About Uncommon Beef

This small family-run cattle operation exists because of a simple common dream. The dream to pass onto my family something tangible and timeless, an agrarian lifestyle. A lifestyle anchored in hard work worth doing, knowing where our food comes from, raising and providing high-quality animal protein to our community and caring for and giving back to the land that gives us so much. 
 

All journeys must start somewhere. Ours began with four bred Aberdeen Angus cross cows. We planned to raise and direct-market their calves and to slowly expand our herd. Things were going, we even had two of the original heifer calves bred (our second generation of calf crop). However, when drought came to our region and pitched its tent to stay, hay prices tripled in a year and we were forced to innovate or perish. We had too many input expenses to be profitable in a retained ownership model. And, like many other Montana operations we had to liquidate our momma cows at the sale barn (for a third of their value) because we weren't able to feed them through the winter. Our operation almost ceased to exists. But, my oldest AJ and I decide not to give up and sell out altogether.

 

The plan moving forward is to focus on soil and pasture health so we can reduce our dependence on purchased hay. We will buy weanlings and yearlings from neighboring ranches we personally know that practice regenerative agriculture and we will grass finish them. Our stocking rate will increase during the growing season and decrease in the dormant season, this also gives the land a rest.

The cattle always live their entire lives in open fields and eat a diet best suited for ruminant animals of diverse grasses.

• No artificial growth hormones

• No preventative antibiotics routines

• No corn, soy or GMO feed

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There is a growing demand from our friends and neighbors to reconnect with where their food comes from that is why we choose to direct-market to our local community. The cattle are harvested and processed locally and sold locally as well. We choose not to ship (sorry). The cattle then take a short ride to a USDA inspected meat processing facility and lastly the beef heads straight to the freezers of our customers. We're proud to play a small but important part in the local food system. This way our customers can trust the quality of the beef in their freezers and the food dollars spent through this system are kept here in our rural community.  

We are proud first-generation cattle producers. We have a lot to learn through this journey! 
We invite you along for the ride!