BEEFALO SALES!!!!!

Recently we have experienced a small flurry of sales activity.  We were pleased to hear from one of our previous meat customers, Dave and Traci Hanson of Aurora, MO.  The Hansons, along with Dave's parents, purchased some roasts, steaks, as well as ground beef.  In addition the Jerry Bobey family near Diggins, Mo. has made a repeat purchase of meat.

 

We have sold a few animals as well.  David Stromberger of Windsor, Co. bought three weaned heifers and is locating them at the Four Aces Cattle Connection near Osceola, Mo.  Today, Dec. 22, Jerry McThompson of Seymour, Mo. purchased two older heifers.  It is always gratifying to see new beefalo producers getting into the business and we wish them well next year and every year. 

 

Ussery Beefalo wishes all of our readers and customers a very Merry Christmas and and Happy New Year!

New Beefalo Producer

Dr. Norm Shealy of Brindabella Farms, west of Fair Grove, Mo. has just purchased ten cows with calves by side from Ussery Beefalo.

 

Last week Mr. Shealy, his daughter Laurel, and grandaughter Natalie came to our farm to pick out the cows they would purchase.  It is always comforting and reassuring to see your cows trust their new owners, but young Miss Natalie had our cows practically sleepwalking.  I  couldn't believe how so many cows let a complete stranger pet them.  We know the cows have a fine new home and we wish Mr. Shealy and his family all the best in the future.

Cattle Sale

We recently sold some heifers to Donny and Jueanita Booth of Millerton, Oklahoma. They are going to be selling their herd of Black Angus cattle in January of 2012 and want to replace them with Beefalo. Donny says he is looking for bred cows that will freshen from February to May, or heifers due to freshen in that time period. Also, he would interested in cows with calves by their side. January is when he would be able to make the transactions. If anyone reading this blog has what Mr. Booth is looking for, you can reach him at (580) 212-7103.

Weaned Heifers For Sale

We have now weaned all seventeen (17) heifers born in February and March.  They will soon be calfhood vaccinated, wormed, and given their other shots.  At that time they will be available for sale.  These 17 are all sired by LNH Rondo who is pictured on this blog; they should make fine beefalo cows in the future.
To a picture of Rondo, click here.

Farm Fest 2011

The 2011 Ozark Fall Farm Fest has been put to rest. The weather was beautiful from start to finish; cool, crisp mornings and pleasant sunshine all day. I thought the crowd was down a little from last year, but still a sizable number. We saw some old friends and hopefully made some new ones. 

There are still a lot of questions about beefalo; How do you get a beefalo? What is their meat like? Are they all this gentle? We still have a lot educating to do and if asked will try to answer everyone's questions.

Getting Ready for Farmfest 2011

The 2011 annual Fall Farmfest will soon be upon us.  The public can attend for three days, October 7th, 8th, and 9th all with FREE admission and Free parking.  Agri business vendors from all over will be attending to display their wares, as will farmers with their animals; goats, sheep, hogs, horses, mules, and cattle will be on hand; maybe even chickens.

 

We are taking four February born calves; two bulls and two heifers which are pictured below.  We are looking forward to renewing old acquaintances and meeting new folks who want to learn more about Beefalo.  See you at the Farmfest. 

 Yellow Jacket DOB:  2-16-11  37.09% bison

 Yoga DOB: 2-15-11 37.09% bison

Youngblood DOB: 2-21-11  37.30% bison 

 Yuri DOB: 2-24-11 37.16% bison

 

 

 

 

The Fair is Over!

From L-R: Yoko, Cleveland Williamson, Yellow Jacket, Gena Ussery, X-Man, Eugene Ussery

We always enjoy taking animals to the fair, but like the other exhibitors we are glad when we get home. As we mentioned on Facebook earlier (Red, White & Blue! Ussery Beefalo brought home one 3rd place, one 2nd place and TWO 1st places from the National Beefalo Show.We had a great time at the Ozark Empire Fair! -Pictures and commentary to come...) each of our four animals recieved a ribbon and we are happy about that!
Our bull, X-Man, never made it home as we transferred him to his new owner, Mark Cox. Mark has been a cattle judge and exhibitor in the past so we might see X-Man, or some of his off-spring at the fair in the future.
It will soon be weaning time time for our February calves and we will be selecting our entries for the 2011 Fall Farm Fest at he Ozark Empire Fairgrounds from that group. The days for the Farm Fest this year will be October 7th-9th, 2011. Remember: No admission or parking fees! We hope you can come!

