With passion and respect, Hillview Farms LLC strives to be good stewards of the land, which produces all the products we make, provides our way of life and sustains us. We will produce the highest quality natural beef; which promotes better health at fair prices. We show true respect daily to our family, friends, customers, business partners and most importantly our precious land and animals.
The Farm
Hillview Farms LLC is a family owned and operated farm. It is located in the picturesque southern portion of Williamson County of middle Tennessee. Our operation is comprised of more than 500 acres on four different farms. It takes considerably more land to raise all natural beef, than normal commercial production would require. We grow all our feed stocks. We produce corn, wheat, hay and maintain lush pastures seeded with grass and legumes.
What makes Hillview Farms Natural beef different? In today’s market place, you can buy beef many different ways. You can go to your local grocer and buy traditionally raised beef. This beef has been treated with antibiotics, growth enhancers and hormones. This beef has been finish in feedlots and has been designed specifically for maximum financial return, not for maximum health and nutrition. You can buy organic beef at many health food stores. This is a good move in the right direction, but “organic” should not always be associated with healthy or natural beef production. Many large companies have “organic” beef operations, which simply meet the rules of certified organic labeling laws. This only means that the inputs that go into the animal are certified organic. Unfortunately, there are not certified organic de-wormers available. Cattle eat off the ground, and all cattle have worm loads.
Hillview Farms does not believe that beef which has not been properly and effectively de-wormed is healthy. We believe that beef, produced properly and naturally, should be a healthy, dense source of high quality protein and should be a substantial part of a well balanced diet. All natural grass feed beef is another option for consumers today. This is a good option for people for many reasons. First of all, the majority of grass feed beef operations are family operations. It is very difficult for large companies to have enough land to finish cattle on grass. It also takes considerably longer to finish an animal on grass; therefore the profits are much lower. The only drawback to beef finished strictly on grass is the taste. Americans have had their taste buds trained over many generations. Grass feed beef has a “gamey” taste, similar to wild animals. Grass feed beef is also very lean and cooks differently than most people are used to. All in all a good choice: but not the best.
So, what makes Hillview Farms natural beef different? Well, to better understand the difference, you need to understand how the beef production cycle works. Mother cows produce baby calves. There are approximately 750,000 cow/calf operations in America today. They are scattered across the county, typically in the rolling grass lands of the south, southwest and western US. The average herd typically has 50 mother cows. Once the cows have calved, they stay with their mothers for about 7 months and are then weaned and sold at the stock yards. Cattle buyers will purchase trailer loads of cattle, typically 50,000 pounds and ship them to the central part of the country. These calves are now called “stockers. They normally weigh between 500 and 600 pounds when sold and shipped. Stockers stay on wheat and grass fields in the mid-west and are grown until they weigh approximately 800-900 pounds. During this phase, they are given antibiotics due to shipping stress and conditions and growth promoters to enhance weight gain. Once the cattle reach 900 pounds, they are again loaded up and shipped to feed lots. At this point, they are in a confinement situation. They are not free to roam in grass fields; they are in lots, with large numbers of other animals. This is not the healthiest of environments and not at all natural. Now an ongoing level of antibiotics is mandatory to prevent disease, it is very important to prevent disease in a feedlot, due to the close quarters the animals live in, when one animal gets sick, the sickness can spread very quickly. This slows the rate of gain and the profits for the feedlot. The last 300 pound or so of gain are put on the animal in the feedlot, and the animal is again loaded onto a trailer and sent to the packing house, slaughtered, packaged and shipped again to either a wholesaler or to the retailer.
What makes Hillview Farms different is! : The entire beef production cycle is completed on our farms. Our babies are born here on our farms; they are weaned from their mothers and grow up on pastures full of lush grass. They are vaccinated and de-wormed throughout their lives. This produces a healthier animal. During their last 90 days we hand feed a corn ration to our animals. This corn was grown on our farms and we make all of our own feed. No animal by products are ever fed to our beef. We feed corn for a short period of time, not to speed up the growth process, but to eliminate the gamey taste, improve the marbling of the meat, and to improve the cooking aspects of the product.
Since we allow of animal ample room to roam from birth to harvest, we have healthier animals, with less stress, therefore less sickness. No animal is ever given anti-biotics or steroids or growth enhancers. This is why we can say with confidence, that Hillview Farms Natural Beef is the best beef you can provide your family. It is also cost effective for several reasons.
First of all, we eliminate all the transportation of the animal across the county, since they are raised right here on the farm. Secondly, when you buy from us, you’re buying in bulk, a whole animal, a side (one half) of an animal, or a quarter (one half of a half). Just like going to one to the wholesale clubs, when buying volume, you save. Buying natural beef from Hillview Farms will typically save you over 50% from retail grocers. All of our beef is USDA inspected and shipped directly to your front door, or available for local pickup, if you live in the middle Tennessee area.
Hillview Farms, Better Beef for Better Health.
