SKYLINES FARM GRASSFED &
GRASSFINISHED BEEF



 

 

100% GrassFed and GrassFinished Beef, raised for your family using organic & sustainable methods since 1992
We sell out every year ... reserve your fall beef early in the year!
(Reserve with deposit by April 1 & get $.10/lb discount)

UPDATE: 2024 BEEF ALL RESERVED, reservations are closed. Reservations for each year open in January to previous year's customers and February for everyone else. Write me to get a heads-up email when reservations open.

SEE BELOW for the details about SkyLines Farm happy, healthy grassfed beef!




SkyLines calves are sleek and healthy after a summer of grazing
the farm's lush green pastures


SKYLINES FARM BEEF IS NOT YOUR ORDINARY BEEF . . .

What makes SkyLines beef special?
SkyLines beef are raised differently, and because of that they taste differently. It's very simple, really. Unlike most livestock raised in this country . . .
    * SkyLines beef eat only grass their entire lives, just as ruminant animals are designed to do. They're never fed grain because beef raised on a well-managed grass farm don't need grain to grow well and provide life-giving, delicious food. Our carefully raised grassfed/grassfinished beef is TENDER & TASTY, with REAL FLAVOR and TEXTURE!

    * SkyLines beef never receive any drugs like antibiotics, or chemical treatments of any sort such as hormones or conventional wormers. Healthy animals living on a healthy farm don't need them. (If one ever became ill it'd be treated of course, but it would get sold through conventional channels - not to my customers.)

    * SkyLines beef are only harvested in early fall, while the farm's lush pastures are still green and full of life-giving vitality.
SkyLines Farm's happy health beef grow up the way nature intended. They flourish on a simple diet of mom's rich milk, mineral supplements like kelp and trace mineral salt, periodic doses of nature's miracle herb garlic for parasite control, and all the grass they can eat from the farm's well-managed summer pastures. Period.

Our customers tell us that SkyLines beef is incredibly tender and just plain delicious. They've always raved about the flavor! (see below for 25+ years of customer comments on SkyLines lamb, beef, & pork.)

Is SkyLines Farm beef certified organic?
The quality of SkyLines Farm beef is certified only by my long list of happy customers who come back year after year. The families who buy from me understand the true value of eating healthy, well-grown food, and they've also made a conscious choice to be part of the solution.

The solution?
Let's face it - America's corporate food system has serious problems. The vast majority of beef sold in this country comes from animals who spend long months of their lives living in bare-dirt feedlots alongside thousands of other animals all being fed fattening grains to make them grow bigger and faster. Grains that aren't part of a cow's natural diet and hence cause a host of physical problems. Grains grown using conventional agricultural practices that include large amounts of chemical fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides applied by enormous pieces of fossil-fuel intensive farm equipment.

And of course don't forget the various antibiotics and other drugs the cattle have to be dosed with, in order to withstand the health issues prevalent in this unnatural environment.

>> Is this really how we want to care for our planet and the animals sharing it with us? And do we really want to serve this food to our families? <<

We have alternatives ... When you purchase beef from SkyLines Farm you're choosing to support a system of educated, committed, humane, sustainable-for-the-long-term agricultural practices. You're doing your part to help keep America's small farms thriving. And you're supporting your local economy by keeping some of your food dollars right here!




Managing the pastures for a steady supply of rich, nutritious grasses all summer is Job One at SkyLines Farm.


When is SkyLines beef available?
In the fall of each year. Reservations with deposits are accepted until all animals are reserved. Reserved beef are processed and delivered to customers in September. We sell out every year. Most years, all of the years's available animals are reserved months in advance, so please get your reservation in early to avoid disappointment.
Do you ship?
Sorry, shipping is not available. SkyLines beef and pigs are only sold locally. See the delivery locations listed below, under "Getting Your Order Home."

Do you know your farmer?
Many of my customers enjoy making personal connections with the farmers who grow their food. They've come to SkyLines Farm to meet me and meet the animals, and seen for themselves how their food is raised. Visitors are always amazed and delighted to see how calm, relaxed, and clearly happy the SkyLines Farm animals are. (Everyone around here enjoys the good life, including the farmer, and it shows!) You too are encouraged to schedule a farm visit - contact me to set up your visit.


