Though we've owned cows for a number of years now, the first of our grass fed beef came to the markets on November 19, 2016. Our initial intention was to raise cows specifically to supply our families with nutritious, homegrown beef and raw milk. After numerous customer requests and a good bit of careful thought and lively discussion, we are now offering a selection of our prized beef cuts at our market tables. As we move forward with our program, we will be adding a larger variety of cuts but, because of our commitment to doing things right, we are taking it slow in the beginning. After all, the very best things in life are worth waiting for!
Our cows live a life of respect and leisure. Year round, they live in social groups, in open pasture, free to romp and grow in the fresh air and sunshine. We do not vaccinate nor do we use hormones or steroids but utilize herbal methods, working WITH the body to naturally build and maintain health from the inside out.
We are strong believers in rotational grazing and as such, our cows along with the other animals rotate through various paddocks and pastures, consuming lots of native plants and grasses. Being that we are early on in the process of establishing the type of pastures we desire on our new farm, the benefit our soils receive from their rich manure simply cannot be overstated! We've seen dramatic improvement and are committed to building the soil naturally, without synthetic fertilizers or herbicides of any kind. This type of transformation takes time but we believe it is the only correct and responsible way to manage the land.
Our cows eat a carefully managed diet of seasonal grasses, plants and locally-sourced grass hay which is available at all times. A small amount of grains are given once a day and comprise less than 1% of their diet while the plants, grasses and hay make up the remaining percentage. Their feed is free from any animal by products, medications or antibiotics. Our cows regularly get healthy snacks of fresh kale, collards, pumpkins, sweet potatoes and various seasonal veggies from our gardens and local farmers. Watermelon is certainly a summer favorite!
When consuming meat, you can tell not only what an animal ate but also how it lived its every day life. To produce the highest quality product, the daily management of the animal simply cannot be overemphasized. We are delighted with the flavor and texture of our homegrown beef and believe you will be too.
Our cows live a life of respect and leisure. Year round, they live in social groups, in open pasture, free to romp and grow in the fresh air and sunshine. We do not vaccinate nor do we use hormones or steroids but utilize herbal methods, working WITH the body to naturally build and maintain health from the inside out.
We are strong believers in rotational grazing and as such, our cows along with the other animals rotate through various paddocks and pastures, consuming lots of native plants and grasses. Being that we are early on in the process of establishing the type of pastures we desire on our new farm, the benefit our soils receive from their rich manure simply cannot be overstated! We've seen dramatic improvement and are committed to building the soil naturally, without synthetic fertilizers or herbicides of any kind. This type of transformation takes time but we believe it is the only correct and responsible way to manage the land.
Our cows eat a carefully managed diet of seasonal grasses, plants and locally-sourced grass hay which is available at all times. A small amount of grains are given once a day and comprise less than 1% of their diet while the plants, grasses and hay make up the remaining percentage. Their feed is free from any animal by products, medications or antibiotics. Our cows regularly get healthy snacks of fresh kale, collards, pumpkins, sweet potatoes and various seasonal veggies from our gardens and local farmers. Watermelon is certainly a summer favorite!
When consuming meat, you can tell not only what an animal ate but also how it lived its every day life. To produce the highest quality product, the daily management of the animal simply cannot be overemphasized. We are delighted with the flavor and texture of our homegrown beef and believe you will be too.
Tribute to Daisy
Our journey into cow ownership began with a Facebook ad of a local man who was offering a Holstein cow for sale. We'd been wanting to add a family dairy cow to our homestead for quite a while but the timing was not quite right so we held off for a few months. When the ad resurfaced once again, we reconsidered and after much prayer and discussion, we scheduled an appointment to go see her. We hooked up the trailer 'just in case' and headed off on the back roads towards Warrenton.
Upon arrival, we were shocked to see this regal girl living in muddy filth up to her knees with a large calf at her side. Taylor and I looked at each other and knew that no matter what, we could not leave her there. The calf was not for sale so we settled on a price and within a few minutes, she was on her way to our farm.
We decided to call her Daisy after the cow my grandfather had owned years before. She was in pitiful shape, having been fed only peanut hulls and junk hay while in full milk. You could count every rib and she was covered with lice and full of internal parasites. After a few months of good feed and lots of herbs to build her up, we took her to the vet to trim her severely overgrown hooves where we learned she had foundered severely within the last year while under this man's care. This girl had suffered much neglect in her time and we were determined to give her the best life possible from here on out. Slowly but surely Daisy's condition began to improve.
