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For buyers · NZ

How it works

Real meat, real farmers, real simple. Here’s exactly how your beef and lamb get from a named New Zealand farm to your freezer.

· Why Buy Direct ·
No supermarket in between

No middleman. No mystery.

You buy straight from the farmer who raised your animal. We handle the kill date, the butchery and the paperwork — you just choose your farm and your cuts.
· How It Works ·
Step by step

From paddock to your freezer, in full.

No surprises. Here’s exactly what happens, and when.
Check you have enough freezer space ↓
01
Choose your farmer and your share
Browse named New Zealand farmers and pick the one you want. Then choose your share — a whole, half or quarter beef, or a whole lamb. Every farmer’s page shows their weight range, per-kilo pricing and pickup region.
02
Build your cut sheet
This is where you decide exactly how your meat comes back — steaks, roasts, mince, sausages, and how it’s packed and portioned. Not sure? The farmer and our team can help, and you can try a demo cut sheet before you commit.
03
We gather the orders
Home-kill is done a whole animal at a time, so your order joins others from the same farm. Once there are enough to book the mobile abattoir, we lock in a kill date. This is the honest bit — it’s why buying direct takes a little longer than the supermarket, and why every animal has a buyer before it’s harvested.
04
Kill date set, deposit due
Once the date’s confirmed we email you the details, and your deposit is due — $500 for beef, $100 for lamb, GST included. The deposit secures your share and comes off your final total.
05
Harvest and hang
The animal is harvested on-farm and taken to the butcher, where it’s hung and aged — usually around 10 days — to develop flavour and tenderness.
06
Cut, weighed and priced
The butcher breaks the carcass down to your cut sheet. The carcass is weighed and your final price is confirmed: carcass weight × the farmer’s per-kilo rate — so you only ever pay for the meat you get.
07
Collect and enjoy
Pick up from the butcher, pay them directly for the processing, and settle the balance with the farmer. Typically 3–6 weeks from order to collection. Freezer full — now taste the difference.
· Find Your Farmer ·
Three ways to start

Find your farmer, your way.

However you like to shop, there’s a way in.
Direct
“I know the farm I want.” Go straight to a farmer’s page and reserve your share.
Reserve my meat →
Curated
“Show me what’s good.” Browse the farms and shares we’d pick right now.
Browse the farms →
Coming soon
Matched
“Help me find my farmer.” Answer a few questions and we’ll match you to the right farm.
Match me →
· The Money, Plainly ·
You pay two people, directly

Who gets paid, and for what.

The farmer

For the animal

Paid by carcass weight. Your final price is the carcass weight × the farmer’s per-kilo rate — so you only ever pay for the meat you get.

The butcher

For the processing

Cutting, packing and smallgoods. Paid directly to the butcher, before you collect your order.

Your deposit

A deposit holds your share while we book the kill — it’s not the full price, and every dollar comes straight off your final total.

Deposit · Beef

$500

GST incl. · off your total

Deposit · Lamb

$100

GST incl. · off your total

· Freezer Space ·
The first question everyone asks

How much freezer space do you need?

As a general rule, allow about 1 litre of freezer space per kilogram of packaged meat. Here’s what to expect:

Quarter Beef

~45–48 kg

Carcass 70–75kg
~100–150 L freezer

Half Beef

~91–97 kg

Carcass 140–150kg
~250–300 L freezer

Whole Beef

~182–195 kg

Carcass 280–300kg
~400–500 L freezer

A standard chest freezer is around 200–300 litres. For a half beast you’ll want a dedicated chest freezer, and some families split an order to share the cost and the space. For a whole lamb, allow roughly 10–15 kg of finished meat.

· What You’ll Get ·
The whole animal

What’s in your share.

Buying direct means honouring the whole animal — premium cuts through to mince and sausages.

Premium cuts

  • Eye fillet
  • Scotch fillet
  • Sirloin
  • Rump steak
  • Short rib
  • BBQ steak

Everyday cuts

  • Mince
  • Sausages
  • Brisket
  • Chuck & gravy beef
  • Rolled roasts
  • Corned silverside

Good to know: quarter cut sheets have more limited options. If you want full flexibility over your cuts, a half beast is worth considering.

Try the demo cut sheet → Learn more about your cuts →
· Good To Know ·
The details

Questions, answered.

How long does it take?

Typically 3–6 weeks from order to collection. Most of that is waiting for enough orders to book the mobile abattoir, plus around 10 days hanging the meat. Worth every day.

Why do I wait for a kill date?

Home-kill is done a whole animal at a time by a mobile abattoir. We gather enough orders from the same farm to book the date — so nothing sits frozen for months, and every animal has a buyer.

How is the final price worked out?

Carcass weight × the farmer’s per-kilo rate, confirmed once the carcass is weighed. Your deposit ($500 beef, $100 lamb) comes off the final total.

Where do I collect, and who do I pay?

You collect from the butcher handling your farm’s kill. You pay the farmer for the animal and the butcher for the processing — both directly. We send the address and time once it’s ready.

Can I split an order?

Yes — many families split a half or whole beast to share the cost and the freezer space. Just agree who’s taking what before you order.

Ready to order? Meet your farmer.

Now you know how it works. Reserve your meat direct from the farm, or meet the farmers near you and find your match.

Reserve my meat → Find a farmer →
· outthefarmgate.co.nz ·
Out the
Farm Gate
Grass-fed beef, Wagyu, lamb,
and buffalo, direct from
your local farmer.
© 2026 Out the Farm Gate · outthefarmgate.co.nz