ComplaintsforWanders Farm LL

• Initial Complaint

  04/14/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We purchased a beef from a cousin and picked up the processed meat from Wanders Farm LLC 2-28-2022. Apart from the hamburger, the meat is excellent and tasty. The hamburger is the worst I have ever seen.The hamburger is very fatty, whitish pink instead of red like the rest of the meat, sticky unlike hamburger, ***** when cooked and browns quickly as it thaws. See the attached pictures. Note the hamburger color and area where while frozen it starting to *****. Contrast that with the redness of other cuts. Note the lack of fat in the stew meat and roast. The beef should have been trimmed to 90%-10%. I had two random samples tested by *****************. One tested to be **** % fat and another ***** % fat. Test and **** included. Samples were random. We have had worse packages than these. Discussions with the owner have proved pointless (most recently on 4-6-2022). She asserts that the meat was just so marbled. That explanation does not fit the rest of the beef and account for the other problems. More details in uploaded longer narrative.I purchased 6 beefs from my cousin starting in 2012 which were processed by the previous owner of the Otley Locker. We did not have one problem. They kept accurate directions from each year. My first beef processed by the new owner, Wanders, was in December 2021. We had problems with their lack of properly processing dried beef. But the hamburger from a truly more marbled beef--190 more pounds of dressed meat--had no problems. It was *****. I have 228 pounds of essentially ruined meat. The access fat has been established. I am not sure if that is the cause of the other problems. More testing would be costly. Return all fees, pay for the ruined meat and testing costs. Grinding Fee: 228 lbs of hamburger x .45 = $102.60 Processing fee: 228 lbs x .78 = $117.84 Lab Fee: $72.00 Mileage for lab: $170.82 Price of the meat 228 x $2.40 = $547.20 Total: $1,010.46.

  Business response

  05/03/2022

  Wanders Farms LLC purchased the Otley locker in August of 2020 to direct market our home raised beef. After experiencing quality issues at another locker, this purchase would allow us to process our own beef and manage the processing quality from the birth of the animal, to the freezers of our local community. While purchasing the locker, we also received books full of customers wanting their beef processed as well. We take pride in providing quality processing to all of our customers. Farmers drive for many miles, for us to process their beef. 

  Wanders Farms upgraded our grinder/mixer to a more efficient piece of equipment. Our new grinder coarse grinds the first grind, and fine grinds the second. With a well marbled beef, this makes the fat and beef smaller, giving a slightly different texture then the previous customer has received in the past. We only offer this option as the old equipment has been removed, we have received great compliments about our new process. 
  
  Customer made it clear he wouldnt be a returning customer. I offered advice for his next choice of locker to save him from another unsatisfactory experience. Beef weights have little to do with how finished out beef are. Pictured below are 2 packages of ribeye steaks and an arm roast in our old packaging, from a 695 pound heifer. This calf was very fed out, as shown by the extra fat content in the meat. A calf can weigh ***** pounds carcass weight, and still have very little marbling. Fat content has everything to do with how long the beef is fed, and the ration the calf is on. Very nice, marbled beef have a higher fat content. When processing a beef, the best cuts get removed: steaks, roasts, primal cuts, and the rest gets deboned, trimmed, and ground. Its nearly impossible to trim fat out of the center of a cut. This would provide a lot of wasted meat (see rib picture) Everyones fat content varies from beef to beef. We never guarantee a percentage of fat to meat ratio the customer would receive. We dont have the records of the previous owners business, as hes required to keep them by the state of Iowa, for one year after selling. Customer did not state that he wanted leaner ground beef on his 2021 beef, as he did in 2020. See cut cards below.
  
  
  Customer called 4 days after we lost a family member/crew member to an unexpected death. Apologized as he knew how much he meant to us but let us know hed be in Iowa the prior week so we could get the replacement ground beef ready for him. After notifying client I wouldnt be able to replace it, because the very nice beef was what we custom processed for him, I was hung up on. 
  
