When you look across the Volunteer State, no doubt a staple of our culture, especially in agriculture, is beef cattle. With more than 2 million head on 45,000 farms in Tennessee, it’s safe to say this sector makes up a large portion of our most important industry. And every July, during peak grilling season, the agricultural community recognizes not only the hard work of our farmers put in day in and day out to care for cattle, but also the quality beef being raised in every single county in Tennessee.
One of those hardworking farmers raising quality beef is George Moss of Haywood County. Somewhat of a first-generation farmer, Moss grew up with a grandfather who worked as a large animal veterinarian and another who retired from a farm in Mississippi. While he didn’t necessarily grow up on the farm, raising cattle has always been his dream.
“I’ve wanted to be in the cow business since I was about five,” said Moss. “I didn’t know anybody who was in the cow business then. My grandfather was a crop farmer and he retired when I was probably three. But that’s one of my first memories – on his farm in Mississippi. And I always wanted to get back into doing that.”
Lucky for George and thanks to the help of his grandfather nearby, he did just that. After his grandfather connected him with a local cattle producer, George started helping him with his herd and slowly started his own operation. Now he runs about 150-head of commercial mama cows and sells them as replacement heifers, feeder calves or finishes them out to sell locally as freezer beef. No doubt he’s come a long way since he started, and with no plans to slow down anytime soon.
“I don’t every plan to be out of the cow business. I’d like to expand into other ventures in agriculture, but the cow business is the business I’m excited about being in,” said Moss. “The goal would be to get to 300 or so mama cows at some point as we find more land to rent and hopefully buy more ground in the future as well.”
One of the key areas Moss focuses on is ensuring his herd and pasture health is as top notch as can be. From rotational grazing to minimal vaccines and other pasture management, Moss is committed to managing his ground, his herd and in turn, the beef he produces, in the best way possible.
“Nobody is more concerned about the land and the environmental and the climate cattle and crops are raised in than a farmer,” said Moss. “We eat the beef we grow. We sell it to our friends and family and neighbors, and we want to talk to folks about how we raise it. We’re not hiding anything. It’s all out there in our open fields, and I would encourage anyone to get to know the farmers in your area.”
Another beef cattle farmer who feels the exact same way is Ben Neale. He and his wife farm in Giles County. Along with an impressive herd of cattle, the Neales purchased a closed down processing plant in Lynnville in 2016 and opened Light Hill Meats Custom Processing in 2017.
“Our cow herd started back in 2011 and a few years after that, we started doing farmers markets and freezer beef,” said Neale. “Then, like a lot of people, we experienced a bottleneck in the processing side, so that’s when we made the leap to purchase the processing plants, and it’s just grown from there.”
Not only has the processing facility grown, but the family has also opened a store in Spring Hill called Light Hill Meats Butcher Shop. The goal with both entities – providing fresh, local and quality beef to customers.
“One of the things I say is I want to be 100% accountable,” said Neale. “If you like it, it was me. If you don’t like it, that’s me too. You may not agree with the way I do animal husbandry or the way I’m raising my cattle for processing, but I can tell you why I do it.”
One of Neale’s answers to some of those “why” questions has to do with his son being autistic. As he and his wife navigated their son’s health, they had to do a lot of dietary changes, which in large part led them down the business path they are on today.
“When we were trying to find things for his diet changes and clean ingredients, it was very hard to read labels and know what was going on,” said Neale. “Now, we look at food as medicine, and we’re trying to find products we raise that we know we can trust and other products from farmers nearby who we can trust too.”
Because of that strong trust Neale and has family have built in their communities and beyond, he was recently awarded Tennessee’s Small Business Person of the Year. No doubt, a much-deserved reward, but it all goes back to their commitment to provide better beef to folks in their area and beyond.
“Our mission is to provide better food, improve health and get products to people that they can trust for their families,” said Neale. “I like to say we want to make a meal so good that folks sit down together again, so as much as the Lord allows, I hope we can continue growing that.”
For Neale, Moss and so many cattle farmers like them, the honor and privilege to raise quality beef is second to none. So, this July Beef Month, grill some hamburgers or have a steak night with your family. No matter how you cook it or where you get it, eat a little extra beef this month and remember those farmers who are proudly raising cattle and proudly serving a top-notch, nutritious product.