Melissa Lines, Owner/Farmer, SkyLines Farm
Read on for all the details ... then contact me
to confirm availability & reserve your fall beef

>> SkyLines Farm is located in beautiful northern Idaho,
south of Coeur d'Alene & north of Moscow <<

ORDERING SKYLINES FARM BEEF

Here's how it works: You make a deposit to reserve a whole, half, or quarter beef, which will be delivered in the fall (September). You're purchasing a live beef from me, and as a free service to my customers I make the processing arrangements for you. If an entire animal is more meat than you need, I will coordinate your order with other customers' orders so you can share the purchase of an entire animal.

HOW THE PRICE IS CALCULATED
 Like most small farmers I don't have a certified scale on my farm to weigh your live animal for you, so the common practice is to calculate your purchase price based on the processor's "hanging weight" of the animal. This is the weight of the useable portions of the slaughtered animal before cutting and wrapping. In addition, you pay the processing fee for custom cutting, wrapping, and freezing.

2024 PRICES
(Reserve with deposit by April 1 & get $.10/lb discount off hanging weight prices)

 Whole Beef
$6.25/lb hanging weight
+ processing average $700

Half Beef
$6.35/lb hanging weight
+ processing average $350

Quarter Beef
$6.45/lb hanging weight
+ processing average $175

*Since you are purchasing an individual animal, your actual cost will depend on the actual weight of the animal.
*Hanging weights vary, and average about 525 lbs. for a whole beef. Feel free to specify if you'd prefer an animal in the smaller or larger weight range.
*Processing cost is $180 for harvesting & transporting the whole animal ($90.00 half, $45 quarter) plus $1.00/lb hanging weight for your custom cutting and wrapping.

DEPOSIT & PAYMENT
A nonrefundable deposit is required to reserve an animal. Your deposit will be deducted from your balance due at delivery.

Deposits are $1600/whole beef, $800/half, $400/quarter beef. Make your payment with a personal check mailed to the farm or online via PayPal (use your PayPal account balance, or quickly & easily pay with a credit card through PayPal even if you don't have a PayPal account).

Payment of the balance is due at delivery, once I know the exact weight of your animal. At delivery, you will also pay the processor's fee with a second check (separate checks required by Idaho law).

>>> Please contact me to confirm availability before making payment for a reservation.

YOUR CUTTING INSTRUCTIONS
In the fall I will contact you to get your cutting instructions and to discuss a tentative date & location for delivery.

PROCESSING
Every fall I arrange to have each of the SkyLines reserved beef professionally and humanely slaughtered here on the farm. This is a calm, peaceful, quick & efficient process that treats the animals with the gentleness & respect they deserve. I use one of my two favorite local, family-owned, custom meat processors in the Moscow, ID area (C&L Locker or Potlatch Pack).

Your beef is dry aged for 10 days to 2 weeks. It is then carefully cut to your specifications, double-wrapped with plastic film and heavy-duty freezer paper, labeled with your name, the date and the cut, and placed in a commercial freezer. Several days later, your animal is thoroughly frozen and ready to go into your own home freezer.

GETTING YOUR ORDER HOME
When your order is nearly ready I'll email you with your delivery date, time & location along with an invoice for the balance due on or before delivery day. I do my best to give 5 days notice of your delivery schedule. Your meat will arrive cut, wrapped, frozen solid & boxed. If you'll be putting your meat into a freezer within an hour or so of delivery you shouldn't need to bring coolers. However if you plan to do shopping or have a distance to travel home, please do bring coolers, ice, and/or heavy insulating blankets to make sure your meat arrives home still in its safe, frozen solid condition.

>>Free Delivery
Free delivery is available to Lewiston, Moscow, Coeur d'Alene, Sandpoint, Post Falls, and Spokane. To conserve fuel I consolidate multiple deliveries in each area to a centralized meeting place.

SHIPPING NOT AVAILABLE
Sorry, SkyLines beef are only sold locally. See the delivery locations listed above.

AVAILABLE CUTS

Half or Whole Beef If you reserve a half beef or whole beef you have choices, and you can pick from any of the options shown in the cut list below, including the quarter beef options (in parentheses).