After her health was restored, we bred her to a local Beefmaster bull with the full intent of raising the calf for our family's beef. Daisy was massively pregnant during the CFSA farm tour that September and safely delivered Duke the week AFTER, much to the disappointment of many of the tour attendees! We always said Daisy had a mind of her own.
Daisy was a marvelous mother and adored her calf. She produced large amounts of rich milk with which we made cheese and yogurt (oh my was it good!) All of our animals benefitted from her heavenly milk. Our pigs adored it and would fight to the very last drop. The rabbits always got their share after delivering their litters and of course the dogs and cats slurped it up too. Even the hens, turkeys and ducks enjoyed some. Daisy literally fed almost every living thing on our farm.
We moved Daisy to our new farm in early June 2015 along with her Jersey buddy Bessie while Duke remained behind at the old farm to be weaned. He had formed a tight bond with the pony Corrie so he was well looked after. We were preparing to rebreed Daisy and Bessie was also going to be bred for the first time as well.
Sadly, not long after the move Daisy's udder became injured and she developed a serious and life threatening infection. Even after emergency veterinary treatment and hours of tireless care, this elegant lady could not hold out any longer and she passed away. She is buried in our front field and will always hold a special place in our hearts.
We had no idea where our cow journey would lead. All we could think as we pulled into the long, gravel path that day is that we could not leave this poor girl behind. She was destined to become a part of our family. The Lord certainly blessed us with this gentle soul to guide us through those first days as cow owners and milkers. Her patience was amazing. We will always be grateful for the lessons she taught and we continue to strive to do better each and every day.
Rest in peace dear Daisy. You will never be forgotten.
The slide show below features some of our best times with Daisy.
Our journey into cow ownership began with a Facebook ad of a local man who was offering a Holstein cow for sale. We'd been wanting to add a family dairy cow to our homestead for quite a while but the timing was not quite right so we held off for a few months. When the ad resurfaced once again, we reconsidered and after much prayer and discussion, we scheduled an appointment to go see her. We hooked up the trailer 'just in case' and headed off on the back roads towards Warrenton.
Upon arrival, we were shocked to see this regal girl living in muddy filth up to her knees with a large calf at her side. Taylor and I looked at each other and knew that no matter what, we could not leave her there. The calf was not for sale so we settled on a price and within a few minutes, she was on her way to our farm.
We decided to call her Daisy after the cow my grandfather had owned years before. She was in pitiful shape, having been fed only peanut hulls and junk hay while in full milk. You could count every rib and she was covered with lice and full of internal parasites. After a few months of good feed and lots of herbs to build her up, we took her to the vet to trim her severely overgrown hooves where we learned she had foundered severely within the last year while under this man's care. This girl had suffered much neglect in her time and we were determined to give her the best life possible from here on out. Slowly but surely Daisy's condition began to improve.
After her health was restored, we bred her to a local Beefmaster bull with the full intent of raising the calf for our family's beef. Daisy was massively pregnant during the CFSA farm tour that September and safely delivered Duke the week AFTER, much to the disappointment of many of the tour attendees! We always said Daisy had a mind of her own.
Daisy was a marvelous mother and adored her calf. She produced large amounts of rich milk with which we made cheese and yogurt (oh my was it good!) All of our animals benefitted from her heavenly milk. Our pigs adored it and would fight to the very last drop. The rabbits always got their share after delivering their litters and of course the dogs and cats slurped it up too. Even the hens, turkeys and ducks enjoyed some. Daisy literally fed almost every living thing on our farm.
We moved Daisy to our new farm in early June 2015 along with her Jersey buddy Bessie while Duke remained behind at the old farm to be weaned. He had formed a tight bond with the pony Corrie so he was well looked after. We were preparing to rebreed Daisy and Bessie was also going to be bred for the first time as well.
Sadly, not long after the move Daisy's udder became injured and she developed a serious and life threatening infection. Even after emergency veterinary treatment and hours of tireless care, this elegant lady could not hold out any longer and she passed away. She is buried in our front field and will always hold a special place in our hearts.
We had no idea where our cow journey would lead. All we could think as we pulled into the long, gravel path that day is that we could not leave this poor girl behind. She was destined to become a part of our family. The Lord certainly blessed us with this gentle soul to guide us through those first days as cow owners and milkers. Her patience was amazing. We will always be grateful for the lessons she taught and we continue to strive to do better each and every day.
Rest in peace dear Daisy. You will never be forgotten.
The slide show below features some of our best times with Daisy.
