BEEF
Life on the Farm
Our herd roams freely on the hilly pasture ground of the Middle Fork Farm near Tell City, Indiana. They enjoy free choice access to the fresh grass and hay we produce on our farm. When our cattle reach the appropriate age, we transition them to our modern barn, where their diet consists of custom mixed feed. We create their fresh food on-site utilizing corn and hay we grow ourselves and minerals and nutrients designed specifically for their dietary needs.
Our family, Danny, Nick, Mike, and Gilbert Kleaving, tend to the herd, often with the next generation of 'little helpers' in tow. We interact with the animals daily and can tell when something isn't quite right. We are in tune with our animals and notice small changes. When an animal needs some TLC, our first line of treatment is to utilize holistic practices. There are times when more conventional remedies are required. If it is determined that antibiotics are necessary to bring the animal back to health, this will be administered under the guidance of a veterinarian. We don't practice herd inoculation and never give our animals growth hormones. We not only produce beef for your family, it feeds our family, and we want what is best for our children.
Breed
We raise Angus and Angus cross-breed cattle. Angus beef develops with better marbling throughout the meat. Most people agree that marbling improves flavor, tenderness, and keeps the meat moist while cooking.
Nutrition and Flavor
Beef is an excellent source of complete protein and minerals such as zinc, selenium, phosphorus, iron, and B vitamins. Click here for the top 10 nutrients. Dietary practices and breed lend to our beef's optimal flavor and texture. In addition, our processing partners typically dry-age your beef before custom cutting. This dry aging intensifies the natural beef flavor and acts as a tenderizer. The dry aging time varies for each butcher, but you can inquire about it.
Size
Our beef usually weighs between 1150 - 1300 lbs. According to partnered processors and our experience, beef cattle generally yield about 40% of their live weight (what it weighs when it walks on the scales at the butcher) back in your freezer. Live Weight Explained.
Example: Live animal weighs 1300 lbs. You will receive approximately 525 pounds of steaks, roasts, and ground beef in your freezer. You can also request organ meat and soup bones, as well as other specialty items from the butcher shop.
Pricing
We have implemented flat fee pricing to expedite and simplify the payment process. We have experimented with many forms of payments and weighing measures (live weight, hanging weight, or carcass weight). We have found that our customers prefer our one-payment option. We are electing to price our butchered beef at one flat fee. This means you are the winner with this form of pricing. We have based our cost on our smaller animal. If the animal is larger - you win - you'll have more meat in your freezer. One other word on pricing, we don't pretend to compete with big box stores on low prices or low quality. One taste, and you will experience the difference in the quality of our beef.
Learn More
Danny, the beef-producing brother, can help if you have additional questions about our beef. Please leave a message via phone, text, or email. He will get back to you when he completes his farm work and caring for his 4 children.
