The kids and I drove out to a farm in Tillamook today that we are considering buying beef from this year. I always like to meet our meat, so to speak, and to have the opportunity to chat with the farmers and see the animals living conditions in person. There is only so much you can tell from pictures and conversations over the phone, and it's really important to us to support the farmers that are raising the kind of meat we want to eat. For us, that's meat from animals that have been raised on pasture in large family type groups, eat an exclusive diet of grass/grass silage, and are humanly dispatched on farm. I knew right away that this farm was going to check all the boxes, and as a bonus, the farmers were really wonderful people. They gave us a tour of their beautiful farm, and didn't mind our questions at all. They even took us inside and fed us some steak from one of their cows that they had grilled up the night before!
Their land was absolutely beautiful, and the kids and I really enjoyed walking around while the farmers showed us their farm and cows. I can only imagine what it would be like to wake up to this view every morning!
Most of the cows were waaaaaay off in the far pastures. All their cows are born on the farm, and the babies and mamas get to spend around a year and a half together in these back pastures. Only when they are old enough to be harvested (a nicer way of saying slaughtered!) are they moved the the front pastures closer to the house. I love that they get to grow up with their mama's, nursing as long as they need, and eating delicious green grass the rest of their lives. This is truly how nature intended cows to live!
(click on the picture to make it bigger)
The water troughs were closer up to the house, so we did get to see a couple cows make the walk from their pastures to the barn area to get a drink. They walked up the dirt road in little groups:
If a cow can look happy and content, these guys certainly did. It was fun for the kids to watch them walk up, stand around waiting while each cow got a chance to drink, and then head back out with the rest of their families. And this little guy was extra cute! He's a yearling, so he still has a while before he ends up on a dinner plate:
We will definitely be ordering a whole cow share from this farm, this year and hopefully for years to come. I am so impressed with everything they do and how dedicated they are to their animals. I love supporting local farmers, and I am really excited to stock our freezer with delicious meat this fall!
Their land was absolutely beautiful, and the kids and I really enjoyed walking around while the farmers showed us their farm and cows. I can only imagine what it would be like to wake up to this view every morning!
Most of the cows were waaaaaay off in the far pastures. All their cows are born on the farm, and the babies and mamas get to spend around a year and a half together in these back pastures. Only when they are old enough to be harvested (a nicer way of saying slaughtered!) are they moved the the front pastures closer to the house. I love that they get to grow up with their mama's, nursing as long as they need, and eating delicious green grass the rest of their lives. This is truly how nature intended cows to live!
(click on the picture to make it bigger)
The water troughs were closer up to the house, so we did get to see a couple cows make the walk from their pastures to the barn area to get a drink. They walked up the dirt road in little groups:
If a cow can look happy and content, these guys certainly did. It was fun for the kids to watch them walk up, stand around waiting while each cow got a chance to drink, and then head back out with the rest of their families. And this little guy was extra cute! He's a yearling, so he still has a while before he ends up on a dinner plate:
We will definitely be ordering a whole cow share from this farm, this year and hopefully for years to come. I am so impressed with everything they do and how dedicated they are to their animals. I love supporting local farmers, and I am really excited to stock our freezer with delicious meat this fall!