By Carolyn Twesten, Weaver Street Market Meat Merchandiser
At Weaver Street Market we believe that a local food system is a strong food system, and the more that our food comes from people we know, the better! We work with many farmers all over the state, from dairy farmers to orchardists. One of the farms we are proud to work with is Mills Family Farm in Mooresville, NC, which supplies 100% of our fresh beef.
Nicole and Bradley Mills raise Hereford-angus cattle on pasture 365 days a year on Bradley’s family farm in Iredell County, just north of Charlotte. Raising animals on pasture is more humane than raising them in crowded, unsanitary feedlots and leads to less disease. This helps farmers avoid needing to treat with antibiotics. Pasture based farming restores natural ecosystems and wildlife habitat, reduces reliance on petrochemicals, improves the soil with organic matter, and reduces greenhouse gases, especially CO2. Pasture raised meat is also leaner and contains a high percentage of good fats—Omega 3s and CLA (conjugated linoleic acid)—and a lower percentage of the Omega 6 fats that are linked to heart disease, plus beneficial antioxidant vitamins and minerals.
At Mills Family Farm, good beef starts with good genetics. Bradley, a third generation cattle farmer and veterinarian, follows the genetic history of all the cattle he purchases. What he’s looking for is a cow whose ancestors proved their ability to grow and thrive on a pasture-based diet as opposed to the corn-based diet of feedlot animals. When I visited Mills Family Farm, I was struck by the immense amount of research and science that goes into successfully raising beef cattle on pasture. Bradley and Nicole start by sourcing young animals with good genetics, continue with the establishment of high-quality pasture for forage, and have developed a supplemental feed formulated for high energy and consistent weight gain. These animals are raised with conscientious management practices and without added hormones, antibiotics, and the stress of living in confinement.
Weaver Street Market made the decision a little over a decade ago to start purchasing local pasture-raised beef. Our meat program is unique in that we exclusively carry local fresh beef and pork. Committing “whole hog” to a local beef and pork program means that more dollars are going back into local economies, and to small family-owned businesses to boot.
Our quest for amazing beef finally led us to Mills Family Farm in 2015, and we have been thrilled with the quality of their beef ever since. This week we are giving owners the chance to stock up at a great price!