A Classen quarter share is one fourth of an animal, packed as steaks, roasts, ground beef, and specialty cuts, and priced by finished packaged weight. That means you pay for the beef that actually goes in your freezer. Current per pound prices and the approximate packaged weight for a quarter are listed on the beef shares page, and your final total follows the actual packaged weight.
As listed on the share page in November 2026, a Classen quarter was $12 per packaged pound for about 125 packaged pounds, a listed total of $1,500.
Every farm seems to count a quarter's pounds a little differently. Here is what you take home, and how to read the price.
You want a freezer of beef from a farm you can name, without jumping to a half or a whole before you are ready.
What is a quarter beef share?
A quarter is one fourth of one animal. It is a serious freezer fill, and it is smaller than a half (also called a side of beef) or a whole.
On Classen's share page, a quarter is one of the listed sizes, alongside eighth and sixteenth options if you want to start smaller, and half or whole if you need more.
The word "quarter" is used loosely online. Some quotes are based on hanging weight, which is the carcass on the rail before cutting. Others, including Classen, use packaged weight, which is the beef you take home. If you compare two quarter prices, confirm that both use the same basis. Our guide to hanging weight versus packaged weight walks through that comparison.
How much meat do you take home in a Classen quarter?
As listed on the share page in November 2026, a quarter is about 125 packaged pounds. That is an approximation. You pay for the actual finished packaged weight of your share.
A Classen quarter is a mix of steaks, roasts, ground beef, and specialty cuts, vacuum sealed for the freezer. It is not a box of only steaks. Exact steak, roast, and ground counts follow the pull sheet you approve and can vary with the animal and what is available. University of Minnesota Extension, in Buying animals for meat processing, also describes a quarter as a mix of steaks, roasts, and ground beef.
The live share page notes that contents may vary slightly, and that substitutes of equal or greater value are communicated before delivery.
How is a Classen quarter priced?
Classen prices the quarter by finished packaged weight. Your final total follows the actual packaged pounds, not a hanging number plus a later processing bill. Mississippi State University Extension explains, as general background, why a hanging-weight pound and a packaged pound are not the same. Classen bills the packaged pounds you take home.
Prices can change, so check the quarter row on the live share table before you order.
The buying beef in bulk page lists processing and vacuum sealed packaging as included in share pricing, with custom cut selections on orders placed with a deposit.
You can buy a quarter that is ready now, or reserve a quarter from an upcoming harvest on the reservation page. A deposit holds a reserved size, and the remaining balance is due at pickup or delivery.
What say do you have in the cuts?
You name favorite cuts on the order form. The farm emails a pull sheet that lists the cuts and quantities you will receive. You approve that sheet before the packages are set aside under your name.
That is how you have a say without treating the quarter like a custom steak-only box. A quarter still comes from one animal, so the mix includes roasts and ground beef along with steaks.
Will a quarter fit, and how do you get it home?
Plan freezer space from the approximate packaged pounds listed for a quarter on the share page.
Shares of every size, including a quarter, are picked up or delivered. A real person at the farm sets the time with you by phone. There is no fixed route day, and anyone can pick up. Smaller boxes ship on Tuesdays by UPS if you want a smaller, shipped option first. Check the shipping page or call 531-810-1107.
Families can split a quarter. It still goes to one address with one contact.
How do you choose a quarter instead of a half?
Choose a quarter if you want a full mix of cuts and a smaller freezer fill than a half. Choose a half if your household cooks beef often, or if two households will split it after delivery. How much is a half cow, and what does side of beef mean?
Still deciding? Start with the Nebraska beef shares guide.
A simple plan
- Decide whether a quarter, a smaller size, or a half fits your freezer and your table.
- Read the live quarter row on the share page, using packaged weight as the basis.
- Order or reserve, name your favorite cuts, and approve the pull sheet.
- Set pickup or delivery by phone with the farm.
Prefer to start with a few packages? Shop individual cuts.
For city-by-city pickup and delivery detail, start with the Nebraska locations page, then see Omaha, Lincoln, Bellevue, Papillion, and Gretna. Or call 531-810-1107 or email info@classenmercantile.com to set a plan.
To set pickup or delivery near you, or with any questions, call 531-810-1107 or email info@classenmercantile.com.
FAQ
How much is a quarter cow at Classen?
A Classen quarter is priced by finished packaged weight. As listed on the share page in November 2026, a quarter was $12 per packaged pound for about 125 packaged pounds, a listed total of $1,500. Your final total follows the actual packaged weight, so check that page when you order.
How much meat is in a quarter?
The live share page listed a quarter at about 125 packaged pounds in November 2026. That is an approximation. You pay for the actual packaged weight of your share.
What comes in a quarter beef?
A mix of steaks, roasts, ground beef, and specialty cuts. Exact counts follow the pull sheet you approve.
Is a quarter the same at every farm?
No. Some farms quote hanging weight and add processing later. Classen uses finished packaged weight. Compare packaged pounds to packaged pounds.
Can a quarter be picked up or delivered?
Yes. Shares of every size are picked up or delivered, and the farm sets the plan with you by phone. Smaller boxes ship on Tuesdays by UPS if you want a smaller shipped option.
Can I start smaller than a quarter?
Yes. The live share page also lists eighth and sixteenth sizes, and smaller boxes ship on Tuesdays by UPS.
