Dirigo Ranch Beef

It all came together this past Sunday - cattle have hit the ranch.

We took on 2 black angus steer to set off our beef venture! So far, they are calm and easy going, and getting them here went smoothly. They've been coming up to us at meal times and lounging in hay throughout the day!

Our horses have been very intrigued, Penny the Palomino in particular, very alert and keeping an eye on them throughout the day.

It is really fun to hear their soft mooing and a jingle of the cow bell so we can keep track of where they are in their feedlot.

We have been dreaming of getting to this point with our ranch for so many years, it's very surreal knowing the time has actually come. I had to call the Homestead Husband in from the rain, in the dark, because it was nearing 9pm and was time to head to bed (and he'd been out there for close to an hour to say goodnight to the herd). To say he's obsessed would be an understatement!

The steer (in other words, young fixed male cows) will be brought to a USDA butcher facility when they reach proper weight, come the end of July 2022, and we will be posting available beef shares for reservation in advance, here on our website and Facebook Page (Dirigo Ranch).

Until then, we will be working towards a breeding herd to maintain and grow, so we can continue producing quality local beef and ensuring we have all of the proper permits, inspections, and labeling required by the state and USDA.

Our goals are to raise a herd of well loved cattle, that get to enjoy a peaceful life, foraging in our woodlands, as well as being provided a nutritional feed diet to build strong and well marbled beef.

Well loved cattle make tender beef!

Having tried our hand at successfully raising poultry and pork for meat, we are ready to follow through on our beef dreams. Our ranch is now Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Certified after taking courses in cattle care, and we are committed to producing the best quality products we can.

To follow along and see updates on the cattle, check our Instagram @dirigoranchwife !