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For many years it has been customary for farmers to give their livestock antibiotics regardless of the health of the animal.  Proponents argue that antibiotics promote growth and prevent disease, which in turn creates cheaper meat.  They insist that this is good for the consumer.  Whether you agree or not, most farmers do not have a choice in the matter.  Antibiotics are included in most feed on which both big-scale and small-scale farmers depend.  Therefore most of the meat in the United States has traces of antibiotics.

A few weeks ago on “Oprah,” she interviewed Michael Pollan.  I showed a portion of the show which included a Food IQ Quiz in an article called “Food, Inc.“  According to this quiz the amount of antibiotics administered to livestock was staggering.  It was 28 million pounds of antibiotics a year.  These antibiotics are given to healthy and sick market animals.  These are animals being raised for meat.

After years of being exposed to antibiotic-laden meat, doctors and health officials are beginning to see a correlation with antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria.  Denmark is one of the first nations to discontinue the widespread administration of antibiotics in all of its farm animals.  Of course, farmers can give medicine to sick animals.  Katie Couric recently reported about antibiotic-free animals.  Watch the report for more information.

Watch CBS News Videos Online

As I watched the report, I was very disappointed with the woman representing the National Pork Board.  She was convinced in spite of the evidence of success in Denmark that reducing the amount of antibiotics would hurt the American consumer.  Change is hard for some people, but I believe that soon there will be a huge change in the way that farmers conduct their business and raise their animals.  I hope that it will be a move back to the way our great-grandparents raised food.

Years ago some farmers went against the grain like Applegate Farms (mentioned in the news report) and Cross Creek Cattle Company.  We do not give our animals antibiotics.  If one animal should become ill, then they are immediately separated and treated in a humane manner.  We follow the veterinarian’s instructions and restore the animal’s health.  However, we also remove the animal from the grass fed beef program.

We will not sell a cow that has been treated with antibiotics, growth hormones, and/or steroids for human consumption in our all-natural, grass fed program.  We do not have many problems with sick cows.  In fact I cannot remember the last time that an antibiotic had to be administered to any in our herd.  We provide ample room for grazing, good quality hay, great pastures of grass, and clean drinking water.  We consider these things preventive medicine.

Since we do not feed the cattle grain, then we do not have to worry about antibiotics being delivered to our animals in feed.  Eating grass fed beef from Cross Creek Cattle Company is safe.  No need to worry.  Our reputation depends on it.  We will not sell meat that we would not serve in our own homes.  Therefore, there are no antibiotics in our meat supply.

The other day I stumbled upon a HBO movie called “Temple Grandin.”  It is based on a true story.  Claire Danes stars in the movie as Temple Grandin, an autistic woman who changes the way most cattle businesses treat cattle.  From sale barns to slaughter houses, Dr. Temple Grandin challenged them to rethink how they worked with cattle.

It was an intriguing movie.  I enjoyed watching it.  Most likely, Claire Danes will be nominated for some award because her performance was outstanding.  If you are interested, the movie trailer is below.  You get to see and hear from Dr. Grandin herself.

As much as I liked the movie, this article is not meant to be a review of the movie.  I wanted to discuss Dr. Grandin and cattle handling techniques.

Dr. Temple Grandin is a professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University.  She is autistic, which she believes allows her to see things differently.  Most importantly, she is a keen observer of animal behavior.  She spent years researching cattle in particular.  Dr. Grandin also designs livestock handling facilities, which incorporate all of her research and years of experience.

As a child raised on a working cattle ranch, I already knew the proper techniques of livestock handling because that was how I was taught.  It was how my daddy ranched.  It was the only way we ever worked with our cattle.  Our herd is our livelihood.  You don’t mistreat your livelihood if you want to stay in business.  I only learned recently that our ways were based on Dr. Grandin’s research.  My dad knew a lot about her, her research, and had read many of her articles.

Why would the way that Cross Creek Cattle Company handles their cattle affect you?  It is simple.  Research shows that livestock handling and stress directly affect the meat quality.  When gentle handling and low-stress techniques are employed, there is good meat quality.  This idea is expounded upon in a lengthy article called “The Relationship Between Good Handling/Stunning and Meat Quality of Beef, Pork, and Lamb.”  Four experts co-wrote this article, one of which was Dr. Grandin.

