Our History & Why You Should Switch to Grass Fed Beef
Limousin Beef Cattle:
Limousin cattle have a 20,000 year old history tracing back to the Limoges region of France.
Although kept secret by French chefs for centuries, the Limousin today is a major cattle breed in the United States.
They have the natural genetic ability to trim the fat, yet provide full flavor beef. Several cuts of Limousin beef
have been found to be greater than 95% fat free. Health conscious consumers can " Lean on Limousin ". We chose Limousin
for the breed of cattle we wanted to raise because Limousin are bred to produce a genetically lean 'heart smart' carcass as
well as being higher yielding than most breeds.
We purchased the family farm in 1986 and as a new, young farm family we had a lot of decisions to make.
We made the choice to farm because we decided it would be a good way to live and raise our growing family
as well as continuing into a fourth generation of family farming. We believe that farming is a way of life even more than it is a business.
It has
always been our contention
that our integrity is of utmost importance to Guindon Farms. As family farmers there is a bond with the land and only good stewardship
will preserve it for the next generation. At a time when bigger is better and the pursuit of profits is more
important than integrity and honesty in advertising we have been more of an exception than the rule.
The move to sustainable farming has been a natural extension of farming principals we have always held but
just didn't realize was part of a movement. It has been exciting to watch the health of the soil improve, the
animals growing well and to know we are making a difference.
As we began to look at the markets available to farmers in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and how we
wanted to farm, we realized we had to make choices about what kind of product we wanted to produce for
our own consumption and offer for sale. We decided from the start not to use hormone implants because
we didn't want to eat meat that contained them ourselves.
In 1988 Matt began a controlled grazing program that allowed us to produce competitive weaning weights
without the use of hormones. The controlled grazing immediately showed us the benefits to both the cattle
and the land. This began a movement toward sustainable agriculture that has been an ongoing learning process
for us. As we sold our 'natural' beef and began to find who others shared our concerns for beef production,
we began to explore a move to organic farming.
In 2004 we installed a manure handling system as a means of protecting the ground water and to help us to be
good neighbors as well as better utilizing the manure we were already producing to grow our crops without commercial
fertilizers. This was one more step toward becoming sustainable.
In 2005 we began to get serious about researching organic farming. Matt talked to many people (including his
father-in-law who was an organic farmer before it was a movement) and he read a lot of material.
In 2007 we attended then Midwest Organic Farming Conference in LaCrosse, WI. Coming back from there we
began in earnest the process of certifying our farm and beef production. Guindon Farms is a fourth generation
family farm that has been producing quality beef since 1986. In an effort to expand our market we opened Delta
Meats in 1997, retailing 'natural' meat from the farm. To us, natural had meant no hormone implants, antibiotic
feed and minimal use of commercial fertilizers in feed production. Natural has also meant that animals are born
and raised here on the farm.
Since spring of 2006 at Guindon Farms, all pastures have been managed using only organic practices. We produce
our own hay which we feed during the winter months, again using only organic practices in hay production. Our crops
were certified organic by OCIA in 2009. The Livestock and crops were certified in 2010, and remain so today. We have prided ourselves in producing a
consistent, good tasting product. We are happy to bring our Limousin beef from 'Our farm to your table'!