Quarter Beef When you reserve a quarter beef it's packaged in "mixed quarters," which includes standard cuts from both the front and rear quarter of the animal. There are limited cutting options when you order a quarter beef.

The quarter beef standard and available optional cuts are all shown (in parentheses) in the cut list below. For example, with a quarter beef the standard steak thickness is (3/4"), and you can choose one of these options for the sirloin tip: (sirloin tip steaks or roasts).

When I contact you in the fall to get your cutting instructions I'll attach this order form.

CUT LIST - CHOOSE ONE OPTION FOR EACH ITEM

- Steak Thickness: (3/4") OR 1" OR 1-1/4" OR 1-1/2" OR 2"
- Steaks per Package: (2 OR 3)
- Average Roast Size: 2-3# OR (3 to 4#) OR 4 to 6#
- Ground Beef Package Size: (1# OR 1-1/2# OR 2#)
- Ground Beef Patties, with whole or half beef only: 10 lb minimum, 1/3# each, patties additional $.75/lb.

- Short Loin: (T-Bone) OR NY strip steaks
- Top Sirloin: (steaks) OR burger
- Sirloin Tip: (steaks or roasts) OR burger
- Rump: (roast) OR burger
- Round: (steaks OR swiss steaks OR roasts) OR cubed steaks OR stew OR burger
- Flank steak, only on whole or half beef: yes OR burger
- Tenderloin: (filet steaks) OR roast
- Rib: (steaks OR roast)
- Shoulder: (roasts) OR burger
- Chuck: (steaks OR roasts) OR burger
- Brisket, only on whole or half beef: yes OR burger
- Short Ribs: (standard) OR flanken-thinner, crosscut across 4-5 ribs, often used in Korean recipes OR burger
- Cubed Steaks: (yes) OR burger
- Stew Meat in 1-1/2# packages: (yes) OR burger
- Soup Bones: (yes) OR no
- Dog bones: yes OR (no)

Beef Processing Notes
- Beef is dry aged 10-14 days, wrapped in plastic film and heavy white butcher paper.
- Ground beef is prepared at about 10-12% fat. Grassfed, grassfinished beef is generally very lean but a little more fat may be available upon request.
- Organs sell out every year, so reserve yours early. Tongue, heart, tail only 1 per animal, first requested gets. Liver is cut into 1-2 lb chunks (slices not available). Available by animal portion reserved (whole, half, quarter beef). All organs at hanging weight price.

HOW TO ORDER
Contact me today, for more information or to reserve your fall beef
Melissa Lines, Owner/Farmer
SkyLines Farm, Harvard ID

>> Located in beautiful northern Idaho,
south of Coeur d'Alene & north of Moscow <<


WHAT HAVE FOLKS BEEN SAYING ABOUT SKYLINES BEEF, PORK, & LAMB? (lamb no longer available)

Our customers have been raving for 30+ years. Here's a sampling . . .

Thanks for the wonderful meat (beef & pork), Melissa! Looking forward to enjoying it for another year.
Nick & Jessica Johnson, Sagle, ID

Melissa, We wanted to let you know that the beef is the best we've ever had. Mike is loving it and it is truly amazing!! I am a vegan and even tasted some. It has a great taste even being grass fed. Truly been amazing having it and thank you very much!
Mike & Deb, Moscow ID

Hi Melissa, I'll be ordering another half beef and half pig this year. It is delicious!!! Thanks so much for providing food the way you do. I had almost decided to go vegetarian rather than eat what is in the stores. I feel safe eating this, and I feel good about how you take care of them, all the way to the end.
Linda Lockhart, Rathdrum, ID

Hi Melissa, "Wonderful! I want to let you know that we are extremely happy with the half beef that you provided! The meat is very tender and flavorful! The cuts were perfect to my specifications. We are very interested in purchasing a pig. I have never done a pig before and would like specifications on how to order and what to expect. Thanks again for a wonderful experience!"
Jessie Hogan, Clarkston, WA

"Hi Melissa, Andrea and I just wanted to pass along how much we are enjoying the half beef that we purchased from Skylines Farm. Thank you for your efforts to produce chemical free humanly grown livestock."
Andrea & Steve Speer, Coeur d'Alene, ID

