Polina Marinova

Crowd Cow launches cow-sharing platform allowing consumers to buy labeled beef shares directly from ranchers

Crowd Cow is a Seattle startup that lets consumers buy individual cows collaboratively by purchasing labeled "shares" of specific cuts, which are only charged if the whole animal sells; the company handles marketing, packaging, and shipping and emphasizes high-quality, traceable beef from independent ranchers. Prices range from $12 to $219 per cut plus $12.99 shipping, the meat is vacuum-sealed and barcoded, and Crowd Cow currently works with about a dozen ranchers while expanding beyond 15 states west of the Mississippi.