I think that it is fair to say that Dr. Temple Grandin has made a tremendous impact in the cattle industry.  She has also indirectly affected consumers of meat products with her research.  At the end of the movie, it stated that 80% of all cattle handling facilities in the United States employ Dr. Grandin’s techniques of low-stress management and gentle handling.  She has played a large and important role in our lives.

If you are interested in raising grass fed beef, the book, Grass-Fed Cattle by Julius Ruechel is a great resource.  The author spends a good portion of time discussing proper cattle handling techniques.  He introduced me to terms like flight zone and low-stress handling.  I had no idea at the time that these techniques were based on Dr. Grandin’s research.  To me, they were just common sense ways to work with cows.

I am glad to know about Dr. Temple Grandin and her work.  Even though I grew up on a ranch using her techniques, it feels good to know that her research was the reason.  So thank you, Dr. Temple Grandin.  Thank you for working so hard for humane and respectful practices to be used in the cattle industry.

And if you get a chance to see the movie, I recommend it.  I thought it was fascinating.

At Cross Creek Cattle Company, we do not just raise grass fed beef.  We garden organically.  We pick wild grapes and berries.  We tend our fruit trees.  We eat fresh fish from our lake and ponds.  Our family believes in the health benefits of eating real food.

Recently I received many phone calls by family and friends who viewed The Oprah Winfrey Show last week.  I did not watch it as it aired, but Oprah was interviewing Michael Pollan.  He is one of the most famous proponents of natural, healthy foods.  When he eats meat, Mr. Pollan chooses grass fed beef, which is why I received all the phone calls.

Michael Pollan has written many books like, The Omnivore’s Dilemna, and has delivered many speeches on the subject of food.  You can search his name on YouTube and you will have many different choices of videos to watch.  His most recent project has been a documentary called “Food Inc.“  I have not seen the movie, but it has intrigued me.  To see more about the movie as well as watch its trailer, click here.

To see a portion of Oprah’s show from January 21st about Food.  Watch this video.  It starts out with a food quiz.  You will not believe how much antibiotics are given to livestock in one year.  It is astounding!  The clip also gives a peek into the documentary, “Food Inc.”

Oprah’s interview, “Food 101 with Michael Pollan” is available to read.  Mr. Pollan also has a new-book out called, Food Rules.  In short, Mr. Pollan wants America to get back to what our great-grandparents ate, to eat real food.  He calls out other nations in the world that live on seal blubber or cow blood mixed with milk and have little heart problems and/or type-2 diabetes.  This line of thought and the desire to eat what our ancestors enjoyed daily is very similar to one of my favorite authors on food and nutrition, Sally Fallon.

In an article, “Review of Nourishing Traditions,” I go into further detail about Ms. Fallon’s theories on health and nutrition.  In my opinion, her book Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats, is a must-have for anyone concerned about how and what their family eats.

In light of all the national debate on health care reform, I think that it is safe to say that we are all concerned about our health.  The connection that Michael Pollan makes is how our health is affected by the foods that we eat.

We are concerned about what we eat here on Cross Creek Cattle Company.  We are also very happy to be able to offer grass fed beef to the public.  Our beef might cost more than a steak at a Super Wal-Mart grocery store, but as Michael Pollan asked, “What are the long-term health costs of buying the cheaper food?”  I assure you that our grass fed beef has been raised as a herd on grass.  Our beef has not been raised on antibiotics, growth hormones, steroids, or grain.  If I might add, our grass fed beef is not only nutritious, but also very flavorful and delicious.

As I sat in a waiting room yesterday afternoon, I flipped through the February issue of “Better Homes and Gardens” magazine.  A word on a page caught my eye as I was skimming through the pages of the issue.  It was “grass fed beef.”  I had to stop what I was doing and begin turning back the pages one by one as I tried to find that page again.  What could the words “grass fed beef” have anything to do with bettering one’s home or garden?

I found it.  It was on a page devoted to heart healthy foods.  Actually it was the second food listed on the page.  Grass fed beef was on the same page as many other well-known healthy foods like salmon and oatmeal.  Grass fed beef made it on the list because of high levels of conjugated linoleic acids (CLA).

According to Wikipedia, CLA is most known for its anti-cancer properties.  Their article goes on to list other beneficial qualities of CLA.  These acids also reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, fight inflammation, reduce body fat, etc.  Who would not want any of these benefits while eating delicious grass fed beef?