Melissa, Your pork is delicious and we have been enjoying it very much. I am so happy that it doesn't have the unpleasant pork taste of store bought pork. Thank you!
Stacy, Post Falls ID

"Melissa, the beef is top notch. Nice flavor. Tonight was our first night without beef since we picked it up (9 days ago). Great job. Thank you!"
Dana & Diana Jusselin, Gennessee, ID

"Melissa - As always, thanks so much for all that you do. I feel SO fortunate to be able to have a humane, local source for virtually all of our meat (beef, pork, lamb). You have changed our diet for the better, and I take every chance I get to tell others about your operation and treatment of animals. And speaking of dogs, give your (livestock guardian) dogs a scratch for me."
Laura Earles, Moscow, Idaho

"This was my first year purchasing beef from you and I'm delighted with it! It's the best I've tasted in years. You will become my only choice for meat from now on. Thanks so much, Melissa, for the outstanding quality you have produced!
Rhonda Thomas, Oaksdale, WA

Hi Melissa, Just wanted to let you know how much we are enjoying the pork. The chops were the best Dan and I have ever had. By far and away. He cooked them on the grill and they were fantastic. Also enjoying the sausages so far. Good work!!
Dan & Carol, Deary, ID


"Melissa, Just wanted to drop you a line and let you know how happy we've been with the beef! We've cooked some steaks by doing a quick sear in garlic butter in a skillet and then putting it in the oven at 250 for 25-30 minutes, and WOW. Perfection! It's even still a decent medium rare, and tender to boot! Thank you so much for your tips and the wonderful product."
Kara Kimball, Garfield, WA

Hi Melissa, We have tried some chops, ham hock, and sausage so far, the (pig) meat is incredibly flavorful. Wanted to let you know we are enjoying it very much. Thanks! Happy New Year, Dave Karl, Waitsburg, WA

Hi Melissa, Dolan and I just wanted to drop you an email to say how wonderful the pig is. We had one of the hams last week and so very delicious. The pork chops are over the moon. We will want to order again for sure, maybe a whole one, we are using this half pretty quick because of the great quality. Thank you for caring so much about your meat quality. Just can't say enough. Thank you!
Margie Kaiser, Cheney, WA

"Hi Melissa, I've been meaning to write you for a few weeks now about how much we're enjoying our pork. Wow, so delicious! The fat on the ham is quite possibly the best tasting fat ever! Also, I'd never opened a package of raw and unseasoned ground pork and thought 'mmm, that smells good,' until my first package of plain ground pork from one of your pigs. Unsurpassed quality and taste. Thanks!"
Cheri Tilford, Sandpoint, ID


"We're looking forward to another wonderful year of delicious pork! Thank you for what you do, Melissa. It's wonderful to be able to set the example for our almost four-year-old daughter how important it is to buy humanely, responsibly raised meat. It's delicious and we feel good about supporting good, local farmers who care for these animals so well instead of the commercially raised meats and all the suffering and environmental damage that includes. We're so lucky to have you here locally. Be sure to keep us on your list for next year's purchase!"
Dena Durham, Pullman WA


"Your pork is amazing. I had no idea it was possible that pork could taste like this. It's incredible. You have a lifelong customer. Do you only have pork available once a year? If you'll have more this year I'd like to buy it. Thank you!"
Peter Zeischegg, MS, DC, DACNB, Sandpoint, ID


"Best Pig Ever. Hi Melissa, just wanted to tell you that we are very happy with the pig we got from you. The meat is exceptional, the bacon the best ever and the processing is top notch."
Mike, Sandi & Jason Barrows, Deary, ID

"We are very pleased with the pork we purchased from you! The ground pork is so clean and flavorful. The fat on the chops and steaks is beautiful. It looks so pristine I almost don't want to cook it. Almost. I made a stew with the country-style ribs, braising them in apple cider, cabbage, and mirepoix. Amazing! I also seasoned and roasted the spare ribs which came out fantastic.

I've rendered some of the leaf lard. It is pure, snow white. What a joy to cook with. Thank you for providing us with such a high quality product!"
Dan O, Coeur d'Alene & Sandpoint, ID

A longtime SkyLines lamb customer shares a Thanksgiving story

"...I've been eating Melissa's grassfed lamb since - oh, at least 1995. It's wonderful. I'll just tell you one story...

