A World of Possibilities
We have been raising beef cattle for over ten years. It all began with one cow, Elsie. Actually, when we got her, she was just a heifer, less than a year old. We still have Elsie today – she rules the roost, or the herd so to speak. It wasn’t until we got Skulls the following year (who was also a heifer), that I began my journey with cows. It opened up a whole new world of possibilities for our farm and how we raise beef cattle…
How Working with Horses Helped Me with Cattle
I have always been a horse girl. Horses were my entire world, and I rode year around, multiple times a week, rain, show, sleet or shine. Through my journey with horses, I learned to read their body language. I learned how sensitive they are, how the slightest muscle twitch, or turn of your head affects their balance.
When working with horses, whether you are on the ground with them or on their back, is like having a continual conversation. It is the same way with cows…any animal, really. Their conversations do not revolve around words. Therefore, they rely on body language, paying attention to the way a human or animal walks, moves their body, and touch. With this in mind, I began implementing the same training methods with our cows. I spent time reading their body language and learning the way they communicate amongst one another. Some of their signals are easily visible while others are extremely subtle. The more time I spent with them, the more I began to understand the way they think. And the more I fell in love with them.
Why Did We Transition to Grain-Free Beef?
We began our journey with cows by finishing them off on grain and hay or grass. As I began searching for healthier meat options, I discovered we could raise beef cattle without grain with greater health benefits.
Benefits of Grain-Free Beef:
- Higher omega-3 fatty acids which support heart health
- Rich in vitamins A, E, and B12
- Contains more potassium
- Higher in conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) which is an anti-inflammatory
- The animals are happier
- The soil and pastures are healthier when the cattle are rotated often
- The meat often has a richer flavor
For more information on the benefits of grain-free beef, click here.
As passionate as I am about animals, I do still eat meat. Knowing that the animals we are raising have a happy and stress-free life is extremely important to me. Making sure that we are contributing to the earth and the environment in a positive way is equally important to me.
Looking Ahead to the Future
As we look ahead to the future we are keeping the lines of cattle we have had for the last ten years while incorporating wagyu. Half wagyu and half angus is spectacular meat, adding delicious marbling without becoming so rich as full wagyu. Because the fat content is so high in full wagyu, it can be difficult to make things with ground meat such as hamburgers. There is a tremendous amount of ground beef on any cow regardless of the breed. This 50/50 mix allows us to achieve the delicious marbling and enjoy the ground beef. Knowing that our animals are 100% grass-fed, grass-finished, free of added hormones and living happy, healthy lives ensures that we are providing our family with the highest quality meat.
Our goals are simple. We want to raise our animals ethically and sustainably while cultivating and enriching the environment around us.
Commonly Asked Questions:
- Do we administer hormones?
- No, we do not.
- Are they given any grain?
- No, they are not given any grain.
- Is your hay sprayed with chemicals?
- No, we do not spray our hay with any chemicals.
- Is your beef certified organic?
- No, we are not certified organic. We do, however, raise our beef as naturally as possible using organic practices without the certification.
- Do you administer antibiotics?
- If we have to, we will. We haven’t had to administer antibiotics to our beef cattle in years. They are happy and healthy. Injuries can happen though, and when we feel an antibiotic is warranted to preserve the life and well-being of an animal, we will do so.
- Do you administer vaccines?
- Currently, no, we do not administer vaccines to our beef cattle.
- Do you sell individual cuts of beef?
- No, we do not. Legally, we are only able to sell by the 1/4, 1/2, or whole beef.
Do You Have Any Beef Available?
Our beef is currently sold out through Spring of 2025. We may have more going in later this year, but we also work closely with other farmers who share similar practices that we do. If you are interested in beef, please reach out to us and we can work with you to either reserve beef from us or with another small, local farmer we know and trust.