Good Bye, Bulls

We have recently sold two of our young bulls. Mark Cox and his family, south of Norwood, near Skyline, have purchased our X-Man bull who will be showing at the Ozark Empire Fair on August 6th.
At the same time we were contacted by Mr. Cox we received a call from Laszlo Nemeti of Rogersville. Laszlo bought a beefalo bull from us a few years ago and now needed another one. He likes to get them young and raise them himself. We say "thanks" and "all the best"!

We Will Be at the Fair!

It will be Fair time next week and we are taking four animals that we will post for you.  Remember the National Beefalo Show is on Saturday August 6th at 10 A.M. in the Noel Boyd Center.  Here are photos of the four we are taking.
X-Man, a ten and a half month old bull


Yellow Jacket, a five and a half month old bull


Xcalibar, a yearling heifer


Yoko,a five and a half month old heifer

Hope to see you at the Fair!

New Calves

A couple months back I said we would try and post some pictures of this years calves;  it took longer than I anticipated, but finally we photographed a few, more heifers than bulls.  Here they are.

These calves will be weaned about the end of August and could be for sale shortly thereafter.

Ozark Empire Fair July 27th to August 7th, 2011

Fair time will soon be here and we are planning on taking four animals this year.  August 4 is the day that Beefalo will arrive at the Fair and the National Beefalo Show will be August 6, at 10 A.M. at the Noel Boyd center.  If you are interested in Beefalo and want to learn more about them, please attend and visit with their exhibitors.  See you then!

Lost Oppertunity?

About two weeks ago we received an email from a farmer named Sam ______ (?) who lives out West.  He was interested in some heifers and was enquiring about prices.  We were prepared to reply when our computer went down.  Now we have been informed that all of our emails have been lost.  If Sam _____ (?) reads this blog post please email us again and we will contact you as soon as possible.  Thank you.

Porcupine Meatballs

1 1/2 lbs. ground beefalo
1/2 c. regular rice
1 can tomato soup
1 Tbsp. minced onion
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 c. water

Wash rice and drain. Combine with meat, salt, papper and onion. Shape into small balls. Heat tomato soup and water and drop meatballs in mixture and simmer until done.

For Better Beef, Breed Beefalo

A Washington University Study, (using men, not guinea pigs!) compared Beefalo Beef burgers to regular beef burgers. At the end of a six week consumption test, the average results showed the men's LDL Cholesterol levels, while consuming Beefalo beef, was 15 points lower than when consuming regular beef burgers. No other red meat test has ever lowered the LDL cholesterol level! The same men perferred Beefalo beef burgers over regular beef burgers in taste, tenderness, juiciness and appearance.

Every product we consume has a different genetic makeup- Beef, Chicken, Fish, ect. The Beefalo beef discussed here also has a different genetic makeup, but in appearance and taste, it is the same as a good quality steak you purchase at any local grocery store.

When Beefalo beef was tested by the USDA, it was so nutritionally different, they gave it a separate beef listing. Previously, all beef breeds were in one beef category. The new beef category is Beefalo beef, from Beefalo cattle.

Different gentetics; the development of the Beefalo breed goes back over 150 years, to a point in history where the American Buffalo was in great numbers in the United States. The American Buffalo gives the Beefalo breed its genetic difference with a delicious beef flavor.

The Beefalo breed is a hybrid mix consisting of the following:

• 27% (+/-) 10% - American Buffalo (Bison Species)

• 73% (+/-) 10% - Beef Cow, (Bovine Species)

The New American Breed is now being sought after world wide due to its superior nutritional qualities.

