How Our Cattle Are Raised

Raised with Care

*A several-week-old calf looking at us from his comfortable spot*

For more than 19 years, we've dedicated ourselves to nurturing grass-fed beef, overseeing our herd of around 75 Angus cattle. Situated on our quaint farm near Shipshewana, we also lease several farms and pastures in the surrounding area. Each summer, spring, and fall, we harvest our robust and well-nourished yearlings, offering their frozen meat to eager customers. Additionally, we specialize and take pride in breeding and raising high-quality heifers, which we sell to other farms annually.

Sometimes newborn twins need some time by the fire :)

Raising and tending to our cattle is not just a job or duty, but a profound passion that we genuinely enjoy and find great satisfaction in.

Healthy & Happy

Spring heralds the arrival of our calves on the farm, born to our attentive mother cows beginning in March. We prioritize a natural upbringing for our cattle, allowing them to nurse from their mothers for an extended period, typically until they reach around 10 months of age. This step is crucial in being able to consistently deliver the superior quality meat our customers have grown to anticipate from us.

One of our little heifer calves just a couple weeks old

Throughout spring, summer, and fall, they roam our lush pastures in rotation, indulging in the abundance of natural nutrients and fresh air. In winter, they enjoy a diet of nutritious, high-quality hay. Our cattle reach their optimal maturity in their second year, having grown robust, with stout frames, and a lustrous coat, ready to be harvested from the pasture.

All our cattle are raised without the use of grain, growth hormones, chemicals, or GMO products.

Pastures Abundant in nutrients

One of our lush pastures our cows are enjoying

We carefully and skillfully manage all our pastures to provide the most lush and nutritious plants for our cows to enjoy. In the months leading up to butchering, we carefully rotate our yearlings across our finest pastures and Sudan-grass fields, aiming for that optimal marbling effect that enhances both juiciness and tenderness.

Regular weighing of each calf throughout the year allows us to meticulously monitor their growth progress. Every steer receives close scrutiny to ensure they gain weight appropriately, ensuring the production of premium-quality meat. The finest heifers are selectively bred and either sold to other farmers or retained as replacements within our herd.

*Curious bred heifers checking out what we are doing.*

Selected for high quality genetics

Chosen for superior genetic traits, we meticulously monitor the genetic makeup of our herd, ensuring traits such as fertility, phenotype, health, calving ease, grass-fed adaptability, sturdy feet for traversing our expansive fields, gentle disposition, and robust hips. Our breeding process involves careful selection of purebred Angus bulls to complement and enhance these desirable characteristics in our cows.

Standards & Quality

At Pleasant Meadow Farm, we recognize that the process of raising and fattening cattle on grass is slower and more expensive compared to grain-fed or feedlot methods. However, we believe that the additional time and effort invested in this approach are justified, as it enables us to yield beef that is both healthier and more flavorful.

Through meticulous management, cattle can naturally develop marbling on pasture without the need for supplements. We aim for our beef to strike a balance between leanness and sufficient fat content, ensuring a delicious flavor and juiciness in every bite.