattle and the land. Handled gently and never confined, our cattle live in a natural and stress-free environment. They are fed no antibiotics, hormones or grain.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF GRASS-FED BEEF
GRASS-FED BEEF, COMPARED TO COMMERCIALLY RAISED FEEDLOT BEEF CONTAINS APPROXIMATELY:
10 times more beta-carotene
3 times more vitamin E
3 times more Omega-3 fatty acids
3 times more CLA (conjugated linoleic acid)
COOKING GRASS-FED BEEF
Grass-fed beef cooks much more quickly than commercially raised, corn-fed beef. It is leaner and richer in healthy fats that melt at a lower temperature. Generally, for steaks and hamburgers, cook at a lower temperature and for about 30% less time. Grass-fed steaks are meant to be cooked rare or medium rare. You might want to start with hamburgers rather than steaks to get a sense of how quickly it cooks. Remember that the meat will continue to cook after it is removed from the heat. Never use a microwave to thaw your beef. Grass-fed beef has a rich and robust flavor, the way beef is supposed to taste.
QUANITIES AND PRICES
A quarter of beef is actually a split half, meaning that the cuts of meat from the front and back quarter will be equally mixed. A quarter will weigh approximately 120 lbs and require about 4 cubic feet of freezer space. A typical distribution of cuts would be:
Steaks . . . . . . 26%
Roasts. . . . . . 24%
Short Ribs, Shanks, Stew, Etc. . . 10%
Hamburger. . . . . 40%
A quarter of beef is $475.00, payable to Castagnasso / Beltane at the time of your order. In the event that we cannot deliver, you will receive a full refund. The buyer is responsible for an additional charge of $.70 per pound for aging, and cut and wrap, payable to Broadway Market at the time of pick-up. That charge is based on the carcass weight, not the weight of the trimmed and cut meat. Carcass weight will be approximately 40% to 45% higher due to trimming, boning and weight loss through dry-aging.
Many customers divide a quarter with their friends and family. We can often assist in
finding someone to split a quarter if you are interested in a smaller amount. 
ORDERING YOUR BEEF
When you order from us you will be buying an interest in a live animal. We will deliver the animal to Rancho Petaluma, a USDA-inspected facility, and they will deliver the carcass to Broadway Market in Sonoma, a CDFA inspected facility. Quarters of beef will be cut in standard cuts, according to what the professional butchers believe to be best for each carcass. Those wishing to order a half-beef can specify particular cuts and thickness. We will be happy to assist you with the form. We suggest that all beef be dry-aged for a minimum of fourteen days and recommend twenty-one to twenty-eight days, according to your flavor preference. The beef will be packaged and labeled, and frozen and boxed when you pick it up. Please feel free to contact us. We will be happy to discuss any aspect of our grass-fed beef program and will gladly answer any questions you may have. We look forward to receiving your feedback.
-Alexa Wood, Beltane Ranch & Tony Knecht, Castagnasso
ABOUT US
Tony Knecht’s great-great-grandfather Andre Castagnasso came from Italy around the Horn to California. He eventually settled in Sonoma in 1870. In 1900 his son Harry started a drayage business hauling cobblestones and produce to San Francisco. By 1923 the family had branched out into hay farming and dairies and began raising Clydesdales. Tony, who learned from his grandfather Milt, raises and trains the famous Castagnasso Clydesdales at the family home just off the Plaza in Sonoma. Tony also continues the farming and livestock-raising traditions of his family. The first of Alexa Wood’s family to come to California arrived in a covered wagon in 1850 and settled in Santa Cruz. In 1936 her great aunt and uncle moved their turkey ranch from Artois in the Central Valley to the Beltane Ranch in Glen Ellen. They continued raising turkeys as well as Suffolk sheep and cattle. The main ranch house, restored during the 1970’s as a bed and breakfast, serves homegrown fruits and vegetables and offers guests the opportunity to experience an authentic family ranch. In addition to produce, three generations now raise cattle and wine grapes. For more information on our beef program download a PDF here.
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO ORDER
CONTACT ALEXA WOOD at beef@beltaneranch.com or 707-833-4233
TRY BELTANE RANCH GRASSFED BEEF at THE BREAKAWAY CAFE! THE BELTANE BURGER
BELTANE RANCH GRASSFED BEEF IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS PRIME CUT GROUND BEEF AT THE MEAT COUNTER AT SONOMA MARKET AND GLEN ELLEN VILLAGE MARKET.
