Beef & pork traditionally raised in Iowa
The Hereford cattle breed was developed in Herefordshire, England over 200 years ago. The breed is known for being very hardy and can do well with mediocre food conditions. Until the 1970’s Hereford cattle were the most widely used breed in the world for meat production. Hereford beef is also known to have the same meat tenderness as its British counterparts (i.e., Black and Red Angus) but without excess marbling or fat. This makes Hereford a healthier choice with the same great taste.
We try to raise our Hereford cattle the way Jake’s grandparents raised cattle in the 50’s and 60’s. Our cows are out on pasture or cornstalks year around. We calve our cows in the spring on grass pastures where they raise their calf for the summer. In the late fall, we wean the calves and bring them to the house where they are kept in open lots with shelter. They are put on a hay and Non-GMO corn diet until finished at approximately 17 to 18 months of age. The hay and corn are grown right here on our farm. At NO point do our animals receive growth promoting antibiotics or hormones. There are occasions where animals do become ill and need to receive a single treatment of antibiotics. These treatments, however, generally occur when the animal is very young. Our beef is generally antibiotic free for 8 to 9 months prior to the time they are ready to be harvested. We keep records of each animal’s health, treatments, and care during its life. Our beef is source verified starting with its birth until it arrives to the abattoir.
We are now (2025) offering a limited number of grass finished beef. These animals are also raised on our farm with the same standards as our grain finished beef. Currently our grass finished beef do receive some grain during weaning. After weaning the animals receive only forages for up to a year or more prior to processing. This allows the animal to develop the beneficial long chain fatty acids and phytonutrients that grass beef consumers want. As we move toward finishing more animals on forages we will be eliminating the grain completely from their diet. If you are interested in ordering a grass finished beef please place it in the comments on the order from.
We sell our beef by the whole, half, or quarter. The more you buy the more savings you get.
The volatile beef market has caused beef prices to go up drastically over the last several years. Currently (2025), the increase in price at the sale barn is not yet reflected in the price at the grocery store. Yes that is right the price at the grocery store is going to be going up. We have set our price this fall at $4.20. This seems high but when compared to purchasing the same cuts the the grocery store we are only $130.00 higher for a whole beef. Table 1 shows the various beef cuts you can get from a beef, the pounds of each cut, and the total cost (Bigelow Family Farm + Butcher cost) when purchasing a 658 lb dressed weight steer. The table also shows the price if you were to purchase the same weight of each cut at a chain Iowa grocery store. Just remember this is not a grocery store quality product. We offer top quality, excellent tasting, sourced verified, hormone free, grain or grass finished beef.
