Pasture Raised & Corn Fed
Our animals can be found on one of the Apple Brandy Beef’s farms in the foothills of Wilkes County and in the pastures on the Blue Ridge Parkway during the summer months. The cattle roam free and enjoy a peaceful life where they build up muscle naturally and are fed a balanced corn diet during the finishing process which results in a tasty, marbled, and healthy meat. Cattle who are confined to a small space don’t have the chance to grow properly and can easily contract diseases. They live stressed and it results in meat that does not taste well.
No Added Hormones
Hormones accelerate the growth of livestock. The problem is that hormones have been linked to higher rates of disease, illness, and cancer in livestock. In a traditional market setting, animals aren't given enough space to roam free and build up bulk the natural way. Therefore they are given hormones to accelerate their growth. It has been shown in studies that animals who are fed hormones are more likely to develop disease or illness. In addition to being healthier, hormone free meat is generally tastier than meat that was fed hormones. That's because animals stuck in crowded feedlots and fed hormones don't develop the same kind of lean, tasty muscles that free range animals do.
No Added Antiobiotics
Traditional farming has encouraged the use of antibiotics on animals and a lot of drug companies still encourage the use of antibiotics in livestock, although recent findings are proving the importance of moving towards antibiotic free animals. Not only is it harder to treat the animals if they need medical attention in the future but it is also creating antibiotic-resistant bacteria. A lot of these bacteria can be transferred to us and be harmful. Antibiotic free meat is healthier and tastier. In the long run, it is also better for the environment and us.