Warning! Beefalo beef is very easy to overcook! It must be cooked at a very little lower temperature and removed from the heat source a little before you think it's done the way you like it. If not, it will be overcooked and dry because it continues to cook after being removed from the heat due to it's low fat content.

Stuffed Cabbage (Goblabki)

1  lg. cabbage
3 qts. boiling water
2 lbs. ground beefalo
1 med. onion, finely chopped
2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 c. uncooked regular rice
2 cups boiling water
3 eggs, well beaten
4 cans condensed tomato soup

Core cabbage; rinse with warm water for easy separation of leaves. Place 16 to 20 medium to large cabbage leaves in the 3 quarts boiling water; simmer gently until leaves are transparent, about 10 minutes. Drain leaves; set aside.
Cook meat and onion in large skillet over medium heat until meat is brown and onion is tender. Add salt and pepper; remove from heat.
Soak rice in 2 cups boiling water 5 minutes. Drain; cool.
Mix rice into beefalo mixture; stir in eggs. Place 1/4 to 1/3 cup beefalo mixture on center of each cabbage leaf. Fold in edges; roll up leaf from stem end. Place rolls seam sides down in Dutch oven or roasting pan. Cover and simmer over low heat on top of range (or bake in 325 degree oven) until rice is tender, about 2 hours.

General happenings

We don't normally have "bottle" calves with beefalo, but occasionally something happens and we have one.  We had a first calf heifer that needed a little assistance in delivering her calf and when it was born she got up and walked away.  We had to bottle feed the calf some colostrum and tried for two days to get Momma to accept it, but to no avail.  Last Fall during some of our beefalo business we had discussed "bottle" calves and were told "if you ever have one".  We remembered, and contacted the Jerry Smeltzer family of Marshfield, Mo.  They said "yes" and now have a baby beefalo heifer.  Good luck Jerry and family.

 

So far 2011 has been a heifer year, 27 heifers to 14 bulls.  Most of the calves have been sired by Rondo who is pictured below.  Those calves born in February will be weaned by about September 1st.  For those who would like to purchase some weaned calves at about that time we are taking orders now.  Hopefully we can add some pictures of these calves in the near future. 

 

New Beefalo Customers

We added a new customer to our beefalo list last week. Lori and Randy Gold of Marionville, Missouri purchased two steers. Thanks and all the best to Lori and Randy.

 

Unfortunately we weren't able to fill the request of Cody Nelson of South Dakota. He was wanting black or black baldy heifers and we didn't have enough of that color, but we are getting several new calves this year that are that black, so maybe next year.

Pot Roast Allalombardo

Sprinkle a 3 to 4 lb. bottom round beefalo or chuck roast with salt & pepper. In a Dutch oven, brown meat on all sides in 2 Tbsp. heated oil. Add 1 minced garlic clove and 1 sliced onion. Brown lightly. Pour off excess oil. Add one jar ragu' Italian Cooking Sauce. Simmer, covered, for 2 1/2 hours or until tender.

Serves 6 to 8.

Savory Beefalo Ragout

What you need:
1 1/2 lbs. beefalo chuck or bottom round, cut into 2 inch pieces
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 c. water
1 can (8 1/2 oz) stewed tomatoes
3 sprigs parsley
1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. dried sage leaves
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 bay leaf
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
6 small onion
3 lg. carrots, cut diagonally into 1/2 inch slices
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen lima beans, broken apart

Brown beefalo pieces in oil in Dutch oven; remove beefalo. Drain fat from Dutch oven, reserving 2 Tbsp. Return 2 Tbsp. fat to Dutch oven. (If necessary, add enough oil to measure 2 Tbsp.)
Stir in flour. Coor and stir over low heat until smooth and bubbly; remove from heat. Add water. Heat to boiling, stirring contantly. Stir in beefalo, tomatoes, parsley, salt, thyme, sage, pepper, bay leaves and garlic. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 1 hour.
Add onions and carrots. Cover and simmer until beefalo and vegetables are tender, 40 to50 minutes. Stir in frozen beans. Cover and simmer until beans are tender, about 10 minutes.
6 servings

Springtime

Officially Spring isn't far away and it seems everyone is ready for it.  Most people I have talked with feel Winter has been extra long this year, hopefully it is about over.  With the coming of Spring has been a crop of new calves and the subsequent planning for next year.  As of this posting we have twenty five (25) yearling heifers, born from February to June 2010 that are available to sell.   The older heifers could be put with a bull by early June; the younger ones I would recommend waiting so they could calve in early Fall 2012. We believe these are fine quality animals that would form good foundation beefalo stock.

