Grass Based Genetics

There is a set of tools that are required for most every job. If you lack those correct tools the job will be harder to accomplish and the quality of the job may suffer. Grass fed beef is no exception. The most obvious requirement is land and grass. Managing this resource is a challenge on its own, but in the south, we have a long growing season and many options to keep grass available most of the year. The other obvious requirement is cattle. This is where the nuance comes in. Most beef cattle breeds have been bred for years to perform well at a feedlot. A feedlot is where commercial cattle go for their last 100 days of life. They are penned in large groups and fed all the high energy feed (Grains and corn silage) they will eat. These cattle use that high energy feed to add weight and marbling (intramuscular fat that adds flavor to beef). Grass fed beef producers, like yours truly, skip that last step. We allow our cattle to finish their growth on pasture. It would be almost unfair to ask those cattle that were bred for the feedlot to perform well in a grass finishing system, even though some people try to do that exact thing. It's like putting a square peg in a round hole. So what should we do? We need another tool in our toolbox. In the past few years, we have started working with South Poll Cattle. This breed was developed by Randy Owen of the country music group Alabama. Their mission is to establish a cattle breed that will tolerate the southern heat and still perform well on grass. The photo posted above is our South Poll Bull. Our first calf crop from him is currently on the ground and a few months old. He is a direct descendant from a long line of genetics at Bent Tree Farm (Randy Owen's farm), and we couldn't be more happy. This is the tool grass fed beef has needed for a while. Genetics that are selected for their ability to perform on grass. We will be getting more involved with these south poll genetics, and look forward to seeing what they bring to our farm in the future. Like everything else in this clean food movement, this is an iterative improvement. We didn't move our whole country to an industrial food system overnight, and we won't move back overnight. This is a marathon, not a sprint. Improvements like this and many others have me convinced that we are moving in the right direction.

The People you Meet Along the Way

Y'all all know that my family has been farming on the same piece of ground for over 100 years. In 2006, we started selling our food directly to consumers. Our customers have always been those of you that appreciate how your food is produced. We knew what we could do. Dairy farming was our strength due to many years of practice, but we knew we could also produce other products. We first expanded to Eggs, then beef, then chicken, then pork, then turkey, and finally lamb. We were most comfortable with the milk, meat, and eggs, so that's where we live. Fortunately, we knew where to draw the line. There are many areas of agriculture that are out of our wheelhouse. For those items we turn to the many awesome people we have met in this field over the past 15 years. Brian Hager and Wendy Crager were some of the first folks we met along this journey. Crager-Hager farm is a small organic vegetable farm in Temple, GA. They were both part of a food co-op in the Carrolton area that we worked with back in the early days of the clean food movement. Brian and Wendy grow fantastic vegetables and are just good, nice, people. Knowing people like this really blesses my life and helps me not worry as much about the world when I watch the news. Having these people in my life also benefits you. This week Wendy called to say that they have a nice ginger crop and wanted to know if I would offer it to you guys, our customers. Of course, I did, and that ginger is online now before it is even dug. All of that happens not because of a polished and well-tuned business plan, but because of relationships. Respect and trust on all levels from producer to consumer is what makes the wheels turn around here. Crager-Hager farm and many other local farms know that I will pay them a fair price and represent their products respectfully and transparently. We do what we do, and we let other farmers excel in their field of choice. Ultimately, I hope you know that we and the other farmers we work with, strive to produce the highest quality products possible. It is my goal to be a connection between the excellent farmers in our region and the conscientious consumers we serve. It really is a beautiful thing and one that is not replicated often enough. Win - Win - Win.

Van Problems

They say when it rains it pours. That has definitely been the case around here when it comes to mechanical breakdowns. We have 4 vans to run 3 routes. Theoretically, we have a backup. However, lately, they have been going down in 2's. A couple of weeks ago the Mercedes and the Ford both were down for a few weeks with major issues. Fuel related problems for the Mercedes and a transmission replacement for the Ford. I was like, dang, that was bad. We eventually got them back on the road and felt whole. I felt like we had weathered the storm. That is until this past Friday. On Friday afternoon the transmission in the Dodge went out, and a belt broke on the Chevy causing it to run hot. Hopefully, the Chevy is quickly repairable, because the Dodge will most likely take some time. Whew, this is a challenge. We will make every effort to not allow these hurdles to interfere with the delivery schedule. This isn't the joyful story you've come to expect in this spot, but I vowed to use this space to give you insight into what's happening on the farm. Right now it seems like these breakdowns are all that's happening.

Vacation's over.

Today was our first day back from our camping vacation at the beach. Of course, the day was spent catching up. Between the preemptive work on the front end, and the catch up work on the back end... vacations can be a lot of work. None the less, It was great to unplug as much as I can and get away from the farm for a few days. Most importantly it was good to spend some uninterrupted time with the kids and Julie.

Our Spring quarantine project was a 1998 class C motorhome that Julie and I refurbished. Affectionately known as "Big Ben with a V- 10". This was our first long road trip with Big Ben, and he performed flawlessly. Wren(4) became a natural snorkeler. She watched Jersey (10) for a few minutes and then there she went. Jersey and I explored the lake in our canoe. Atticus (8) celebrated a birthday while we were gone. The family time was fantastic, and it makes me realize that they are growing up fast. Way to fast.

Now that I'm back at the farm, I'm running a little late. I was just now able to get some inventory done, and the email is about 10 hours later than normal. We have a fantastic selection of veggies that are now posted, and a robust veggie share for this week. Chicken, Lamb, Beef, and Pork are online, and the milk and egg selection looks better than in the last few weeks. I do love this job, and I love bringing y'all some of the best food in our region. But I have to say, I'm still looking foreword to the next time we roll down the road in 'ol Big Ben.