Raising Beef

living in the midwest has its perks.  we seriously have some great resources!  meat is in abundance, farmer’s markets are in nearly every town from may until october, we live in place that literally feeds the world.  living in the grain belt is way of life.

minihe and browny

d and minihe doing chores

growing up on a small farm, my life revolved around the seasons of planting, county fair, harvest, and snowmobiling.  my personal favorite was county fair.  it was this experience with 4-H that truly shaped my values as a youth and into adulthood.  furthermore, i was able to, quite successfully, explore my interest in raising and showing beef cattle.  i knew i wanted to marry someone with similar values and experiences that we could ultimately share with our own children.  i found that in d.  we began our own cattle operation a few years ago, and in doing so, began setting up our children to appreciate the hard work and rewards of the farm life.  

part of the reason we began this operation was to supplement our income.  raising our own corn, oats, hay, and straw alleviates overhead costs.  selling the cattle to customers and/or nearby market helps put a little extra cash in our pocket and make the payments on the farming equipment for said overhead costs.  it is definitely a cyclical operation; one part cannot coexist without the others.  the hay and straw operation is also an income builder.  we probably could not run a successful cattle operation without having this resources so accessible.

another reason we took on this responsibility was to keep a freezer full of food.  purchasing meat is expensive.  the quality of meat at some big box and even local grocery stores stock is questionable.  moreover, as i mentioned in my post about my “nearly home-made” cooking style, i like knowing what i’m putting in my body and the bodies of my family.  so many animals are fed unnecessary antibiotics, growth hormones, and sub-par feed.  d takes pride in the fact his animals are all-natural and fed whole-foods from fields we plant and harvest.  we take pride in the fact that we are providing our customers with a product they can feel confident they are consuming without any worries.

if you haven’t considered buying a quarter or half or even a full beef, i highly recommend it.  the cost saving benefits are numerous and are more far-reaching than your own pocketbook:

• you pay a flat fee per pound; this may make hamburger seem expensive, but steaks are way cheap
• you can choose the types of cuts you want, how much burger to have made, how thick to have steaks, etc.
• it comes frozen so there is no wasting of meat that gets forgotten in the back of the fridge
• shelf life is a few years, depending on your freezer capabilities, if you don’t eat through it first!
• it is grown locally, fed from local feed sources, slaughtered by a local meat market - all supporting local businesses and limiting the carbon footprint made from transporting meat in from states away

raising or purchasing beef, or any meat for that matter, from a neighbor, friend, or relative is, oddly enough, a ‘green’ way to live.  in my opinion it’s healthier, more economic, and something to definitely consider the next time you’re standing in front of the spread of meats wanting a better option.

i'm all about giving credit where credit is due!  one of the pictures in this post came from this website:

http://www.energeticbalancing.us/what-is-meat-glue