Dating back for generations, legend has, when you open a persimmon seed and the center reveals a white spoon shape within the seed, it signals a heavy wet winter with lots of snow to shovel. According to several recent posts I’ve read on social media, we are going to have that kind of winter. While our grandkids are excited about that possibility, most farmers and ranchers aren’t. We definitely welcome the moisture after this very hot, dry summer, however, shoveling snow and breaking ice are not that much fun. So how do we prepare for such an eventful announcement on our farm?
We do what we always do, store up lots of hay and check the barn areas to make sure we can clear them easily so the cattle have a place to get out of the weather. Remember, we spoil our cattle. And this year, we plan to ease our water-hauling burden by installing a pump station that feeds from our spring-fed pond to storage tanks in our finishing pasture. We’ve been hauling water up there for years! This is one of our major projects for the Fall season; that, and trimming some and removing other trees around the property. It’s going to be a very busy few months around here, but hey, that’s nothing new!
This farm update is coming late in the year. It’s been a busy, but wonderful year so far. Although we’ve experienced the extreme weather this summer, we are so happy our cattle have still continued to graze green grass throughout the summer. We have some areas in a couple of pastures that we will continue adding organic matter to improve the soil. We have seen a huge improvement in our entire property since we’ve been practicing rotational grazing and adding organic matter to the soil.
Calving season went very well and all are healthy and growing fast. Another month, and we will be weaning the majority. Most of our calves were born within 30 days, beginning in March, with a couple of stragglers calving in June. Mr Miyagi has been such a great bull. His disposition is gentle and he gets the job done! We need to begin looking for another bull to bring in new genetics. We will be very sad to see the Mr move on to new pastures. All of our beef is Angus/Akaushi cross , over 75% Akaushi on that blend. We will continue pasture raising all, with the majority finished on a custom blend of feed, primarily cotton seed meal, molasses, peanut meal and a little bit of corn. Cattle remain on pasture with the feed added to their diet 90-120 days. While this is ours, and the large majority of our customers preferred method of finishing, we will offer grass finished only, in the spring and early summer upon advance notice, for the entire steer or heifer.
All of our beef comes from steers or heifers born and raised on our farm. We do not vaccinate, add hormones or antibiotics. They spend their 24-30 month life on our farm, grazing our beautiful pastures and resting under the abundant trees along the creeks and ponds. We spend so much time with them daily, watching over and down-right spoiling them , and we are very proud of that fact.
We haven’t participated in many farmers markets recently because we frequently sell out and have back-orders to fill. Occasionally you will find us at special markets when our inventory permits. We have a relatively small farm, about 30 cows, and although we could expand that number, we prefer to make sure to have plenty of grass for those momma cows and their babies.
Jump Family Farm in LaRue carries our beef in their farm store. They offer lots of goodies in their store, including pork, chicken, goats milk and garden vegetables, along with many other canned items.
Honey harvesting was a bit later than normal, but our bee hives produced some tasty honey. Jars are available now for purchase online, and we hope to include them in some beef package offerings later in the season. It was a tough honey season for many, with production down. Bees don’t appreciate hot dry summers either!
This year we decided to go with all one color egg laying chickens. We needed a better way to determine the age, and who was still laying. This year, the color is white. The new chickens began producing about a month ago, and of course, their eggs start out small. They’ve finally reached the medium/large size, producing on average , 20/day. Our hens free range their portable fenced area, and we move them to new areas about every three weeks. They have a large fenced area, so that keeps them happy. We sell eggs, but we love to offer them as a bonus to our customers who frequently order.
If you’re looking for a custom package or simply have questions about our products or farm, drop us an email to [email protected] We’ve updated our shipping and delivery options due to high shipping costs. We presently DO NOT SHIP, however, we offer free local delivery within 30 miles of Frankston for orders $140 minimum. With customers in the Nacogdoches and Conroe area, we typically deliver in those areas every couple of months. We welcome you to the farm as well, just notify us to set up a time so we can meet you at the gate. We have cattle that are frequently grazing around the entrance.
PRESENTLY, THE NEXT RESTOCKING OF BEEF IS OCTOBER 2026. We’ve been selling lots of halves and wholes this year. Reserving early is recommended. If you don’t see a product available or listed on our website, feel free to email and inquire. I often times have stock that’s not on our site since we have people who come by the farm rather than ordering online.
Prayers lifted for you all to remain healthy and strong. Give thanks for the freedom we enjoy, and for those who risk their lives for our freedom. God bless the USA! Remember to always VOTE. Our FREEDOM depends on it.
Sharon & Mike
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