ETHICALLY RAISED BEEF
It really does make a difference!
2020 changed everything, for many, but especially for those in the beef industry. Out of a need, an opportunity was born: a chance to meet the needs of our community and friends and provide for our family. And it has made all the difference! It's the reason you may be at this website today...
Typically, we market our steers in March through the feedlot or our local sale barns. But, in 2020, as COVID 19 sent the cattle markets into a tailspin, we were stumped on how to proceed. We made the initial decision to retain ownership and hope the markets would rebound. It soon became apparent, however, that no upswing was coming, and we were running out of grass. As we were loading our animals on the trailer to go to the barn, there was a general feeling of unease. We were proud of the quality of steers raised and aware of the shortage of meat on the shelves. We decided to take a chance and pulled back 20 steers to feed out as fat cattle. With beef prices from the packers at an all time high during the pandemic, we felt that we could provide our community with a more sustainable product, and thus began the venture into being beef producers.
For Eck Agriculture, the quality of life of these animals is paramount.
Happy, healthy, well-fed cattle = delicious beef from our family farm to your freezer.
Our cattle spend their entire lives on ground that we farm. Calves are born in our backyard. What a wonderful experience to sit at the kitchen table for a meal and watch through the bay windows as the babies run around. Young calves start eating the mixed ration of sorghum silage, crabgrass hay, and alfalfa at the bunks with their mommas and, by mid-spring, are moved out to grass as pairs. Come fall, calves are weaned through our facility that has been designed with Temple Grandin’s low stress cattle handling principles in mind. Weaned calves spend less than 45 days in the pen, consuming a ration similar to their starter ration, with the addition of vitamins and minerals. Once the stress of weaning has decreased and our weaning vaccine protocol is complete, calves are turned back out on fields of wheat, radishes, turnips, and rape. At 15 months of age, the animals start their finish ration blend of cracked corn, cotton seed hulls, pellets, molasses, and vitamins and minerals. Our animals are finished for 120-150 days in pens complete with portable shade structures. We believe grain finished cattle deliver a more consistent product.
We say “taste the difference” because we really believe there is a difference in our beef versus beef purchased from the grocery store. Our records are thorough – we can walk you through the story of any animal you purchase from Eck Ag. This includes dates of birth, weights at various stages of life, a complete vaccine history, and a list of pastures where the animal has grazed until finishing. We offer customers the ability to select a specific animal and receive updates as that animal grows. Did you know that when you purchase beef from the store, you may be purchasing product imported from countries including Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina? As of five years ago, packaging is not required to tell you the source of your store-bought beef. Our promise to you at Eck Agriculture is 100% transparency.