In addition to these yearlings we have a number of older heifers due to freshen with their first calves this year.  They could start calving by early April.

We also have eight (8) steers that weigh approximately 450 to 600 pounds that we would sell now or keep , if spoken for,  until they reach slaughter weight.

Reasons to Raise Beefalo

Excellent Foraging Ability- Beefalo have the ability to better untilize roughage which results in lower maintenance.
Strong Hybrid Vigor- Bison X Bovine - These benefits are derived from years of natural selesction on the bison side and accumulative years of selective breeding on the domestic side.
Calving Ease- Unassisted calving is an inherited trait from the bison.
Hardiness- Beefalo are adaptable to climatic changes. Due to their ability to perspire, they do well in hot climates; and because they have a dense hair coat for insulation, they thrive equally well in cold climates.
Fertility- Proper balance of bison and bovine genetics creates a fertile animal for both natural service and artificial insemination.
Less Waste When Processing- Beefalo inherit an extremely thin external fat covering which leads to less fat tossed into the barrel by processors.
High Quality Meat- Beefalo produce a meat that is high in protien, yet low in fat, cholesterol and calories. Beefalo meat is as tender as regular beef without marbled fat.

Beefalo has Less Cholesterol

Data Sources: US Department of Agriculture/ Human Nutrition Information Service/ USDA Handbook AH-8-13 (Rev. May 1990) *Compostition of Foods: Beef Products* /Composite of Cuts, Cooked_ NDB #13361 and USDA Handbook AH-8-17 (Rev. May 1989) * Compostition of Foods: Lamb, Veal, and Game Products* /Composite of Cuts, Cooked_ NDB #17153

Nutritional Comparisons: Beefalo Vs. Beef

Good bye X-Factor! Hello New Beefalo Farmers!

We are happy to report that we have sold the young bull X-Factor to the Deer Run Beefalo Farm in Lebanon, Mo.  This farm is operated by Tony Flores. Tony is a newcomer to the Beefalo industry, but is very passionate about Beefalo and its health benefits. 

Tony is buying a steer from us as well. That steer is ready for harvest and Tony is having him inspected so he will be able to sell the meat. If you live in and around the Lebanon area give him a call if you want to sample some Beefalo.

We say "welcome" to Tony and his family and wish them all the best in their future endeavors.

Beefalo has Less Total Polyunsaturated Fat

Data Sources: US Department of Agriculture/ Human Nutrition Information Service/ USDA Handbook AH-8-13 (Rev. May 1990) *Compostition of Foods: Beef Products* /Composite of Cuts, Cooked_ NDB #13361 and USDA Handbook AH-8-17 (Rev. May 1989) * Compostition of Foods: Lamb, Veal, and Game Products* /Composite of Cuts, Cooked_ NDB #17153

How Bison Genetics Improve Beef Meat

1. Decrease total fat content
2. Decrease saturated fat content
3. Decrease cholesterol content
4. Decrease calorie content
5. Decrease percentage of calories derived from fat
6. Increase nutrient density
7. Increase ratio of polysaturated fats to saturated fats
8. Improve flavor, tenderness, juiciness
9. Less fat to trim, less shinkage

Bull For Sale!

We are posting a couple of pictures of a young bull we have for sale. X-Factor is a bull we took to the Fall Farmfest in October. He is 37.03% Bison and his date of birth is 3/02/10. As you can see by his bison percentage his calves from any beef cow will be considered Beefalo. He will soon be a year old and should be ready for service by May. As you can see he is halter broke and quite gentle.