Custom-exempt processing is a legal pathway in Texas that allows individuals to have their own livestock processed for personal use. Under Texas DSHS regulations, you maintain ownership of the animal throughout the finishing and processing process, and all meat is returned to you labeled "Not For Sale" for household use. The beef cannot be resold. This is how Two & Five Ranch currently operates — it is the most common and straightforward path for direct farm-to-family beef in Texas.

USDA Prime represents the top 2–3% of all beef graded in the United States. It requires abundant intramuscular fat (marbling) throughout the muscle — the white streaking you see in a steakhouse ribeye. Two & Five Ranch targets Prime grade on every animal through our 90-day Three-Phase finishing program. After processing, we receive a carcass report showing the hot carcass weight, yield grade, and quality grade — and we share it with you. We're transparent about the outcome because that transparency is part of what you're paying for.

Plan for approximately 1 cubic foot of freezer space per 35–40 lbs of packaged beef. A half cow (~275 lbs) needs 8–10 cubic feet — a dedicated upright freezer or a standard chest freezer handles it comfortably. A quarter cow (~135 lbs) needs 4–5 cubic feet — a dedicated shelf in an upright freezer or a small chest freezer works well. Individual cuts can be added to any existing freezer space.

Yes — that is one of the core advantages of buying direct. Every half and quarter cow order comes with a cut sheet you complete before processing. You choose: steak thickness (typically 3/4 inch to 1.5 inches), roast sizes, whether you want bone-in or boneless on certain cuts, how you want your ground beef packaged (1 lb or 2 lb), and any special requests. Two & Five Ranch will communicate your cut sheet to the processing facility on your behalf.

Yes. Beef sold for human consumption is exempt from Texas sales tax. You will not pay sales tax on any beef purchase from Two & Five Ranch.

That is exactly what Two & Five Ranch was built for. If you are a 4-H or FFA family with a post-show steer, contact us about our finishing program. We will send you our intake agreement, substance disclosure requirements, and vet clearance protocol. Space is limited each cycle — contact us early. You maintain ownership of your animal throughout the program.

Two + Five Show beef is processed at a Texas state-inspected facility. Under Texas law, state-inspected products are for intrastate sale only — we can sell to Texas residents and deliver within Texas, but we cannot ship across state lines. If you are in Texas, we ship to you. If you are outside Texas, get in touch — we hope to have USDA federal inspection in the future that will allow nationwide shipping.