In addition to grass fed beef, other foods were listed as heart friendly foods.  Grape juice, blueberries, and other berries made the list for their antioxidants.  Almonds and salmon were chosen for their omega-3s.  Soybeans appeared for their protein and fiber.  Canola oil was listed for its low saturated fat.  Oatmeal is famous for its fiber as well as its ability to lower cholesterol.  Last but not least was spinach.  It apparently has so many benefits for the heart that they could not name them all.

It was exciting to see grass fed beef classified as heart friendly in an unbiased magazine article.  It was not surprising though.  I have occasionally shown research about the benefits of eating grass fed beef.  For example you can read, “Top Ten Reasons to Buy Grass Fed Beef“  or “The Health Benefits of Grass Fed Beef.”  I think it is exciting to see that grass fed beef  is becoming more mainstream.

Cross Creek Cattle Company can supply your family with healthy, nutritious, and delicious grass fed beef. At this time we are taking orders and are harvesting the beef based on supply and demand.  In other words, we are not publicly declaring a harvest date, but rather supplying the beef when a whole cow is purchased by one or more persons.

Place your order or contact the ranch by phone if you are interested.  We will need a $100.00 non-refundable deposit to secure your order.  Please visit our website for further information and/or contact me.

Kenton Holliday

This week the owner of Cross Creek Cattle Company celebrates his birthday.  If it was not for Kenton Holliday, our grass fed beef customers would have to buy beef elsewhere.  4-Hers and members of FFA would have to look for winning show heifers in other places.  My immediate family would live and work somewhere else.  I don’t know about you, but I am grateful that Kenton was born.

Kenton Holliday is living his dream.  As a young boy, he wanted to be a cowboy when he grew up.  This dream never faded.  Instead as Kenton grew closer and closer to his grandfather, the desire only strengthened.  His grandfather was a great man and played a big role in Kenton’s life.

Kenton’s grandfather was born in the late 1800’s and was raised in the Texas Hill Country.  Being a cowboy was second-nature to him.  He began riding horses and working cows as soon as he was physically able.  And, he was a natural.  When duty called during World War I, the United States government ironically put him to work as an infantryman.  He was never even considered to be part of the cavalry.

After the war, he returned to Texas and settled near Houston with his wife.  Together they raised three boys on their working farm.  Many years later Kenton was born.  Kenton is the oldest child of four.  Anytime his family visited the grandparents, he spent the majority of his time with his grandfather.  They had a very special bond.

Kenton learned to shoot guns, to ride and train horses, to grow vegetables, to raise animals, and countless other skills.  His desire to be a rancher and cowboy continued as he went to college.  He graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in Farm and Ranch Management.

Sadly both his grandparents died.  Kenton was starting his own family at the time and moved into his grandparents farmhouse.  After my brother and I were born, Kenton began teaching us the same skills he had acquired from his grandfather.  We tended a humongous vegetable garden, trained horses, raised livestock, etc.

Kenton bought some land in Grimes County.  From this parcel of land, Cross Creek Cattle Company was created.  As real estate became available, Kenton expanded the ranch.  He switched from crossbred cattle to raising the Beefmaster breed.  He left “traditional” ranching.  He goes against the norm by not feeding his herd grain or by giving his cattle antibiotics, hormones, etc.  Like our ancestors, he believes that cattle do best on grass as nature intended.

Under his guidance, Cross Creek Cattle Company offers grass fed beef to the public.  Our business is growing as word of mouth spreads.  Kenton is a rancher and a cowboy in the 21st century.  Through hard work and perseverance, he built and grew a successful cattle ranch.  He never let his dream of becoming a rancher die.

So, here is to Kenton Holliday.  And, here is to following your heart and making your dream come true.  From everyone at Cross Creek Cattle Company, have a very Happy Birthday!!

We harvested our last grass fed beef for the year.  It aged for two weeks before having it cut according to our customer’s needs.  Most customers went with the standard method.  This  includes 1″ thick steaks, tenderized round steaks, 4 pound roasts, and much more.

We want to thank our customers for choosing Cross Creek Cattle Company to meet their grass fed beef needs.  We guarantee that our beef is hormone free, steroid free, antibiotic free, and grain free.  We work hard to raise beef that is all-natural, flavorful, and nutritious.