One Thanksgiving we had planned to serve one of Melissa's legs of lamb for a big dinner with friends. Well, more and more people kept getting invited so we pulled out all our lamb chops too. On the day of the dinner we still didn't think we'd have enough, so Jimmy went to the supermarket and bought some more lamb chops.

When it was all over everything was gone ... except the store-bought lamb chops! Nobody wanted them, they were all greasy and fatty and awful looking compared to Melissa's. I'd never seen people leave lamb chops on the table before!"
Nancy Gerth, Sandpoint, Idaho

"Melissa - We had your lamb chops broiled last night for dinner. They were fantastic! We are wondering if we can get more lamb to carry us through the winter?"
Ronne Wegman, Moscow, Idaho


"Melissa...Had a "real" steak dinner last night. Your beef was fantastic. My whole family really enjoyed it. It was nice to meet you in person and hope to try lamb next year. Thanks again!"
Jerry Bothmer, Spokane, WA


"Melissa, we had lamb meat loaf tonight - mmm! Tell your customers this: For the best gourmet lamb you could ever provide your family, I think you should buy SkyLines Farm lamb. Melissa's animals are treated humanely and raised carefully, you are buying locally, the meat is processed locally...and your stomach will thank you! Never tried lamb? Expand your horizons from feedlot beef and chicken and farmed fish. You won't be disapointed."
Jeff Kline DDS, Moscow, Idaho


"Hi Melissa, Just a quick note to let you know that, as in previous years, this year's lamb is great!"
Regards, Peter Ice, Spokane, WA

        MORE SKYLINES CUSTOMERS RAVE ABOUT THE FLAVOR . . .

        I'm coming back for more! Hi Melissa, I'd like to reserve another half a cow. It's the most delicious beef I've ever tasted. It's so tender, but has texture, and it doesn't have that gamey flavor some grass fed beef can get. It's rich and buttery, just the way quality beef should be. I'm so happy I got my meat from you! Kirsten Cleigh, Spokane, WA

        "Best bacon ever! Thank you again for raising these animals for us (pork, beef, lamb)!
        Cassandra Claridge, Grangeville, ID

        "You know I love your beef and lamb. Will you be doing pork again? You have ruined me as far as ever getting any meat from a grocery store again!"
        Brenda Yates, Spokane, WA

        "We cannot believe the perfect flavor of your lamb!! We will go through what you brought in no time. Is there any chance we can get two to three more lambs?"
        Mary Jane Butters, Moscow, ID
        Founder of MaryJanesFarm "Instant or Quick Prep Organic Meals" and author of "MaryJane's Ideabook-Cookbook-Lifebook for the Farmgirl in All of Us."         http://www.maryjanesfarm.com

        "We have been enjoying all of the meat we purchased from you. The beef is far more tender than grassfed beef we have eaten in the past. I might need some more come fall. Also, I just took some lamb out of the freezer this morning and yikes, it's almost all gone. Can I reserve two lambs from you again? Thanks so much for doing such an outstanding job raising healthy, happy animals!"
        Jamie Lawrence, Spokane, WA

        "We purchased one whole lamb from you in October. Just wanted to let you know, we absolutely LOVE our lamb. Tastes fantastic and knowing where it is from makes it ever better. We would love to be on your list for another lamb next year if possible.
        Thank You!"
        Stephen and Jaye Hopkins, Spokane, WA

      HOW TO ORDER
      Contact me today
      For more information or to reserve your fall beef
       Melissa Lines, owner/farmer
      SkyLines Farm, Harvard ID,

      >> Located in beautiful northern Idaho,
      south of Coeur d'Alene & north of Moscow <<



      READ ON TO LEARN HOW THE SKYLINES FARM ANIMALS HAVE BEEN RAISED SINCE 1992 . . .

      THE INCREDIBLE FLAVOR OF SKYLINES FARM BEEF AND PORK ISN'T THE ENTIRE STORY

      When you serve SkyLines Farm (former lamb) and beef and pork you can feel great about it, knowing that animal was raised the way Mother Nature intended . . . nourished entirely by mom's rich milk, our own lush green summer pastures, and free-choice salt, kelp, and trace minerals. Absolutely nothing else.

