OUR CATTLE
WHY CHOOSE JAMES RIVER BEEF
Our cattle spend their entire lives in pastures, grazing freely on open fields. This not only supports their health and quality of life, but also results in higher quality beef. In addition to pasture forage, we supplement their diet once a day with non-GMO corn and flaxseed, providing our meat with greater flavor and tenderness as well as healthy omega-3s and essential vitamins to support their quick growth and our customer's health. This balanced approach allows us to care for our animals responsibly while producing beef that’s highly nutritious, flavorful, and raised with integrity.
BREEDS
Black Angus
Hereford
Our cattle are an equal Angus/Hereford mix bred by a Hereford bull and Angus mommas. Our Hereford bull contributes docile genetics that make our cattle easy to raise and care for while also producing pasture forage efficient offspring (cattle efficient at turning grass into muscle). Herefords are also known for their ability to produce marbling (intramuscular fat that melts while cooking releasing more flavor and making the meat more tender to eat). Our Angus mommas bring more excellent marbling, tenderness, and flavor that angus cattle are known for. They also have high fertility rates leading to a good crop of calves on the farm year to year. All in all these breeds make for cattle that are gentle and easy to work with while creating an excellent end product that is incredibly tender and flavorful.
Our cattle's diet
Our cattle are lifelong pastured-raised and based. To maximize the nutrients the cattle receive from our pastures, we apply our own compost extract to the fields as part of our commitment to regenerative farming and building healthy soil from the ground up. This natural solution stimulates beneficial microbial activity in the soil, creating a thriving underground ecosystem. As the biology of the soil improves, so does its ability to retain moisture, cycle nutrients, and support strong, diverse plant life. The result is healthier, more nutrient-dense forage for our animals, giving them the quality pasture they need to thrive, and in turn packing more nutrients in the meat.
We include the powerful superfood flaxseed in our cattle's diet for the natural benefits it provides for both our animals and the families we serve. Flax is rich in fiber and packed with healthy omega-3s, both of which support the overall health of the cattle, boost their immune systems, and even help reduce issues like pinkeye. These nutrients don’t just benefit the cattle, they carry through to the beef we produce, resulting in a product that’s more nutrient dense and heart healthy. Their pasture-based diet reduces inflammatory omega-6s in the meat, and the flaxseed supplement provides the omega-3s that most people are lacking in their normal diet. We also include a once-a-day feeding of our farm's home-grown non-GMO corn in our cattle's diet to increase their muscle production for greater marbling and flavor.
All of these practices are put in place to ensure that our cattle are of the highest quality so our customers can trust what they serve to their family.
