Field Notes

Guides, articles, and practical resources for buying food directly from local farms.

All Buying Farm Direct Know Your Food Farming Practices Farm Pantry
Me reaching into chest freezer full of frozen beef
Farm Pantry

How to Defrost Frozen Beef From a Beef Share Without Ruining It

Jun 25, 2026
Packaged beef and steaks arranged in a farm-direct setting, illustrating a guide to grass-fed, grass-finished, and grain-finished beef.
Farming Practices

Grass-Fed vs. Grass-Finished vs. Grain-Finished Beef: What the Difference Actually Means

Jun 12, 2026
Packaged steaks, roasts, and ground beef arranged on a table beside a clipboard and order notes for a beef share purchase.
Buying Farm Direct

Hanging Weight vs. Packaged Weight: Understanding Beef Share Weights

Jun 9, 2026
Buying Farm Direct

How Much Freezer Space Do You Need for a Beef Share?

Jun 1, 2026
A butcher slicing several raw beef steaks on a wooden table beside a diagram showing the main beef primal cuts, including chuck, rib, short loin, sirloin, brisket, plate, flank, round, and shank.
Know Your Food

Best Cuts of Steak Explained: Ribeye, NY Strip and More

May 26, 2026
A farm-direct beef share displayed on a wooden table with packaged steaks, roasts, and ground beef next to a cut sheet and clipboard.
Buying Farm Direct

What Is a Beef Share? A Beginner’s Guide to Buying Beef in Bulk

May 23, 2026