Well, we all survived 2021, and hopefully your family is doing well. Now that 2021 is behind us, and trust 2022 will be more positive, Lucas Farm is growing again.

We are re-certified* for BQA, ASAP, and IMI as we continue to work with the great team at Agridime. We had a good grass season last year so the momma’s and poppa’s are having a good winter in spite of a few sub-zero days and snow. Their coats are better than mine. Overall the herd is doing very well, and calves continue to be healthy and look great on our farm and Agridimes farm in Kansas a few hours away. There, they feed on different grasses native to the Flint Hills and are finished to customer choice.

* acronyms r us – BQA = Beef Quality Assurance ASAP = Agricultural Stewardship Assurance Program. IMI = Verified Natural Beef Standard, Where food comes from

Little late here, but none the less, a sincere wish to everyone.

Strange dry winter here in Missouri — temperature has been hovering around 32 degrees. Well, except today it will pop into the 50s. We’ve had very little snow or rain, though, this morning, the frost was thick and fluffy like a little skim of cotton dust on windshields.

Cows and calves are doing well in this weather. Sunshine and warm days through early winter kept the grass green. It’s just now turned brown. We only had to supplement them with hay, but they sure go after haylage (fermented hay) when it’s out in pastures. It smells a little like beer — nice.

It’s good and easy to be away from civilization, self quarantined, in the rolling Ozark hills. It’s a pleasure for the New Year, really. Makes all the news seem distant like another planet of roiling political problems and sickness. But, I do have to go to town soon…

We are finally reaching a good rhythm with Josh, Tia and Jason of the Agridime team. It has been a great experience working to find a new marketing channel for our calves.

We always say in the cattle business that nothing ever happens fast, so this project actually started three years ago with something I saw in the literature about an interesting new concept. A few months later I heard from Josh. Then a few months after that Jason came to visit us. When we shipped out our first group of calves, Josh , Tia and Jason all came to see us — maybe a lot to see our nice calves, too!

Late last year Josh let us know that first group of calves graded very well at market! Exciting news for us because we have been setting ourselves up, for more years than I care to admit, to provide excellent beef.

Back to “nothing ever happens fast,” planning for calves starts with good bulls and good cows. We have very good legacy genetics in the cow herd. We also have great bull breeders right here in central Missouri. So, we’ve been marrying up local resources and crossing our fingers for years.

It takes nine months to open the cute little package and then about a year to see what’s inside — what you get on your table. It is great to know we are heading in the right direction with feedback through the Agridime system. Check it out!