Wind, Dust, and Water

Wind Blown, Dust Covered, & Water Drenched Farm Life!

Wind, dust, and water are what met the Sallee family after a 20 hour journey from the sunny state of Florida to Benkendorf Family Farms in Oklahoma. The Benkendorf Family Farm has now grown by four; Brian & Nicole, 5th generation and their children, Riley & Emma, 6th generation. Their friends in Florida ask, “Why on earth would you leave Florida and move to Oklahoma?” For Brian & Nicole, the answer is quite simple – Family!

Nicole expands...

Plungng into farm life has been a crazy experience for us.

Wind.

The wind was nothing new.  There is wind in Florida, but nothing like this.  I’m talking metaphorically. We have two small children, Riley is four and Emma is one.  If you have kids you know…whirlwind…tornado –  EVERYWHERE. Now we have come to embrace the wind. I pull back my hair, put on my BF Farms cap, and watch life breathe onto this beautiful farm and through our wonderful family.

Dust.

Dust is everywhere and dusting is futile. Since one of my roles on the farm is to keep the house fairly clean and in functioning condition, I tried so hard, at first, to keep the mud and dust from entering the house. Here’s the metaphor. When you live on a farm, work is right outside.  You hear the animals through the walls and you see the work to be done through your windows.  Boundaries are impossible.  I am learning how to let go – to embrace the downtimes and roll with the work that needs to be done…and go to Starbucks every now and then to gain sanity!

Water.

Crazy thing – we left a pretty wet state with pools and beaches, and rain every afternoon.  We were told this was a very dry state.  Lies.  It rained for two whole weeks when we got here and then a little more a week later.  Holy Moly!  I don’t know how religious everyone reading this is, but both Brian and I have been baptized.  Like the full dunk.  It was an incredible experience for us.  An outward display of what was already brewing in our hearts.  Then we were refreshed and ready to start a new life….do you see where I’m headed?  Like the cattle, sheep, and our garden need water to refresh and restart…after the rain, we were ready.  Poop, dirt, expos, hard labor and all…we were in it.

So you see, farm life is both… both dirty and fun, both crazy and clear, both complex and simple.

The thing that’s so special about this farm is that everyone has a common goal and lives by that goal.  We want every individual and every household to be healthy.  To eat the highest quality food to be able to live the highest quality lives.  What we offer is grass-fed beef and lamb and we will do that to the best of our ability.

We’re in it!

BF-Farms, LLC

Oklahoma's #1 source for 100% grass-fed beef and lamb.

www.BF-Farms.com

The Grass-Fed Movement

The “Other Benefits” of the Grass-fed Movement

The grass-fed movement in the United States has been propelled by health concerns. And because most grass-fed beef is marketed as whole or half, people are becoming excited about trying parts of a beef they didn’t even know existed.

The Magruder Ranch in California raises grass-fed beef, and they market their animals similar to the way we do at BF Farms – with the exception of one thing. 70% of their orders come from restaurants with the balance sold to individuals. Both the Magruder Ranch and BF Farms market primarily whole or half beef, but BF Farms markets almost exclusively to individuals.

So, what’s the point??
There is a trend occurring in the United States. People want to enjoy all parts of a beef rather than the few select cuts generally offered in a grocery store.

The feedlot revolution has concentrated on only one theme – how well a steak is marbled. This has created the government grading system of Choice and Prime. Many forward thinking chefs are now saying that there is much more to a beef than a well-marbled steak. Yes, California may be ahead of Oklahoma in this trend, but this trend is coming our way. It’s our BF Farms’ customers who are on the cutting edge of this new trend!

In a way, each of you is a chef creating new and interesting ways to prepare different parts of your grass-fed beef. Most local restaurants and their chefs here in Oklahoma are still reluctant to order a whole of half beef – but it IS coming!

Just know that what is in your freezer is special. Yes, you already know the health benefits of 100% grass-fed beef, but together we are learning new and unique ways to use the entire beef. One of these uses is bone marrow to make bone broth. It’s mind boggling to think that for years many people have been throwing away probably the most nutritious part of a grass-fed beef.

We keep challenging our processor not to throw away anything that may have value. Example: one unique, small piece of meat called “cheek meat” surfaced. This is a small portion of meat in the head of a beef that is generally discarded. This is delicious cooked at a low, moist heat all day in a crock pot. In addition, we have customers who request all organ meats along with the sweet breads.

We encourage you, our customers, to share ways you’re preparing your grass-fed beef. Email us so we can post your recipes in blogs and on our Facebook page. From there, share your recipes with your friends!

Grass-Fed Animals

What Vegetation do BF Farms’ Grass-Fed Animals Eat?

Grass-fed animals at BF Farms get not only a wide variety of grasses, but also forbs, legumes, and herbs. Let’s define each:

Grasses: Grasses are blade plants which we are most familiar – such as Bermuda grass.

Forbs: Forbs are plants that produce leaves – such as strawberry and tomato plants.

Legumes: Legumes are plants with leaves that are high in protein and put natural nitrogen back into the soil. Examples would be Austrian Winter Peas and cow peas.

Herbs: Herbs are medicinal and best described as plants that help keep animals healthy. Examples are dandelion and morning glory.

