Taylor Family Organics

Joe Coley, owner/operator of Poplar Creek Farm, is the kind of farmer that "earth friendly" , and health conscious people look for to provide their meat. Some look for months, while others search and never find someone like Joe. At first glance, you notice right away that he loves and cares for his animals in a way that many farmers never consider. He talks about his cows and pigs as a caring father speaks of his children. And you know you're in the right place to get the finest beef and pork available.

He began his farming career in 1986, growing various food crops. And although he has been raising animals for years, he only began raising grass-fed, hormone and antibiotic-free meat in 2006. His cows are rotated on 4 different pastures that provide a variety of grasses, and the fields are never treated with commercial fertilizers. He also keeps the cows away from onions and other grasses that may give the meat a "wild" taste, so he cares about our taste buds as well. Joe also provides hay and oats that he grows himself without the use of commercial fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides. So his cows are never exposed to harmful chemicals. Joe feels very strongly about what his cows should eat, and because their stomachs are not designed to digest corn, they are never given any type of grain that is not natural to their diet. He lovingly checks on his animals several times a day, watering and feeding them as he walks through the fields. He recently had a cow give birth to a healthy calf, and he checked on her several times a day, concerned for her and her little one. His cows are somewhat friendly, allowing you to get close, but not too close. A huge Angus bull was lazily lying in the shade of a beautiful tree. A heifer was licking his ear, and he barely looked up as we walked through.

The beauty of Joe's animals is only eclipsed by the beauty of his pastures. They are very well kept thick with lush grasses and hardwood trees that provide escape from the heat. And the pastures contain plenty of natural water. One pasture contains a small pond, and to protect the animals and the water, Joe has fenced off just enough of the edge to allow the animals to cool and water themselves, yet enough to prevent the animals from contaminating the water. Another pasture contains rolling hills that gently slope down to a gorgeous valley containing a small, shaded creek where the cows have access to water and where they can cool themselves during the heat of the day. One pasture contains a small barn where the cows can take a respite from the rain, snow or other bad weather. His love for the animals is apparent.

And grass-fed meat is so much better for you. It is leaner, and tastes so much better! Corn is used to fatten cows. It fattens cows like it fattens humans. That fat is passed on into their meat, which in turn, passes on to us. Corn is used almost exclusively to fatten cows in order to bring the farmer more money and to hasten growth in order to get them to the market quicker. Corn gives beef a designed taste because it does contain more fat. But cows are not designed to eat corn. Their stomachs cannot digest it, so bacteria that enters into the stomach can pass through to the beef. Hence, all the antibiotics. Not to mention the fact that most factory feed lot cows stand in their own feces all day, exposed to very little, if any, open pasture, and seldom, if ever, exposed to healthy sunshine. Cows that eat grass and natural forage in open pastures are much healthier and do not need antibiotics or hormones. Happy Cows make Better Beef! For more information on the difference in grass-fed beef, and factory feed lot beef, please click the link below.