FAQ

What is the process of ordering meat?

For bulk meat orders, such as a Half Hog, you begin by placing an order and making a deposit. After receiving your deposit, we’ll give you a tentative butcher date for your animal. Should the butcher date change, we will notify you.

Once the butcher reports the hanging weight of your animal, you’ll receive a final invoice, minus the deposit. After processing is completed, we’ll box and ship your meat for delivery. For more information on delivery timelines, see: When can I expect my order?

How do you pronounce the name of your farm?

Mac Glaisin Farms is pronounced:
"Mac" (as in "son")
"Glâsson" (as in "of Green")

Can I refreeze meats? How is your meat packaged for delivery?

The USDA advises that once food is thawed in the refrigerator (40℉), it is safe to refreeze it without cooking, though quality may decrease due to moisture lost during thawing. After cooking raw foods that were previously frozen, it’s safe to freeze the cooked foods.

If you believe your food was thawed correctly and stayed at a safe temperature, we suggest refreezing. Otherwise, we recommend cooking it before refreezing.

All our meats are shipped frozen. If you'd prefer fresh meats, you must pick them up directly from the farm.

When can I expect my order?

We pack all orders on our farm, not in a distant fulfillment center. As a small farm, we don’t have an elaborate warehouse or high-tech inventory system. Everything is shipped from the place where we raise and process our animals.

Because our products are perishable, we ship orders on Mondays and Tuesdays to help avoid weekend delays. If you're traveling or will be out of town, please leave a note in the comments section during checkout. It is your responsibility to ensure someone is available to retrieve your package upon delivery.

We aim to process orders within 10 to 14 days (depending on hanging time and curing), but you may receive your order sooner. Once your order is shipped, we’ll send tracking information via email.

BEEF

Where does your beef come from?

Currently, we’re building our herd and don’t offer beef for sale yet. However, we maintain a closed herd, meaning we raise our beef from birth to butcher here on the farm.

How are you ensuring the safety of your beef?

By keeping a closed herd, our cows aren’t exposed to outside herds and do not share pastures with other farms’ cattle.

What does 'grass-fed' mean for your beef?

Mac Glaisin Farms follows the American Grassfed Association (AGA) standards, although we are not yet certified. Our beef is raised on pasture, 100% grass-fed, with no antibiotics or hormones.

What cuts of beef are included in each bundle or whole/half/quarter of beef?

Each new customer receives a cut list showing the cuts included in your purchase, along with a checklist to track as you use them.

Here’s a general breakdown of what’s included:

Quarter Beef

  • Steaks: Ribeye, Sirloin, T-bone, Flat Iron

  • Roasts: Chuck Roast, Brisket, Round Roast

  • Ground Beef: A generous portion for everyday meals

  • Stew Meat, Short Ribs, and/or Flank Steak

Half Beef (Double the Quarter Beef)

  • Additional steaks like Porterhouse and New York Strip

  • More roasts such as Eye of Round and Rump Roast

  • Extra Ground Beef and special cuts like Skirt Steak or Filet Mignon (subject to availability)

Whole Beef (Side)

  • Complete range of steaks, including Ribeye, Filet Mignon, T-Bone, Porterhouse, Sirloin

  • Roasts: Brisket, Chuck Roast, Round Roasts, Tri-Tip

  • Ground Beef, Stew Meat, and additional cuts like Beef Ribs or Oxtail

The exact cuts may vary based on availability and how the beef is processed. Let us know if you have specific preferences or requests, and we’ll do our best to accommodate you!

EGGS

Farm-fresh eggs are available at our farm in Lavaca, AR. Our unwashed eggs have been inspected but not washed to preserve their natural protective bloom. Simply rinse with warm water before use.

  • Unwashed eggs: Last up to two weeks unrefrigerated and three months refrigerated.

  • Washed eggs: Should be refrigerated and last at least two months but may not taste as fresh.

We currently do not ship eggs, but we're exploring local delivery options.

POULTRY

We raise Cornish Cross hens, locally sourced in Arkansas. They spend the first 4 weeks in our brooder before being moved to pasture where they live freely until processing, typically at 8-10 weeks.

These birds grow slower than industrially-raised chickens, which are often fed hormones and GMO feeds to reach processing weight in just 5 weeks. Our chickens take nearly twice as long, but we think they’re well worth the wait!

What do you feed your chickens?

Our chickens are fed a free-choice, non-GMO grain supplement that includes corn, roasted non-GMO soybeans, kelp, and fish meal, along with Fetrell's Nutri-balancer for poultry.

RABBITS

Our rabbits are processed at 12 weeks of age. After weaning, the kits babies) are moved to pasture to forage and grow to slaughter weight.

HOGS

What breed are your hogs?

We raise Tamworth hogs, a heritage breed. Our hogs are bred, born, weaned, and grown right here on the farm.

What do you feed your hogs?

Our hogs are fed cracked eggs from our pastured egg operation, blemished vegetables from our organic farm, and a free-choice, non-GMO grain supplement that includes corn, non-GMO soybean, kelp, and fish meal, along with Fetrell's Nutri-balancer for swine.

What do hogs root for?

From weaning to slaughter, our pigs are raised on pasture and woodlands where they can forage for roots, grasses, bugs, worms, and other small creatures. They’re encouraged to express their natural instincts to root, wallow, and forage.

DAIRY

We do offer raw milk at our farm in Lavaca, AR, as well as certain dairy products like yogurt and cheese, available by prior request. Please email us for more information.

Will you give the mRNA vaccine to your animals?

We do not vaccinate our animals with mRNA vaccines. We believe that animals raised in environments where they can express their natural instincts typically don't require many vaccines. Currently, there’s no need for any vaccines in our herds.

Do you have organic meats/vegetables on your farm?

While we do not seek USDA "organic" certification, we believe our practices go far beyond what is required. We do not use chemical fertilizers or pesticides, and we compost all animal remains into organic fertilizers for our pastures. We also employ rotational grazing practices for pasture management and use permaculture concepts for our fruit trees.

How do you define 'pastured'?

We don’t use terms like "free-range" because they often mislead consumers. According to the USDA, "free-range" simply means the animals have access to the outdoors—many “free-range” animals are still confined in barns or limited spaces. Our animals live completely outdoors on pasture, where they roam freely. We use portable roosting houses for poultry and portable electric fencing for all our animals.

How do you define local food?

We believe the local food movement is about decentralizing and de-industrializing food systems. “Local” should mean food that’s grown and raised within a reasonable distance from where you live. For instance, “local” citrus in the Deep South should mean Florida citrus, not Mexican imports. Our meats (beef, swine, poultry) are local to the Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Louisiana, and parts of Kansas and Texas areas.  We choose this area for our meats based on ability to ship meats that are still frozen when they are received by the customer; any more distance added would mean meats thawing past the point of having the ability to re-freeze safely (See: Can I refreeze meats? How is your meat packaged for delivery?).

What is regenerative agriculture (farming)?

Regenerative agriculture focuses on improving the health of the soil and the environment, while supporting biodiversity. It emphasizes sustainable farming practices that help restore the land and create long-term food systems.

Does Mac Glaisin Farms practice sustainable farming?

Yes, we’re committed to sustainability and stewardship. Our farm practices include:

  • No chemical fertilizers or pesticides

  • Composting of all animal remains to create organic fertilizers

  • Tree guilds and permaculture principles for fruit tree management

  • Rotational grazing for pasture management