FAQ's

Dexter cattle top out at around 8-900 pounds on average, and with our limited amount of grazing acres we knew we needed a breed that required less total acres to be raised the way we wanted. In addition, because of their smaller size, dexter cattle have the ability to produce well marbled, tender meat on grass alone with no grain inputs needed.

Again, it comes down to limited space. To ensure the meat will be the highest quality possible, it is critical that high energy (sugar) forages are available to the finishing animals the last 60-90 days before processing. This means grazing "crops" must be planted in a dedicated field every spring in order to be ready for the finishing period every summer/fall. The WR is currently experimenting with grass finishing, but our limited access to fields available to plant limits how many animals can be grass finished each year. 

Currently, our finishing practice is what's known as "grain on grass." Animals that are scheduled to go to the processor are separated from the rest of the herd in their last 60 days of life. This allows two things. First, it lowers the stress of the animals long before processing to ensure the meet will not have any "off" flavor due to high levels of cortisol in the blood. Second, it allows those specific animals to be offered a small amount of barley every day. We start at a half pound per day for three weeks, then slowly work our way up to a maximum of two pounds per day during the remainder of the 60 days. This tiny amount of grain ensures we do not change the microbe balance inside the animal's rumen, which would cause them to no longer utilize the grasses, legumes, and forbs that they continue eating to make up the majority of their diet. The combination of what they graze on pasture and the small amount of barley ensures the meat will be marbled, tender, and full of flavor.

Simply put, small grains can be better for the environment. Adding small grains (wheat, barley, oats) into a normal corn and soybean rotation has many benefits for farmers, the largest being soil health and water quality improvements and the decreased use of chemical fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides. We love to support any farming operation that is trying to get back to a more natural way of raising our food. Our steam rolled barley comes from small operations in Sioux City, Iowa.

Beef animals on the WR are processed at 24-30 months of age. This allows the opportunity for the cattle to slowly put on fat from grass after they fully mature, which usually takes 15-18 months. Our poultry are processed at around 7-8 weeks of age. This is the standard finishing time for the Cornish Cross breed. LEARN MORE

The fat on our protein products tends to be a more yellow color due to the higher levels of beta-carotene. This is because the animals spend their lives on pasture and eat a natural diet rich in chlorophyll. Beta-carotene is an antioxidant as well as a natural form of vitamin A. The white fat that we are all accustomed to in our store bought chicken and beef comes from a diet high in grain. LEARN MORE

Simply put, no. Chickens are omnivores, not herbivores. The Cornish Cross breed needs a diverse mix of plants, insects, and some sort of high starch grain to put on weight and create meat worth eating. LEARN MORE about our poultry feed ration.