Timing guide · 29 published schedules

There is no honest Northeast beef calendar.

Only 29 records state harvest or pickup timing. Their schedules do not agree, and that is the useful fact.

29 farms, 29 specific answers.

“Deliveries for this share batch begin end of August through September 2026”
Wild Earth Farm · Randolph Center, VT
“Sides of beef referenced as ready for "fall 2024" in current site copy (page appears stale/not recently updated).”
Scantic Valley Farm · Somers, CT
“Harvest only spring through fall, while cattle are on fresh grass (never harvested/sent to butcher in winter); beef available only when fully finished, so inventory/cuts fluctuate and can run low.”
Walker Farm at Whortleberry Hill · New Braintree, MA
“Slaughtered in October, hung three weeks, delivered in November (from the farm's own About page)”
Westport River Rock Farm · South Westport, MA
“Processed in the fall, for distribution over the winter (primary shares); grillable cuts from the same processing are packaged for summer shares distributed in June and August.”
Hettie Belle Farm · Warwick, MA
“Animals on pasture April through the fall delivery window; hanging (minimum 7 days) before cutting”
Vermont Natural Beef LLC · Benson, VT
“Weaned 6-month-old calves are brought to the farm from regional farmer partners and raised to slaughter at 18 to 24 months old, since grass-fed cattle take up to two years to reach slaughter weight.”
Prospect Farm · Lunenburg, VT
“Beef is usually available all year now (expanded via subcontractor farm), but "we always sell out so supply is limited."”
Rocky Meadow Farm · Francestown, NH
“Cattle not butchered until at least 3 years old (due to the breed's slow growth)”
Paradise Farm · Lyndeborough, NH
“Shipping schedule noted on homepage: 'Shipping Monthly - Order Deadline SEPT. 12th' with a next ship date of Sept 15 shown at time of crawl; ships weekly fall/winter/early spring, monthly in summer.”
8 O'clock Ranch · De Kalb Junction, NY
“2026 harvest is sold out at time of crawl; historically anticipated for pickup in late fall or early winter; 2027 ordering expected to open in late winter/early spring 2027 per the sold-out notice.”
Legacy Pastured Beef · East Aurora, NY
“Animals are transported to a local, family-owned USDA-inspected abattoir 'when mature' and processed to customer specifications; beef availability by side/split-quarter is described as happening 'at various times throughout the year' rather than a fixed schedule.”
Four Winds Farm · Gardiner, NY
“Slaughter dates are pre-assigned at time of purchase; buyer is told the month their meat will be ready for pickup, then contacted with the exact date/time as it nears.”
Otter Creek Farm · Johnsonville, NY
“Whole/half/quarter beef butchered in October, picked up on scheduled Wednesdays; whole-cow ground beef restocked in June and again in early December”
Creekside Meadows Farm · New Woodstock, NY
“Not a fixed schedule; specific products noted as seasonally sold out (e.g., 'Mixed Meat Box: Sold out until July', 'Fresh Chicken July 11'), implying a rolling, season-dependent restock rather than one annual harvest date for beef specifically.”
Heather Ridge Farm · Preston Hollow, NY
“Beef is processed between 18 and 30 months of age, usually at Leona Meats in Troy, PA.”
Cobblestone Valley Farm · Preble, NY
“Lambs are born in the spring and spend the summer on pasture; lamb shares available seasonally (implying a seasonal harvest window), while individual lamb cuts are available year-round. No specific beef harvest timing stated.”
River Bend Farm · Far Hills, NJ
“Steer available for sale in October and November each year”
The Stables · Newton, NJ
“Cracked corn feeding begins 3 months before harvest, implying a planned harvest schedule, but no specific month/season stated”
Hubbard's Farm, LLC · Princeton, MA
“Cattle processed at 16-20 months of age, on demand (tied to order volume/processing schedule rather than a single calendar date); orders taken year-round.”
Clay Hill Farm · Hartland, VT
“Beef shares available for pickup May through October 2026; pork shares for late September/early October 2026; whole roaster chickens for June 2026.”
Four Town Lowlines - Vermont Grazed 100% Grass-Fed Beef · Danville, VT
“Process approximately 30 beef cattle per year (roughly half sold to their retail store partners, half to customers ordering half/whole cows)”
Hammer Down Farm LLC · Gilmanton, NH
“Sells out annually; as of this crawl (accessed 2026-08-25) described as 'nearly sold out for this year' with limited remaining supply, implying an annual/seasonal harvest cycle.”
Cohansey Farm · Bridgeton, NJ
“Cattle are sent to the butcher year-round, 12 months out of the year, on a rolling basis (not a single seasonal harvest)”
Sickler's Circle View Farm · Monroeville, NJ
“Cattle are finished at 28-30 months of age (vs. 12-18 months typical for other cattle) - an age-at-harvest figure, not a calendar season.”
New York Wagyu at Maple Row Stock Farm · Clarence, NY
“Processing timing varies; farm advises contacting them for the current schedule; meat ready for pickup about 3 weeks after the butcher date”
Valley View Farms · Machias, NY
“Halves and quarters of beef available by reservation only, typically in late Fall or early Winter.”
Shelterbelt Farm · Brooktondale, NY
“Animals processed locally from July to October each year”
Meldrim Meadows · Central Square, NY
“Beef are harvested at 14-16 months of age; the farm holds monthly slots with its local processor so farm-raised beef is available year-round, and customers choose which month to receive their beef.”
Tiashoke Farm · Buskirk, NY

One record says monthly and year-round. Another names spring and autumn windows. Another names an autumn slaughter and later delivery. A posted pickup date is inventory information, not evidence for a regional “buy in June” rule.

Inputs move even when a farm’s harvest month does not.

Slaughter cattle+116%

79 observations · Jan 2020 to Jul 2026 · latest 387.77 Index 1982=100

Diesel+84%

347 observations · Jan 2020 to Aug 2026 · latest $5.652 $/gal

Ground beef, retail+77%

78 observations · Jan 2020 to Jul 2026 · latest $6.885 $/lb

Soybeans+29%

79 observations · Jan 2020 to Jul 2026 · latest 204.08 Index 1982=100

Prepared animal feeds+26%

79 observations · Jan 2020 to Jul 2026 · latest 240.177 Index 1982=100

Corn+9%

79 observations · Jan 2020 to Jul 2026 · latest 172.737 Index 1982=100

These national series measure cattle, feed, fuel, and retail ground beef. They do not reveal any farm’s reservation queue or guarantee a lower price in a particular month. They do show why a standing price can change between deposit and pickup.

Inspect every observation and source in the cost record.

Buy against a farm’s schedule.

Ask when the next animal is expected, whether the price is fixed at reservation or harvest, when cut instructions are due, and how many weeks separate slaughter from pickup. Then size the order to freezer capacity, not a generic season.

Calculate the freezer space first.