RAISING OUR BEEF
Four Winds Farm consists of 107 rolling acres of native prairie, wetland ponds, brushy fencerows, woods and of course lush pastures. Our Black and Red Angus cattle live their whole life on lush rich pastures that consist of a diverse mixture of grasses and legumes. They have access to water in every pasture, as well as access to salt, minerals and kelp meal that we think as the ‘seasoning’ for their diet.
In the winter the cattle have access to grass-legume hay that is fed ‘free choice’ in large round bales out on pasture. We set the bales out on pasture in the fall, and then make a few bales available at a time, using lightweight portable electric fence wire on wind up reels to manage their meals. While the cattle have access to a barn, they choose to stay out on the pastures year round. They develop thick coats in the winter, and have access to wind breaks during storms. Cattle evolved as ‘prey’ animals, and they feel most comfortable when they have a full view of their surroundings. Cattle also stay healthier when they are able to breath fresh air and are under the low stress situation on pasture. We have selected for calm temperament in our cows, as both a management consideration – we are out with them in the pastures every day - and also because calm temperament is correlated to meat tenderness.
We have had a closed herd since 1993, meaning no new animals have come onto the farm since that date. This has helped in disease management. We do not use any steroid hormone implants or antibiotics in the feed or water. We also have never used any animal byproducts in their feed. Animal byproducts have been implicated in the spread of “mad cow” disease.
Humane production and handling. To minimize stress for our cattle, we mimic as close as possible their natural environment. They live in a group with long-term relationships, out in the open, moving to fresh pasture almost daily eating grass and drinking pure water. Occasionally we have to bring the cattle in to give them vaccinations, pregnancy checks or for some other reason. We use a system that was designed by Dr. Temple Grandin that relies on cattle's natural movement patterns. Rather than the rectangular, open sided corrals of the old west that relied on lots of shouting and fear-based movements, our facility gently steers the cows along curved, solid walls to where we want them to go. For more information on Dr. Temple Grandin and her remarkable ability to translate animal behavior, go to www.grandin.com or read her book, “Thinking In Pictures”. |