Article by Julie Brown Patton
Originally published in Clayton Lifestyle
Fresh, tasty, sustainably raised beef is just a click or call away from a nearby fourth-generation family farm.
The Pierce Creek Cattle Company, located in Lonedell, Missouri, offers grass- or grain-finished beef direct to consumers. The company’s cattle graze lush fields with a mixture of grasses, and have access to abundant supplies of freshwater from four natural springs on the farm, assures Kent Evans, whose great-grandparents bought the farm in 1943.
Kent took over operating the farm in 2018, partnering with a neighbor to replenish pastures. He purchased two cattle herds in April 2019.
He then spent hours learning how to be a knowledgeable grass farmer, given Missouri’s topography in Franklin County, using detailed rotational grazing patterns. He also invested time, energy and money into getting enough critical mass of healthy cattle to stay ahead of meat demands.
“Our mission is to make ethically raised beef without hormones, or unnecessary antibiotics, available to people in the St. Louis metropolitan region. We don’t ship it. We deliver it directly to you. Everything is raised locally, to be eaten locally,” he says.
“The meat is processed 15 minutes from the farm, so the cattle don’t lead stressful lives and our customers are getting tasty, flavorful meat,” explains Kent, who says he deliberately approaches his operation in this manner rather than sending younger cattle to a different Midwest location/auction to be finished out and the meat shipped back to be sold.
Kent says he gets numerous requests from folks who grill frequently or who compete in barbecue contests.
While he started selling the meat in quarter, half or whole packages, the model was adjusted to offer beef bundles of small, medium or large sizes, especially when it became difficult for people to purchase freezers during the pandemic. Bundles include a variety of steaks, roasts, ribs, brisket and ground beef; organ meats and soup bones are additional, if available. All beef is sold by weight. It’s delivered within the St. Louis area to a mutually agreeable location and time. “Anyone interested should call, and we’ll work it out,” assures Kent.
He says they get compliments on flavor, the meat’s taste profile and even the packaging. They also offer organ meats and a recipe for making freshly prepared dog food, along with broth, rice and vegetables — which can be frozen to maintain freshness.
Pierce Creek Cattle Company meat also is offered for sale online through the food delivery service, Find Your Farmer. This St. Louis-based online farmers market connects shoppers with local farmers and artisans with fresh, seasonal goods, fruits, vegetables, meats, breads and cheeses. Officers of this new culinary startup have grassroots ties to Washington University. Details can be secured at Find-Your-Farmer.com, on the group’s Facebook page or by emailing findyourfarmer1@gmail.com.
piercecreekcattlecompany@gmail.com
314.420.8696
PierceCreekCattleCompany.com