Would it surprise you to learn that Maryland cattlemen produced 84 million pounds of beef in 2000? That wasn't even a banner year. In 1999, they produced 95.9 million pounds.

OK, so the state will never be called "Little Texas." For that, you'd be talking more than 7.7 billion pounds a year. Still, it's an impressive showing for a small mid-Atlantic state.

Where does the beef go? Most of it is sold wholesale to regional meatpackers, where it might become, say, part of a McDonald's hamburger served somewhere around the world. Yet, as farmers get savvier about ways to market their products closer to home, increasing amounts of Maryland-grown beef are appearing on dinner tables across the state.

Much of this beef is grown carefully and humanely, without growth hormones or antibiotic-spiked feed. That makes it the kind of wholesome, locally grown product many consumers are clamoring to include in their diets. It's a win-win, says Scott Barao, beef program leader at the University of Maryland, College Park. "The closer you are to the food supply, the better off you are, and the greater the economic impact for Maryland and its farmers."

One way we get to chow down on the local goods is the time-honored tradition of freezer beef. If you've ever wandered around the Maryland countryside in spring or fall, chances are you've seen the signs. Usually hand-lettered and posted near the entrance to a grassy-looking farm, placards proclaiming "freezer beef" are a seasonal rite.

This beef is sold by the side or half-side, meaning you must buy half a steer or a quarter steer, which the farmer arranges to have butchered to your specifications at a packing plant that's approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The meat is then packaged and frozen.

A side of beef amounts to about 275 pounds, cut into porterhouse, T-bone and strip steaks, flat-iron, skirt and flank steaks, roasts of all descriptions, sirloin tips, ground beef and more. At an average price of $2 per pound, it can be quite a deal.

For most of the 4,500 or so cattle farms in Maryland, beef production is an adjunct to other income. Most herds are quite small, often just 25 or 30 cows and steers. Some of the growers work in other jobs - veterinary medicine is a favorite - while others are full-time farmers.

"Nowhere in the state will you find beef production as the sole activity," says Barao. "It is a very appealing enterprise for a diversified farm operation. Cattle use feed sources and land that are not suitable for other purposes."

Much of Maryland's rolling countryside - that part that remains undeveloped - is not conducive to the classic corn-and-soybean rotation, but it makes excellent grazing turf for cattle.

Take Waffle Hill Farm, north of Churchville in Harford County. The hilly farm, dotted with black cattle clustered in various pastures, rolls up toward a farmhouse, then back down again as it heads toward Deer Creek. So dark are the woolly winter coats of these Angus steers and cows that they look like black holes against the faded green grass.

On a drizzly day that has most of us dreaming of a cozy fire and cup of tea, both man and beast seem content to brave the elements on this 300-acre spread. The man, Ned Sayre, is showing off his various herds to a visitor, and the cattle watch with interest.

"We've been selling freezer beef for 40 years," says Sayre. His father, Lawrason Sayre, who bought the property in 1960, is still its guiding light. The primary work of Waffle Hill is to grow registered Angus seed stock. The farm raises and sells bulls that represent the finest of the breed, carefully selected for their ability to produce healthy offspring that will ultimately deliver beautifully marbled, high-quality beef.

The Sayres' beef cattle are grain-fed, meaning they spend their final 90 to 120 days eating corn and hay. Until that time, they dine on forage, the natural grasses and grains that grow in the farm's verdant pastures.

Most Maryland cattle are Angus, considered the breed of choice among beef aficionados. Touting better marbling - essential to the tenderness and flavor quotient - and less body fat, along with terrific flavor, Angus beef has become a high-end supermarket staple in recent years. Grain-fed cattle have long been the American standard, on small farms and large. Yet pasture-raised cattle, steers that eat only forages, are gaining vogue.

One ardent proponent of grass-fed beef is Ruth Ann Derrenbacher of Ruth Ann's Garden Style Beef, a 130-acre cattle farm in Frederick County.

"There are two schools on grass-fed animals," she says. "One is to go for leanness, but then the beef won't be as tender. That's not how we go. We want our grass-fed animals to have the same proportion of fat and marbling as a grain-fed cow."

This requires an extra stay on the farm. "A grain-fed animal could be finished at 18 months. The grass-fed animal must be finished at the 27- or even 32-month mark," Derrenbacher says. "The fat comes near the end. Until that point, they are making muscle."

That makes grass-fed beef more expensive, she says, but worth it. "Studies show that grass-fed beef has more omega-3 fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid," she says. "Both are anti-carcinogens."

Still, most Maryland cattle are grain-fed. "It's like choosing between a Ford and a Chevy," says Barao. Both are high-quality meat, but offer differences in texture and flavor.

Whether the cattle are grain- or pasture-raised, the key to profits - and in many ways to maintaining a healthy agricultural scene in the state - is in selling product directly to consumers.

"The future of agriculture in Maryland is tied to working with local consumers through direct marketing," says Barao. "We're sitting on a huge population of relatively well-off, well-educated consumers who are interested in knowing the origin of their food supply."

Small farmers like Derrenbacher continue to sell freezer beef by the side, building a customer base through word-of-mouth. Others, like the Sayres, assisted by their county agricultural economic development boards, are investigating new ways of selling.

Last year, the Harford County board gave a group, including Waffle Hill Farm, a grant to form the Deer Creek Beef cooperative, through which they sell their and other farmers' beef by the pound. That means, instead of springing for a side or half-side of beef, consumers can buy individual cuts as they do at the supermarket.

The grant included money for a trailer rigged with two commercial freezers that the cooperative brings to the Bel Air Farmers' Market and other fairs. Just two farms participate in the cooperative so far, but Sayre considers it successful. "Last summer we sold 25 steers through the program," he says. "It was more than we expected."

Most importantly, says Sayre, "This is a way for small to mid-size farms to capture more profit from what they produce and to help them stay in business." In return, Marylanders get a home-grown, top-quality product.

While other forms of agriculture are declining around the state, beef cattle farming is holding steady. "We are one of the top 50 beef-producing states in the nation," Barao says, waiting for the laugh. "Seriously, though, Maryland beef producers are dedicated to a high-quality, safe, wholesome supply of beef. I would stake their beef production against anyone's."

Watch out, Texas.

Where's the beef?

Now is the time to contact growers about Maryland freezer beef, which is next available in late spring. Here are a few possibilities. Check with your county extension agent to find a beef producer near you.

Hedgeapple Farm

Buckeystown

301-662-7638

Ruth Ann's Garden Style Beef

Woodsboro

301-898-7006

Waffle Hill Farm

Churchville

410-836-2456

For Maryland beef sold by the pound, try:

Graul's Market Ruxton

(Roseda Farms beef)

Ruxton

410-823-6077

The Mill of Bel Air

(Deer Creek Beef)

Bel Air

410-322-2314

Mount Airy Locker Co.

(Maryland-grown beef)

Mount Airy

301-829-0500