At different times throughout the year, we will see over 25 different grasses, forbs, legumes, and herbs growing at BF Farms. This variety enhances the health of our animals but it is also essential for the taste and tenderness of our meat.

During the spring and summer months, we will see rye grass, Bermuda grass, crab grass, Sudan grass, fox tail grass, cheat grass, June grass, and all the various native grasses including bluestem grass.

Spring and summer forbs include amaranth, buckwheat, morning glory and the native forbs.

For legumes, we rely on summer peas also called cow peas. For herbs, we rely on native herbs such as dandelion and morning glory. We will soon be adding chicory and alfalfa.

During the fall and winter months, we feel it is very important for raising quality beef and lamb that our animals have something green to eat. Two grasses that we have relied on are cereal rye grass and barley grass. Both of these like the colder weather and do well in our area. We also add radishes and turnips (forbs) and winter peas (legumes). In addition, we provide free choice hay, either standing or baled. Our favorite hay is bluestem because of its deep roots that provide high mineral content food for our cattle and sheep during the winter.

Raising a quality grass-fed beef or lamb involves a lot more than just turning them out in a pasture and hoping for the best. Just like people, our animals are what they eat. We not only want the taste and tenderness to be there, but we also want our cattle and lambs to be nutritious. We know you can’t taste health, but we certainly feel good knowing that we’re giving it out best shot.

www.BF-Farms.com
BF-Farms, LLC, your source for 100% grass-fed lamb and beef.

Big Beef Today & Small Beef of Years Ago

What is the Difference Between the Big Beef of Today & the Small Beef of Years ago?

Is there a difference between the big beef of today & small beef of years ago? Pryor to 1950 (before the feedlot revolution), farmers would routinely butcher their beef either while they were still nursing their mothers or shortly thereafter. Because they were younger, they were smaller in size. These cattle would “finish” at lighter weights. “Finished” is a term used to mean that meat has reached its optimum flavor and tenderness.

With the feedlot revolution incorporating cheap grain, primarily corn, a whole new industry developed, fueled by big money. Cattle were bred to produce beeves that required a longer time to finish on grain, and the result was butchering beef at much heavier weights – up to 1,500 pounds!

Today with the health concerns raised with grain-fed beef, many people are looking back at the all-natural, grass-fed paradigm that existed prior to 1950. The big question by producers is how do we make these big cattle, created by the feedlot revolution, work in an all-natural, grass-fed paradigm. There are different opinions, of course, but BF Farms has chosen to go with its own history – what it was doing in the 1930s and 1940s. I can personally remember my father identifying a calf that he wanted for our meat. This calf would continue nursing its mother until it was slaughtered at around 600 to 700 pounds. This meat was fantastic! In fact, this was during the time when liver, accompanied by onions, was still one of the most popular dishes. I can’t say that about today’s, grain-fed liver!

It is this little bit of history, together with our research, and along with mother’s milk, that causes us to go with the smaller beef because we are better able to control the quality.

To accomplish this goal, we had to find the genetics. Research from Australia, where the Lowline Angus was developed, was our link. The Lowline Angus breed is a smaller animal that “finishes” at a younger age. We use the genetics of the very popular Angus breed, together with the Lowline Angus, and the tenderness of the Jersey breed that creates the grass-fed beef BF Farms is producing. With 5 generations of history at BF Farms, I guess you can say we have come full circle. Yes, our beef won’t weigh as much when they’re processed, but we feel we can deliver a better product. And remember, you only pay for what you get, regardless of its weight!

Bone Marrow Broth - A Recipe for Health!

Bone marrow broth helps build strong, healthy cells.

Bones that have been cut so the bone marrow is easily released help provide the raw materials for strong, healthy cells and immune development. Bones from beeves or lambs that consume a diet rich in plants, house a variety of powerful nutrients that are released when simmered slowly for a few hours. Slowly simmered bones provide a broth that can be used in a variety of dishes: stews, soups, rice, etc. *

Bone broth provides the nutritional synergy to calm an overactive immune system while supplying the body with raw materials to rebuild stronger and healthier cells. Broth made from grass-fed bones is a great healing food when the body is encountering stress from bacterial or viral infections as well as digestive disorders and leaky gut syndrome. *

BONE BROTH

2 pounds marrow cut bones
1 gallon water
2 TB apple cider vinegar
1 onion
2 carrots
2 stalks celery

Optional: 1 bunch fresh parsley (or dried), 2 garlic cloves, 2 bay leaves, additional herbs & spices; basil, oregano, etc.

Preparation:
In large stockpot, put 1 gallon water for each 2 pounds of bones. Add vinegar and let sit 30 minutes. (This is important!) Add roughly chopped vegetables; onions, carrots, & celery. Add garlic and herbs.

Bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer. Cover and let simmer for at least 24 hours.

Remove foam from top during first few hours, and throw away. After cooking, remove pot from heat and let cool slightly. Strain to remove vegetables and bones. Season to taste with salt and pepper. What you now have is delicious, nutritious beef broth.

Use now, and/or freeze for future use.

Beef and lamb provided by BF Farms, LLC are raised on a 100% grass and plant diet. They are never given growth hormones or antibiotics and can be processed with bones cut so the marrow is released.

*    Reference: http://naturalnews.com/040493_bone_broth_immune_health_nutrients.html