it all starts with the cattle
We've been raising cattle for years. Over those years, we've selectively bred American Wagyu for a variety of traits, including a calm disposition and, most importantly, flavor and marbling. Our calves are raised in the pastures here on Black Hawk Farms where they spend the first eight to nine months grazing in open fields.
But when most farms would send their calves out west to finish on grain, we simply bring them just 1.6 miles down the road to our state-of-the-art Composting Barn where they're fed a blend of wheat hay and our farm-grown white corn. While conventional farms might feed grain for 180 days, we feed our herd grain for 500 days.
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Our barn
The ecological impact of finishing cattle is something many are not aware of. Most are loaded on trucks and transported out west, where they spend their final days in massive, inhumane feedlots. Not only do these long-haul rides place undue stress on the animals, but the carbon footprint of the process is overwhelming. Thanks to our work with the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment and the EPA, we've designed and built an entirely eco-friendly environment for finishing our calves.
Our Composting Barn rests atop a hill, providing a breezy, covered and comfortable home for the finishing process. But it's more than just suitable to the calves, it's a sustainable, eco-friendly environment where waste is tilled daily with sawdust to be composted into organic fertilizer for our farm. Water is captured and used for irrigation of our crops and our vision of a new way of finishing high-end beef has truly become a reality.
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Since we do not use any hormones or antibiotics, we spend more time finishing the cattle. Instead of the 120 day process typically used on commercial cattle, our calves spend 180-200 days. This process may be more expensive, but it results in a superior flavor and consistent marbling.
Slaughtering
We work with a local abattoir here in Kentucky, further reducing the carbon footprint of bringing Black Hawk Beef to you, your business and your patrons.
Our passion is beef and the production of superior meats. Our cattle are free from added hormones and antibiotics, and our local production process ensures proprietary and superior marbling throughout, giving more quality cuts per animal.