      Unlike much of the livestock raised today, our beef are never pushed to grow faster with fattening grains or supplements that sometimes even include animal by-products. Instead, they grow at their own natural pace, eating only the simple, fresh foods on which ruminant animals were designed to thrive. (SkyLines pigs have their own separate pastures, and are fed a daily ration of locally grown, non-GMO grains, primarily barley & peas.)

      "BEYOND ORGANIC" MANAGEMENT PRACTICES RESPECT
      THE ANIMALS AND THE LAND
      No drugs or chemicals for the (former 100+ sheep flock) OR the current beef and pigs
      Since 1992, all of the SkyLines Farm animals have been hand raised by sustainable and organic methods (though we've chosen not to be certified organic). SkyLines animals never receive routine antibiotics, growth or fertility hormones, unnecessary and potentially harmful vaccinations, or pesticides such as parasite dips or chemical wormers. (Of course, if an animal should ever fall ill and require medication it's immediately treated and brought back to health, its tag number is noted and the animal is sold through conventional livestock channels.)

      It's still working, year after year
      In addition to avoiding drugs and chemicals, our organic approach includes regularly scheduled doses of the miracle herb garlic, plus management practices that promote health like making sure pasture stocking rates are low enough to provide plenty of room and feed for all of the animals, lots of fresh air and regular exercise, intensive rotational grazing techniques, and much more.

      This philosophy for managing the animals and the farm itself has kept all the SkyLines animals in superb health for many years, without having to rely on the drug and chemical "quick fixes" that so many consider to be essential.

      More details on our practices
      Visit the       Management Practices pages to learn about all of our management methods and see how successful they've been over the years. There you'll also find details and photos of the team of Great Pyrenees guard dogs who provide the ultimate in predator-friendly protection for the farm.

      HOW SKYLINES FARM RAISES SUPERIOR GRASSFED ANIMALS
      More and more research is demonstrating that eating meat from grassfed animals is better for our own health, better for the animals we raise, and better for the environment too.

      But raising quality grassfed animals requires more than simply allowing the animals free access to grass. Good management of that grass is critical. Two major components of grass management are actively managing the fertility and tilth of the soil and controlling the animals' access to the pastures so the grasses can rest, regrow, and process the nutrients the animals have deposited.

      Rotational grazing makes for lush nutritious pastures and happy animals
      SkyLines Farm's intensive rotational grazing system allows us to effectively manage the farm's grass while also fulfilling each animal's very natural desire to graze on the freshest feed possible. A network of many subdivided pastures with strategically placed gates and runways allow us to easily and frequently move the animals from pasture to pasture across the farm as they harvest the grasses.

      Once the animals are moved from a pasture after grazing, the grasses can rest and regrow undisturbed for many weeks (plus all winter), and the soil can absorb and break down the natural fertilizer the animals left behind.

      Over the spring-to-fall grazing season, the SkyLines animals make two or three trips through the farm's pastures, so they are always dining on actively growing, highly nutritious, "salad bar fresh" greens.

      Lean and incredibly great tasting (former lambs), current beef and pigs.
      Thanks in part to this natural diet and lifestyle (and possibly the periodic doses of garlic), friends and customers frequently comment on SkyLines animals' just-right leanness and fantastic flavor. And they tell us just how much they like it by coming back for more, year after year.

      Want to learn more about the many benefits of grassfed meat - to our own health, to the well-being of our animals, and to the environment?
      If you're interested in additional scientific and anecdotal information about the benefits of raising ruminant animals on grass alone, you could start with Jo Robinson's books, "Why Grassfed is Best!" and "Pasture Perfect," and also visit her extensive website www.eatwild.com.

      Here are links to four great articles written by
      Jo Robinson that you might find interesting . . .

      You Are What Your Animals Eat
      Confused about Fat? Choose Grassfed!
      The Brand Name Bandwagon
      Beyond Organic

        
      Thanks for being part of the solution!
      When you purchase products from SkyLines Farm,
      you're supporting sustainable, regenerative agricultural practices
      and America's small farmers.

      SkyLines Farm of Idaho
      4551 Highway 6, Harvard, Idaho 83834
      (In beautiful northern Idaho, south of Coeur d'Alene & north of Moscow)
      CONTACT