Welcome back! Local Llano likes to take an in-depth look into farmers, vendors and more in the Llano Estacado region. In this edition, Holy Cow Beef, a family-owned ranch that raises grass-fed black Angus beef. The Warrens truly care to deliver the best quality of beef possible to their customers. Get to know your local beef producer, Holy Cow Beef, better in the following interview with Weldon Warren!

Where can our readers purchase your beef?

“We service all of West Texas and North Texas— that’s from Amarillo to Midland, and Lubbock to Dallas/Fort Worth and every town in between. Our business model has two different parts: retail and wholesale. Retail is when we deliver to the individual person or family. Wholesale is when we sale in bulk to stores at a reduced rate. As far as the Llano Estacado specifically, we sell in Natural Foods (Midland), Natural Health (Lubbock), Drug Emporium (Lubbock) and Farmers markets in Lubbock, Amarillo, and Midland, Texas. Our grass-fed beef is also in Whole Foods across four different states in thirty different stores.”

What type of beef do you sell and why?

“We raise black Angus. We like this breed for two different reasons: they are a docile breed and they marble more quickly and better. Some other breeds are more nervous and this distorts the flavor of their meat. When an animal is nervous or scared, their adrenaline is stimulated – it’s just their basic instinct. Adrenaline makes their meat have a gamey flavor. Another biological reaction that takes place when an animal is frightened or stressed is a buildup of lactic acid, this makes the meat tougher. Black Angus allows us to deliver a better eating experience to our customers. We implement organic practices. We are apart of the American Grassfed Association – they audit and certify our practices. Make sure that your meat has an AGA label on it, that way you know it is truly grass-fed.”

What’s the meaning behind your tagline, ‘Are you Holy Cow happy’?

“We believe in a high-quality of life for our animals. All of our cows are free grazing. We use a rotation grazing system which allows our cows to graze fresh grass every couple of days. Our operation uses no herbicides, pesticides, antibiotics or additional hormones.”

Do you practice any sustainable methods? If so what are they?

“Yes, we do. I mentioned rotational grazing earlier. We section off the land and allow the cows to graze a fresh section every couple of days so by the time we come back to that original section, it’s been a month or so. This gives the soil and plants time to restore itself so the cows always have fresh growth to eat.”

What does local foodshed mean to you?

“We appreciate local food and those who commit their time to producing it. Local foodshed has a lower carbon footprint than bigger corporations and you support your local community.”

What is your favorite season on the ranch?

“We love the winter season with our cattle. Cows prepare for winter by putting on more fat. Summer is a tough season because heat causes stress. Calves born in the winter are healthier. Also, our cows and calves are more energetic and playful in the winter time.”

Can we expect any future projects or plans from Holy Cow Beef?

“We are planning on re-opening Gardski’s in the future, featuring our Holy Cow Beef and serving local food exclusively. There are very few places in Lubbock and in the Llano Estacado region where people know exactly where their food is from. So many ingredients are shipped from other countries and stored frozen for who knows how long. Most modern-day illnesses [and food related complications] can be contributed to what we are putting into our bodies. How your food is grown or raised impacts your health.”

Can’t get enough Holy Cow Beef?! You always can check out their website and Facebook page for more information. We would like to thank Weldon Warren for taking the time to sit down with Local Llano and for educating us on the beef industry. Until next time and remember to eat locally!

Are you a local producer? Click on the image below and we’ll be in touch to share your story!