A Message From a Five Year Old

A Message From a Five Year Old

We interviewed a five year old and her message is clear. She lives on the farm so she has more “know how” than most five year olds about farm life. Possibly more than some adults!

Riley is in pre-school. She is a sixth generation helper on our family farm. She loves, loves, loves to ride in the farm truck and be an assistant in any way possible. We try our best to keep her in the loop regarding what we do and how it benefits people and their health. Being around animals and seeing how much work it takes to raise animals with good health in mind has given her quite the perspective on farming and food in general. Listen to her wisdom…

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What is our farm called?

BF Farms.

What do we do here on the farm?

We feed chickens and collect eggs and we make sure the cows are okay and the sheep. And we water the garden.

What kinds of things do the cows and the sheep need?

Some grass…ummmmmm…eh… I don’t know what else.

What does Mimi -Kamie, our ranch manager- do on the farm?

She collects eggs with me. We feed the dogs together.

How long does Mimi work on the farm?

She leaves in the truck when the sun wakes up and comes back sometimes at dinner and sometimes at nighttime.

What do the dogs do to help on the farm?

They guard the sheep from the coyotes so the coyotes don’t go and eat the sheep in the night. They do eat the sheep in the night sometimes.

Where does the meat at the grocery store come from?

I don’t know.

What are the most important foods to eat?

Vegetables.

So why do we eat beef and lamb?

Well, it’s okay because the cows eat green vegetables…grass!

Why do we feed the cows and the sheep grass?

Because it makes their body happy.

Why do we eat grass-fed beef and lamb?

Because it makes our body happy.

What do you want to say to everyone who hasn’t tasted our meat?

Come to the house and try it! It’s yummy and makes your body happy.

BF-Farms, LLC, Oklahoma's source for 100% grass-fed beef and lamb.

Calving Season

Calving Season on the Farm

It's calving season on the farm, which means there are babies popping up everywhere! Along with making sure the calves are nursing well, we also make sure the mamas have the nutrients they need to pass on to their babies. Right now, they are receiving high quality grasses such as prairie hay, buffalo grass, and crab grass. We will move them to different pastures to meet the needs of their diet at any given time.

This week we brought some cattle in to be pregnancy tested. These cows have been in the pasture with a couple of bulls for a few months now. First, we pull the bulls out of the group. Then we test the cows for pregnancy. Once we get the results back, we will separate the ones who are pregnant from the ones who are not and prepare for the next calving season.

The process is pretty simple. We draw a small amount of blood from the base of the tail and send them on their way!

BF-Farms, LLC, Oklahoma's source for 100% grass-fed beef and lamb.

Winter on the Farm

A Grass-Fed Winter on BF Farms

We have received many questions lately about how we keep the animals fed and cared for during the winter on the farm. These are great questions. With all of the ice and sleet everywhere how do the animals get the "green" they need to maintain their "grass-fed" status?

In order to answer those questions we followed Kamie, our Ranch Manager, during one of her morning rounds. She told us that they plant rye and barley with turnips and radishes which are green in the winter and the sheep and cattle eat right through the ice to get to the nutrition they need. The ice doesn't phase them a bit. In fact, it provides some extra hydration while they eat. They also receive salt and mineral, along with water that has to be broken up every now and then from icing over.

Our cattle handle the cold very well. Nature has a way of protecting animals from cold. Cattle will naturally grow thicker and longer hair for winter. In fact, cattle are a good indicator when a cold winter is coming as their hair will become even heavier. Then in spring they shed that winter coat of hair. Our sheep on the other hand have access to shelter under one of our large barns. Sheep have the tendency to suffocate if covered in ice, and therefore need the option of covered shelter during these cold months.

Have no fear! At BF Farms we plan ahead so our animals get exactly what they need when they need it. It takes a lot of work behind the scenes to care for the animals properly and to maintain our "grass-fed" status, and we wouldn't have it any other way!

BF-Farms, LLC, Oklahoma's source for 100% grass-fed beef and lamb.

Meet our Family

Meet our BF Farms Family

We would love for you to meet our BF Farms family! Here is a little synopsis of our roles here on the farm:

Doug Benkendorf-Third Generation

Doug is the visionary behind BF Farms and our land owner. He also helps with projects large and small, as the need arises. He is constantly moving our organization forward and seeking improvement.

Jayne Benkendorf-Third Generation

Jayne is the marketing and sales coordinator for our organization. If you know her at all, you know that she is gifted in sharing about our grass-fed beef and lamb and is always building relationships with everyone around her.

Kamie Sallee-Fourth Generation

Kamie is co-owner and ranch manager for the farm. She cares for the animals, making sure they are fed and healthy, moving them around from pasture to pasture to receive a well balanced diet. She also handles the administration for the farm.

Ephraim Benkendorf-Fifth Generation

Ephraim is co-owner, working closely with Kamie to fulfill the regular ranch chores. More importantly, he is responsible for planting the grasses our beef and lamb feed on. He makes sure that we can call our animals "grass-fed".

Ashley Mantz-Fifth Generation

Ashley runs the chicken coup and the family garden. She calls the chickens her babies and collects the eggs for direct market.

Brian Sallee-Fifth Generation

Brian is a photographer and web developer. You can see his skills for photography and web development on our website, Facebook, and other marketing materials we have sent out. Brian also helps out as a farm hand when needed.

Nicole Sallee-Fifth Generation

Nicole is our co-marketing director and helps with sales. She manages the Facebook page, blog, newsletter, and events for the farm. She also helps Ashley in the garden.

"A family that farms together, stays together."

BF-Farms, LLC, Oklahoma's source for 100% grass-fed beef and lamb.