Home to the best farm-to-table eggs from free-range hens in Montana, the Farmer Boys are excited to announce their newest food, beef! Carrying over their healthy and humane hen raising techniques to the cattle raising industry, Farmer Boy Beef is a high-quality, grass fed and grain finished product that will be found in select stores around the state of Montana. Want to learn more about Farmer Boy Beef and why it is set apart from the other beef options you see in the grocery store? Check out this interview with Alex, one of the Farmer Boys.
When did you start raising cattle?
My brothers and I have been raising cattle our whole lives. My father and grandfather were/are in the business and we have taken it up from them.
What is it like raising cattle in Montana?
It can be challenging, from blizzards at calving to rain storms at weaning time. However, I think the changing weather is part of the fun and it adds some pressure to making sure you can get everything done before the weather changes again. Also, it is a great lifestyle and place to live so adding that all up makes it a blast!
What does it mean for cattle to be grass fed and grain finished?
Our cattle spend all of their lives eating green grass in the spring/summer/ fall and hay in the winter. However, 30-45 days before we process them, we move them onto barley that we grow to add that finish. We believe the grain adds that layer of fat that provides the extra flavor and juiciness.
What is your favorite part about raising cattle?
I was just telling my dad this yesterday. I enjoy the life cycle of it all. Every spring you have the cute baby calves you birth and try to keep alive. Then every fall you send them off as older calves that have grown big and start back over again. It is so fun to see how they mature and grow.
How many cattle do the Farmer Boys raise each year?
We run around 700 head.
Tell us about a day in the life of a cattle rancher?
Most days start feeding calves or cows or both and working with the chickens, washing eggs or checking on them. Depending on the time of year it can move from projects we have mapped out, haying in the summer, calving in the winter, farming in the spring. No two days are usually the same and the variety keeps you on your toes!
Where can customers find and purchase Farmer Boy Beef?
In a week or two it will just be at Orange Street Food Farm, but within a couple months we hope to have beef at all the same stores where you can find our eggs.