Cattle care is a daily priority. We work year-round to make sure the cattle are cared for during each season.
SPRING
Springtime brings the excitement of calving season. We look forward to this each year after making careful breeding decisions based on genetic performance. This is also when we plant the crops to provide feed not only for our own cattle herd, but also to sell to other end-users for feed, ethanol, bio-diesel and many food and household products we all use each day.
SUMMER
Summer time involves baling hay to ensure our cattle have another feed source during the winter months. This season also provides one of the simplest pleasures of having cattle; checking cows and calves each day to see them grazing on green pastures. We also vaccinate our calves this time of year to ensure they stay healthy. Weights are recorded and notes are taken on each animal during vaccination time to keep accurate records so we can continue to improve our program each year.
FALL
Fall is an exciting time when we harvest our corn and soybean crops. Part of the corn we grow is used to feed our cattle through the year. We also make use of the corn stalks left in the fields by baling them to use as bedding for the cows; a sustainable way to keep the cattle warm and dry. This is a particularly busy time of year because we are always working against the calendar; the crops need to be harvested before the snow heads our way!
WINTER
Making sure the cattle are fed, watered and clean is a daily routine during every season; during winter weather this takes extra time. We also make sure our tractors and equipment are ready for the next season. This is the season where we look at the past year and see how we can make changes to improve our operation and also plan ahead for the next year of farming.
RAISING CATTLE IS A FAMILY TRADITION
Our farm was established in 1942 and one thing that has stayed consistent over the decades is growing food for a hungry world.
Dennis grew up on the farm established by his grandparents Everett & Alta Darr in 1942. His parents, Ray & Margaret, continued farming and Dennis is the third generation to carry on the tradition. He started raising Hereford cattle as 4-H projects in the 1960s. Leslie grew up on a local dairy farm and was also active in 4-H. The two of them were married in 1980 and have been raising cattle and grain their whole lives. Their daughters, Katie and Kelly, were 10-year 4-H members in the beef project. In fact, the Darr “family vacations” were to Hoosier Beef Congress or the Indiana State Fair; many happy memories of fun, family and friends over the years through our involvement in raising cattle. Many of the cows we currently have are descendants of past 4-H projects.
Dennis and Leslie, along with Katie and her husband Jon, take pride in carrying on the family tradition of farming.
One of the great joys of what we do is providing delicious and wholesome beef for other families to enjoy together.
It is a lot of responsibility to care for our cattle, but each time we hear how much a customer enjoyed their beef, it makes us remember why we do what we do each day. In addition to selling beef for you to enjoy at home, we also occasionally have pork for sale. We also sell 4-H calves, replacement heifers and bulls.
“Our mission is to do the best job we can to care for the land and livestock that the Good Lord has entrusted us with. We strive to accomplish the tasks set before us in an efficient and profitable manner while learning and working as a family. We will encourage each other to see blessings in disguise as they happen and also to embrace changes as new opportunities. We will attempt to achieve our goals while being humble, joyful and honest.”
“Never in my life did I have a hamburger as good as the ones we bought from you.”
— Ben, Nappanee, IN