Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What do you mean when you say “humanely raised”? (partial list of answers)A. Livestock confinement and over-crowding are the biggest offenders when it comes to the reduction (or elimination) of quality of life for animals. We do not confine our animals unless there is a health or safety issue. For example, if a calf is born in the pasture on an unusually cold spring day, mother and calf will be brought into the barn for a few days until we are sure she is strong enough to keep up with the herd. There are other instances that a cow , steer of calf would be separated from the herd, but you get the point. We have a special sick bay set up in our barn for treatment, or short term confinement.
A. We never use a cattle prod. We use canes (to make our arms appear longer than they are, it works!) to aid in directing animals to move in the direction we desire. If we are dealing with the occasional difficult animal, usually a mother that doesn’t want us near her calf, this is usually effective. However, we will take measures protect ourselves and/or to prevent injury to other animals if the need arises.
A. We keep a “closed” herd to reduce the need for certain vaccinations, and prevent the transfer of certain illnesses . This is also effective in lowering stress within the herd. “Closed” means we don’t introduce new livestock on a regular basis. We raise our heifers from our own breeding. We bring in 2 new unrelated bulls every two years, they arrive on the farm fully vaccinated and are quarantined until we are confident they are disease free, then introduced them to the herd.
A. We transport the steers ourselves for processing. They usually walk right into the trailer because they do not fear us. We unload them when we arrive at the processing plant. They do not leave our farm until the day of processing. They are slaughtered quickly and humanely within minutes of exiting our trailer. This is very close to being an on farm slaughter. On farm slaughter is not possible for us for a variety of reasons.
Q:You are members of PASA, What is exactly is sustainable farming?
A:In a nutshell~ Sustainable agriculture integrates three main goals. These goals drive the way we farm. Environmental Health, Economic Profitability, Social and Economic Equity. A variety of philosophies, policies and practices have contributed to these goals. People in many different capacities from farmers to consumers have shared this vision and contributed to it.
Without local consumers supporting farmers, sustainable agriculture quite simply cannot exist. Despite the diversity of people and perspectives, the following themes commonly weave through definitions of sustainable agriculture. Sustainability rests on the principal that we must meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Therefore, stewardship of both natural and human resources is of prime importance. Stewardship of humane resources includes consideration of of social responsibilities such as working and living conditions of farmers and their employees, the needs of rural communities, consumer health and safety both in present and the future . Stewardship of the land and natural resources involves maintaining or enhancing this vital resource for the long term.
A: A rule of thumb is one cubic foot for every 25-30 lbs of wrapped frozen beef. An average quarter is about 100lbs of de-boned, wrapped beef. Therefore, you will need about 4+ cubic feet. A typical 22 cubic ft Refrigerator/ Freezer has a freezer compartment that is 6 to 8 cubic feet. If you purchase a larger quantity than 100lbs, an additional freezer would most likely be necessary.
A: Beef is stored in a temperature and humidity controlled environment for a period of 10 to 21 days. During that time some moisture evaporates and the size of the carcass shrinks, concentrating the natural flavors. In addition the muscle fibers in the meat are broken down producing a more tender finished product. Due to the time and space requirements, dry aging is no longer done at large scale processes plants. Some processors will “wet” age beef (beef is cut and wrapped and allowed to age without the dehydration process). In our opinion the resulting beef is not as desirable in flavor or texture as dry aging.
Q: Do you ship your beef?A. No, not at this time.
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Q. How long will my beef last in my freezer?A. Because our beef is either shrink wrapped in heavy cryo vac packages (or double wrapped with clear film & waxed butchers paper), and flash frozen it will last at least 12- 18 months, if your freezer is in good working order.
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Q. Why does your beef cost more than beef in the grocery store? (not asked but we bet you wonder)A. There are numerous answers to that question. One reason for the higher price is the exceptional quality and the relative rarity of Piedmontese Beef. In addition, our cattle are free to roam numerous acres land , land we pay taxes on, year in and out. If we didn’t have cattle on this land it would be put into a cash crop, or sold for development. Feedlot beef are raised on barren dry lots and cramped into inhumanely small areas. We feed and care for all of our cattle all year long and need space for all of our cattle even if we only finish 10 or 12 steers a year. This means if we feed and care for 75 to 100 head of cattle and are only able to sell 10 or 12 in an average year. We need space and hay for growing heifers, calves, steers, bulls and cows. It takes 1.5 to 2 years to raise a grass fed steer to slaughter weight. Compared to one year for a commercial steer, fed growth hormones and huge quantities of corn and other unknown feed stuffs. Faster growth means faster profit for for feedlot producers. Yes, we want to raise beef to earn a living, but not at the expense of our cattle's quality of life, or to the detriment of the environment or the health of our consumers.
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Q. Where and when do I pick up my beef?
A. Orders for the assortment boxes of beef & ground beef are available for pick up directly from the farm store. We have a large walk -in freezer and are able to store your beef for short periods of time.
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Q. I only want to buy a steak or a few pounds of ground beef, can I do that?
A. We are sorry, we no longer offer this option. Beef assortments will only be available for purchase in bulk packages starting at 25 pounds. Ground beef will remain available year round, but only in bulk starting at 10 pound packages. Please see the ordering Info page.