  As for the dried beef complaint, customer received 16 pounds and only brought 12 back to be replaced. Requesting he get the original amount back although hed already eaten several packages. The dried beef was pumped to the 10% limit set by the *************. Anything over 10% would have to many nitrates per parts per million ( ******* *******) Customer said it didnt have the normal flavor hes used to. We use the same curing process and recipe as the previous owner. 

   

  Were a custom processing plant, we process what gets brought in. We are unable to make claims about our fat content percentage, we dont have a meat grader/fat analyzer in our facility. Every beef brought in is a little different, this depends on the age, feed, breed, and care the animal has received. The owner of the beef (customers cousin) has brought in 19 beef last year without any complaints Other than this one. 
  
  
  We have upgraded many processes since the business purchase. Customer satisfaction has always been our number one priority. For the resolution of this complaint, Wanders Farms LLC is able to offer 228 pounds of ground beef at cost from our supplier. We will have to order in meat as were a custom plant. Wanders farms will order in the beef at customers expense. Wanders Farms will process it at no charge. This includes the ********** and packaging for the customer. 

  Customer response

  05/11/2022

   
  Complaint: 17022150
  
  I am rejecting this response because it would cost me more than $550.00 to have the hamburger I already purchase and which I should already have.  My attachment also addresses the spinnage in the business response.  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ************************* Hoek

  Business response

  05/27/2022

  Again, Wanders Farms LLC a custom processing plant, we process what gets brought in. We are unable to make claims about our fat content percentage, we dont have a meat grader/fat analyzer in our facility. The customer never asked for very lean meat, as shown on his cutting card for this year. While the texture from our new grinder is different, we are processing beef the exact same as with our old grinder. A very well marbled beef has a high amount of intramuscular fat, this fat occurs within the muscle pattern. Any trimming of intramuscular fat would create a significant amount of waste. Intermuscular fat is the part that gets trimmed off during the processing step. This fat occurs on the outside and in between muscles NOT WITHIN! Again, its nearly impossible to remove the intramuscular fat. This is the comment I made to ****** on the phone about taking 4+ hours per half, while creating a significant amount of waste. The picture of the short ribs depicts intramuscular fat. When a beef is processed, the primal cuts are removed, and the rest is ground to make ground beef. High amounts of intramuscular fat, creates a higher fat content in the ground beef. Every beef brought in is a little different, this depends on the age, feed, breed, and care the animal has received. The owner of the beef (customers cousin) has brought in 19 beef last year without any complaints Other than this one. When ****** called to talk to me about this situation the first time, my office assistant said I wasnt available to come to the phone and asked to take a message. ***** remembers ****** saying fine, Ill call back and then hung up. As for the dried beef, the first item addressed when ****** called, is how much better it tasted this time, and the customer was appreciative at that time. 

  After discussing this situation with the previous owner of the meat locker and looking for guidance from him, ************************* remembers ************************* Hoek specifically, as hes made several complaints about his beef through the years and wanting a discount. 

   

  In a time where food shortages and locker appointments are becoming scarce, its very disheartening to know this is the way ************************* faces small businesses. 

   

  Wanders Farms will not be paying the requested amount, especially since the fat analyzing test was completely the customers decision. 

   

  Our offer to process 228 pounds of ground beef at no charge (customer pays for beef) will expire on 6/30/2022. Our locker is running at maximum capacity, and we continue to turn down multiple customers per day as we dont have adequate space to accommodate the needs of our great customers.

   

  We will not be responding to this matter in the future unless ************************* Hoek would like us to process the meat he purchases at our discounted rate.  

   

  Below is some information with the source, to address the extra unwanted fat without paying for additional meat. 

   

  Here are the steps:

  1. ***** ground beef in skillet over medium heat until beef is fully cooked.
  2. Using a slotted spoon, remove beef crumbles onto a plate lined with paper towels. Let sit one minute; blot top of beef with more paper towels.
  3. Place beef in a colander over a large bowl. Pour very hot water (not boiling) over beef to rinse fat. Drain for five minutes.

  This easy tips will keep your ground beef extra lean, with fewer calories and awesome great taste! Healthy people eat beef!

  https://beeflovingtexans.com/blog/how-to-make-your-ground-beef-leaner/

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