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cating customers and answering their questions.” Customer service and a pound of ground beef are what solidify new customers. “I’ve gained more [returning] custom- ers off a single pound of ground beef than any steak,” Borden explains. “I ask people to do a taste test: purchase a pound of my ground beef and cook it alongside a pound from the grocery store and taste the difference. It works every time.” While the COVID-19 era has proved difficult for many, it has further pressed the “buy local” movement. As everyday staples such as beef became sparse at local grocery stores in early 2020, consumers began turning to their local farmers and ranchers. Cedar Creek was happy to provide for their community. At the start of 2020, they were meet- ing their goals of growing their sales by one-third every year and were on track to eventually process 80 head per year. However, that shifted for the better as Cedar Creek sold out of all their scheduled beef for 2020 within five days in March. As demand contin- ued to grow, however, acquiring extra space at the packer was increasingly difficult. Thankfully, a great relationship with their packer, along with purchasing

calves from neighboring farms, allowed them to far surpass the 80-head goal they had set at the store’s inception, finish- ing/harvesting 100 head, 85 of which were Santa Gertrudis or STAR 5. While the impacts of COVID-19 are beginning to subside, the desire for buying local is likely to continue. When asked what advice he has to offer others interested in finishing and sell- ing local beef, Borden could not stress enough

Ribbon cutting at Cedar Creek Farms storefront location grand opening.

the impact that finding a quality cattle nutritionist made on his outcomes. He also suggests investing time in finding a packer that is the right fit for you. “I spent two-and-a-half months traveling the state looking for pack- ers,” Borden says. “When you’re selling to the public, what it looks like is just as important as how it tastes. Find a packer that offers quality packaging and the cuts your customers desire.” When it comes to genetic selection, “I can’t say enough about following the genetics that get us the yields and

grades we need,” he says, reminding breeders to keep the end product in mind, paying close attention to fat and ribeye area. “A few good cattle with good genet- ics you can grow your herd from makes the best start,” Borden says. “The more data you keep along the way, the easier it is to go back and make changes.” Borden looks forward to watching his grandchildren begin showing Santa Gertrudis cattle and hopes to one day pass Cedar Creek Farms on to the next generation. MARCH 26, 2021 6:00 P.M. • BRIGGS RANCHES BLOOMINGTON, TEXAS

t MID-COAST SUPER SALE t Selling at the An ET daughter of Miss Grandview 268, a full sister to Miss Grandview 555 and CVF 2022. She is sired by proven herd sire FC Pistol 28/0, whose offspring have garnered well over $250,000 in sales. She combines PERFORMANCE and PEDIGREE in an attractive, BALANCED and naturally THICK package. She sells AI’d on 1/2/21 to Jackpot 190E5369G8, our exciting new junior herd sire, co-owned with Schuster Farm, Korban Cattle and Leachman Cattle Co. of Colorado. Jackpot scanned a 7.5 IMF with a Miss Grandview 268G6

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Jackpot

0.82, TOP 1% for Marbling. This mating of 268G6 and Jackpot equates to 7 EPD traits in the TOP 25% of the breed, including TOP 4% REA, TOP 2% HCW and TOP 1% in Backfat and Marbling. Grandview Farm retains an IVF collection at their expense with a guarantee of 6 embryos.

April 24, 2021 • Cullman, Ala. THIS FEMALE CAN KEEP A PROGRAM MOVING FORWARD! Look For Us!

Grandview Farms Hamilton, AL

WEBSITE: grandviewfarm.biz MANAGER: Brent Shaw, (205) 412-5761 HERDSMAN: Seth Holmes, (205) 412-7053

OWNERS: Delmo & Wilmuth Payne CELL PHONE: (205) 468-5319 EMAIL: delmo.payne@gmail.com

MARCH 2021 • WWW.SANTAGERTRUDIS.COM

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