On the ranch’s website, there is a page dedicated to the health benefits of grass fed beef.  The page is based on the book, Pasture Perfect, by Jo Robinson.   Researchers have found that overall grass fed beef is much healthier for people than grain fed beef.  The most noticeable difference is the amount of fat.  Grass fed beef is much more lean for obvious reasons.

Therefore, grass fed beef needs to be prepared with its leanness in mind.  On the page What to Expect, there are several methods a cook can employ to ensure tasty, tender meat.  We also include recipes to use with our grass fed beef.  Recipes for chili, soup, stuffed mushrooms, and roast are available to the public.

The best characteristic of grass fed beef is its flavor.  Have you ever purchased a beautiful, thick steak from the grocery store only to be disappointed that it had absolutely no flavor?  It might as well have been chewy water.  We wait to harvest cattle until they are about 18 months old.  This allows the beef to develop a full flavor.  It is delicious!  It is how beef should taste.

Those of us at Cross Creek Cattle Company want to take this time right before the end of the year to thank all of our customers.  Whether you purchased beef or a show calf, we thank you for supporting our family owned and operated ranch.  We wish you the best this holiday season.

November on the ranch.

Autumn is a beautiful time of year.  Some leaves are changing color.  Some evergreens are bearing bright red berries.  The air is crisp and cool.  The wind reminds you to put on a sweater.  Autumn is a great season to enjoy the outdoors.  The months of September, October, and November mark a busy time of year as well as several holidays.

My father’s favorite holiday is Thanksgiving.  Families come together to celebrate the many blessings that God has bestowed on us.  It is a holiday without the pressures of Christmas.  You don’t have to worry about buying and giving gifts.  You only have to cook and eat delicious foods prepared with loving hands.

Thanksgiving is also time of reflection.  A chance to reflect on your year and remember how blessed you are.  In the spirit of this holiday, I want to share with you some of the things that we are thankful for at Cross Creek Cattle Company.

• We are thankful for our loving and close-knit family.
• We are blessed to have so many good friends.
• We love being able to enjoy healthy,  delicious meat on our dinner table whether from our grass fed herd or from the wild boars and deer that wander in the woods.
• We are thankful to have good horses on which to ride and survey the beautiful scenery around the ranch regardless of the season.
• We have been blessed with fat cows and green grass.
• We are very thankful that health has been restored to the ranch manager after his accident.
• We are lucky to have a substantial store of hay ready to supply our animals with needed food no matter how hard the winter gets.
• We are thankful to have made it through the drought and to have finally received the much-needed rainfall.
• We are grateful that we can live our lifestyle in the 21st century.
• Last but not least, we are grateful for our customers who help support our family-owned and operated ranch.

From everyone at Cross Creek Cattle Company, we wish everyone a very “Happy Thanksgiving!”  May God continue to bless each and every one of us.

In a typical year, we try to not put out bales of hay until after the Thanksgiving holiday.  This is a personal goal of Cross Creek Cattle Company.  With good rain throughout the summer months, our pastures can supply grasses for our cattle until then.  Unfortunately this year we had drought conditions.  For months we had no rainfall.

We prayed for fat cows and green grass, and we were blessed accordingly.  Some of our less fortunate neighbors were having to put out hay during the summer.  It was incredible.  Just yesterday, I was driving in the northern part of our county.  I was amazed at how bad all the pastures looked.  They had their herds on completely bare and brown pastures.  You have no choice as a rancher, but to give hay in this situation.

As the grass season comes to an end and autumn is in full swing, we stop rotating our pastures.  Instead, we open all the interior gates and allow the cattle to forge for themselves.  They can find the best grasses on their own.  They have that innate ability.

Now as winter time approaches, we are preparing to put out hay a few weeks early.  My dad is disappointed, but considering the year we have had I think we are doing well.  In fact we are doing better than most in our area.  The way I look at it, we made it to November.

Cross Creek Cattle Company is in the process of weaning 10 calves right now.  My mom surprised me by visiting the ranch.  Her house is very close to the barn where we separate the calves from the mama cows.  She got to enjoy the endless ballads that the calves sang to their mamas and the mamas sang to their calves.  Needless to say, she did not sleep very well the first night of weaning.

It has been a couple of days now and the serenade has stopped.  The mama cows have left their calves and rejoined the herd grazing in the bottom.  The calves are adjusting to their new no-dairy diet.

