A few weeks ago, Nik the meat manager scheduled a visit with Doug Anderson at Beaver Creek Ranch up near Grantsburg. Like most farmers we meet, Doug took the invitation to heart and welcomed us with a giant arrow sign. (A test of Doug's attention to detail, you'll notice the sign leaves the "s" off the end of the co-op name AND spells Nik's name right. That's why we're smiling so big.)
Beaver Creek Ranch is a 185 acre certified or
ganic (OCIA) farm. They grow a wide variety of crops on the land including plenty of hay/forage for their Scottish Highland cattle. Other crops of note include buckwheat (what Doug calls "the magic fruit"), squash and different varieties of corn. The only animals we were able to observe on the farm during our winter visit were the highland cattle used in BCR beef products such as the jerky and hot dogs that we sell.
These cattle are amazing creatures. Thick coats of fur and huge horns that grow anew annually set the breed apart from others. Even with the sharp horns, it was safe to mingle with the herd which included a large bull on the loose. The animals are fed almost exclusively on fresh and stored organic forage grown on the farm. Doug sprinkled a little grain on the snow to attract the herd for our inspection and photos here.
Doug uses a variety of butchers for meat processing, choosing each one for their particular specialty products - Lindstrom for the kill floor & ground, Cannon Falls for Hot Dogs, Rochester for snack sticks, etc.
And this attention to processing detail is what defines Beaver Creek Ranch products. As one of the top five direct market farmers in Wisconsin, the Anderson's aren't just farmers, they are distributors too. Doug traverses the region in search of other quality farmers to fill in the gaps for their own production shortfalls, and inspects the farms personally before putting his farm name on a product. Turkeys from Central Minnesota, Chickens from Iowa - sometimes he has to travel a bit to find what his customers want, but the trip is worth it. Our customers know that when they buy Beaver Creek Ranch, they are buying quality.
It's not just crops and animals Doug and Kathy are concerned about, either. A good section of their land is a protected swamp, providing acres of wetlands for migrating birds. They have bat boxes for insect control and power their tractors with biodiesel blends. These are all things they do to make the planet a better place for everyone and everything.
I've included a few more of my notes below. Doug and Kathy welcome visitors to their farm, and Nik and Aaron would be happy to share more of what we know, too.
- they raise pigs seasonally, typically a yorkshire and hampshire cross, free ranging and supplemented with corn and oats
- nutraceuticals from a nearby oilseed processor are used with the animals, things like blackberry seed meal
- the land is fed with all sorts of stuff to grow better crops: Mississippi River fish meal, North Florida kelp
- chickens are cornish cross, usually Amish grown
- their farm cats are spoiled with their own house (old chicken coop) and heat lamps
- spinach cured bacon is made in Hayward using Doug's own recipe
- they have several great barns including one made using timbers from the swamp, and store lots of hay - good green leafy hay!
- rodent control is handled with perches scattered among the fields for hawks, eagles and owls
- it's sometimes hard to get Doug to stop talking, the man is a walking encyclopedia and adventure/crime novel (Doug worked at a famous prison out west before retiring to become a hard working farmer!)
- all products are USDA inspected and vacuum sealed, no MSG, no chemicals
- the Anderson's make a good chili, Doug served it with bread sauteed in garlic oil
A big hearty thanks to the Anderson's for their hospitality and continued hard work creating healthy food for us all!
