FAQ's
Where does West of 3rd ship to?
Currently we are only shipping within the province of Saskatchewan to ensure the quality of the product stays at the highest standard when it arrives at your door step.
Can I buy individual packages of meat?
We sell a mixture of curated meat boxes and individual cuts available under the Shop Now tab of the website.
The downfall is that shipping is universal if you order lots or little, so it is more economical for larger orders.
Please subscribe to our emails to find out when new products are available!
How are your products kept frozen?
All products are frozen directly after the 21 day dry aging process to keep fresh for your consumption. When the products are packaged to be shipped, we use dry ice and insulated boxes to ensure it arrives to your doorstep still frozen. When you receive your box, freeze your meat, and thaw when you are ready to enjoy!
We recommend consuming within 7 days once thawed and refrigerated, and within 12 months from time of receiving the package if kept frozen.
How can I recycle the box?
If you feel you want to ship the box back to help minimize waste we can do so via Canada post. Inquire with us directly and we can work to assist with the costs.
If you are local to us, you can drop the box off at our door! If you're not able to ship back, please remove the insulator, break down the box, and recycle wherever they accept cardboard nearest you.
What if my package gets delayed or lost?
We ship your boxes through professional couriers. They have a 24-48 hour delivery guarantee depending where you are located. Once the package is shipped, we will send you a notification on when the product can be expected.
Please contact us with any questions or concerns with your boxes or product.
Is West of 3rd beef 100% grass fed?
Due to our environment on the Canadian praries, this is not economical. Instead, our steers spend the spring and summer months grazing on native prairie pasture grass around the farm. We rotate the animals to different pastures every 45-60 days, depending on grass conditions each year, to ensure our animals are well fed.
Once the snow falls, the steers are brought home to the yard where they are fed a balanced diet of green feed bales. These consist of oat and barley crops cut early in their maturity. They are also fed bales made of hay, alfalfa, and brome grass that are grown in our hay fields and cut in the summer.
To finish their life cycle the steers are fed a grain mixture of oats, barley, and lentils as part of their diet for several reasons:
-It helps marble the meat and enhances the flavour we pride ourselves on
-The climate in Saskatchewan prohibits us from growing grass 6-8 months of the year, making it very difficult and cost prohibitive to feed a grass-only diet
-Grain is a good source of necessary nutrients for the health of our herd
-Grain provides added calories to help our animals stay strong and healthy through our long prairie winters.
What is the difference between West of 3rd beef and store bought beef?
We cannot make assumptions about how the animals from the store are cared for and fed, but we can assure you that our animals are well cared for and fed a well balanced diet, including lots of space to graze and roam. We won't sell beef that we wouldn't feed to our own family.
You are also directly impacting a local family business by shopping with us. We are forever grateful for this opportunity to serve you.
Where do you source your feed for the animals?
Our farm produces everything our animals consume in a season. We have green feed fields planted in the spring to be harvested in the late summer and hay fields that are rotated every five years and cut once a season. Our animals graze natural pasture land from May to November. We then finish the animals on grain rations that we harvest each fall.
Do you use antibiotics in your herd?
We do not believe in the use of antibiotics unless absolutely necessary for the health of our cattle. We do not use a herd wide antibiotic program.
Do you use growth hormones within your herd?
No, we do not believe in the use of growth hormones for our animals.
Are your animals considered organic?
No, in order to be considered certified organic you must feed only organic feed.
How do you practice sustainability on your farm?
We practice sustainability a number of ways across the farm both on the cattle and grain farm side of the business.
Examples of these pracitices include:
-Zero tillage : To ensure the soil isn't displaced from wind
-Variable rate fertility: To ensure only the correct amount of fertilizer is used where it is required. Limits soil leaching and run off
-Monitored Grazing : Making sure the animals don't over graze and kill the natural prairie grass stand
Who butchers the cattle?
Currently we use Southern Meats, a CFIA certified butcher located out of Kenaston, Saskatchewan. Southern Meats offers multiple products and ways to have the meat prepared.
How can I avoid the shipping costs?
We understand that it may be easier to pickup the package versus have it shipped. Select the 'pick-up' option when checking out and we will arrange that over the phone!