Weaning time is a stressful time for both the cow and her calf.  At Cross Creek Cattle Company we try to eliminate as much stress as possible.  A stout pipe fence with cattle panel welded to it separate the calves from the cows.  The cows can see, smell, and speak to one another.  The calves just cannot nurse.

The calves are enjoying eating grass, which they have done for months.  They just are not supplementing their diets with milk anymore.  To help maintain their body condition during this time of adjustment, we feed them a very small daily ration of alfalfa pellets.  Alfalfa is very high in protein grass.  We start the calves on a small ration and slowly build up their daily allowance of the dehydrated grass to prevent bloat.  Cows can bloat on alfalfa because it is so rich.

The calves also have their own mixture of kelp meal, stock salt, and diatomaceous earth.  We continue to allow them to freely partake of this mineral supplement and natural de-wormer.  It is self-limiting.  They can only take what their body needs.  Of course, we supply the calves with fresh clean water and hay.

Soon we will be able to return these calves back to the herd.  Their mothers will welcome them back as adolescents; however, they will not be allowed to nurse.  The cows’ milk supply will have dried up.  There will always be one calf in the bunch who tries to resume nursing, but it is quickly kicked away.  Calves will be calves.

Weaning time means that we decide how the calves are going to work for us.  We will determine if we have any show heifers.  We will sell some to other ranchers.  We have some that we will keep to build up our herd.  Of course, we also have our grass fed beef business.  If you are interested in ordering delicious and nutritious grass fed beef, contact me at lndehaven@aol.com or call (936)870-5792.

Our Snowman

Yes, I know that it is the beginning of September and that autumn has not come yet.  As ranchers, we cannot afford to wait until freezing temperatures arrive before getting ready for winter.   We are blessed to be living in Southeast Texas where the winters are relatively mild.  We do not have to contend with a lot of winter precipitation.  We hardly ever get sleet or freezing rain; it is even more rare to get snow.  Last year we actually received some snow and we were so excited.  We ran outside late at night just to play in it because we knew that it would all be gone in the morning.

Our winter generally consists of some freezing nights.  We seldom get a hard freeze.  The air is almost always humid, which makes the cold air seem much colder than it is.  The coldness is magnified by a stiff, north breeze.  Grass stops growing and goes dormant under nighttime temperatures below 70 degrees.  Our night temperatures should fall below that in the next month.  Therefore, we have to store up food for the cattle to eat to keep up their condition during the winter.

To help protect the cows from the north wind and cold, we make sure that they are on a pasture with a wind break.  The trees in the woods break the wind.  In addition, so does the dam of our lake.  The cows on instinct alone search out the warmest places to sleep.  Depending on the pasture, they naturally seek the woods or behind the dam.  We never leave them on a pasture without a wind break of some kind.

Since we raise grass fed beef, we do not supplement our cow’s diet with range cubes or grain.  Our cows keep their good body conditions on hay.  My husband puts out round bales of hay for our herd.  Cows know what they need.  Sometimes they devour the bale and other times they just nibble.  Good quality hay is a must for a rancher in any climate here in the United States.

The cows will continue to get their supplemental minerals throughout the winter.  Most cows are bred at this time and will be calving in the late winter and early spring.  Their nutrition is very important to us.  We feed them a mixture of kelp meal and salt.  We add diatomaceous earth for other health reasons.  You can read about those in the article “Diatomaceous Earth?“  This combination is loose in a mineral feeder and given to the cows as free choice.  It is self-limiting.  They will only eat as much as they need.

Water is essential in any season.  Occasionally on really cold nights, we have to break the ice off the surface of the watering troughs.  Our ponds and lake have never frozen over so we are not concerned about them.  The temperature only gets cold enough to freeze over above-ground water troughs every once in a while.

Rows of square bales we hauled out of the pasture.

So right now, we are ensuring that we have enough bales of hay to make it through the winter.  We have round and square bales this year.  Although, the square bales are mainly for the horses.  They need hay in the winter too.

Even though it is still summer, we are looking forward to the change in weather.  From the ridiculously hot temperatures to the much more pleasant days of autumn.  Beyond that, we know that it will get colder in winter.  We have to be prepared for the health and well-being of our livestock.  Cross Creek Cattle Company does not fear the winter because we are ready.