All-Natural Grass-fed & Finished Beef 
We began raising Grass-fed Beef with the idea of producing the purest most natural beef possible. What sets our beef apart from many of the 'natural' and 'certified organic' labels is the fact that OUR beef comes from animals that are NOT fed grain but rather diets of green forage.
 Our calves begin their lives eating grass and drinking their mother's milk while living healthy low-stress lives. Once the calves become old enough to survive on their own, they are weaned and then taken to our lush finishing pastures until they reach 1,000 to 1,100 pounds.
Once the cattle are ready for butcher (ideally this is usually around 22 to 26 months of age) they are then transported with care to one of our family owned butcher shops where they are harvested.
Our grass-fed beef finishing production program begins with calves that we raise here on our farm and also with young calves supplied from a few carefully selected pasture based farms.
Our Beef Production Protocols:
Below is a detailed explanation of our beef production protocols of animals that have been raised and finished on our farm and associated finishing farm located in Attica, IN.
100% Grass / Plant Forage-Fed - NO Grain!
At Seven Sons our beef comes from animals that have been given access to fresh pasture with diets of nearly 100% grass and plant forage - absolutely NO grains! During winter and times when fresh grass is not available, cattle are fed stored forage such as hay. During certain parts of the year, cattle will sometimes be supplemented with a small amount of molasses to help ballance their nutritional needs.
By raising the animals without feeding grain it ensures that the cattle are raised in a low-stress environment with plenty of fresh air and sunshine.
BUYER BEWARE!
Many producers raise their cattle on grass but then switch them to grain diets for the last few months of their lives. Some of these producers are then selling this beef as "grass-fed." when it is not. It is important to understand that the positive health attributes of grass-fed beef diminish very quickly when given access to grain.
Omega-3 & CLA Tested
We are one of the only farms that actually test our beef for high amounts of Omega-3 Fatty Acids and CLA's.
We send samples of our grass-fed beef to Utah State University where it must undergo extensive testing and analysis.
For more information please visit our Testing and Analysis Page.
NO Fed Drugs or Antibiotics
Our beef must come from animals that have never been fed any kind of feed grade drugs or antibiotics.
In commercial feedlots low-level antibiotics are administered day after day to help manage highly concentrated grain diets and confined conditions. Grass diets eliminate this concern and risk.
We do allow for a limited use of a therapeutic (non-fed) medication treatment to control internal parasites which commonly affect cattle, even among sustainable production programs. Parasites dramatically effects the quality of meat products and in some cases can take the life of an animal. IF parasite control is used, it is usually applied only once in an animals lifetime.
In the event that an animal becomes sick or injured a (non-fed) therapeutic antibiotic or drug may be administered at this time. IF and WHEN any medication treatment must be used, the recommended withdrawal period stated on the prescribed product label is then doubled.
Absolutely NO Hormones or Steroids
Our beef must come from animals that have been raised without the use of hormones, steroids, artificial growth stimulants, or animal by-products.
Humane Slaughter
Our beef must be processed using only humane slaughter methods. This means we only use local family owned meat processors who we know and can trust to actually adhere to State and USDA regulations.
Local Beef Producer Alliances
In the early 90's we began raising grass-fed beef on our farm in Roanoke, Indiana. Once we began marketing this product we became aware of the incredible demand for this "new" kind of beef. In order to continue to serve our customers adequately, we made the decision to partner with two family farms in Attica Indiana. Our beef production program now consists of the Dan DeSutter and Rich Hollinger families who share a commitment to raising beef according the protocols you have come to expect. We are extremely grateful for the opportunity to work together with families who stand united in furthering the cause for local sustainable agriculture.
Together we are a trio of families that share a deep passion of providing the world's healthiest beef to our customers for many years to come.
 Farm Fresh Free-Range Eggs
It's pretty much common knowledge these days that most eggs you find in the store come from factory farms where laying hens are caged and given no other choice but to eat medicated feeds and of course animal by-products that provide a cheap source of protein. The life of a commercial egg laying hen is sure to be a miserable experience from the day it's born until the day it's turned into the protein source for the next generation of laying hens.
 At the Seven Sons Farm here in Roanoke, Indiana the laying hens on our farm have quite a different story to tell! When hens arrive at the farm, instead of being greeted with a small cage to live in, they have a nice large  barn accommodated with bedded floor space, natural roosting space, secluded egg nest boxes, natural lighting cycles and fresh air ventilation. Weather permitting hens are also given access to our pasture where they can enjoy the natural sunlight and scratch around while foraging for green plants and insects.
Instead of feeds that contain medications and dead chicken remains, our hens actually have access to a natural blend of feed! We go to great lengths to find the very best ingredients to produce top quality feed. We grow our own corn and soybeans without the use of commercial fertilizers or pesticides. Our grains are then combined with the highest quality all-natural ingredients, resulting in a healthy balanced feed for our chickens.
Here at our farm, hens are raised:
- without the use of antibiotics
- without the use of hormones
- without the use of preservatives
- humanely treated
- free to range
- with high quality all-natural feed
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Confinement Laying Hens |
Our Free-Range Laying Hens |
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Confinement Laying Hens |
Our Free-Range Laying Hens |
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Hens foraging in the pasture |
Hens foraging in the pasture |
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Our hens have access to the outdoors! |
Some of our hens even enjoy the outdoors on the cold days! |
Chicken  & Turkey 
 The Production Process
When we say Free-Range Pastured Chicken & Turkey, we are talking about birds raised in open fields with lots of sunshine and fresh air. Their food consist of fresh grass, leaves, plant roots and all the little bugs, worms and small critters they can find. The birds are also given access to free choice feed which consist of mainly ground seeds like corn & soybeans mixed with plenty of vitamins and minerals (NO drugs and NO antibiotics of any kind.)
What are the results? An extremely nutritional and flavorful meat!
When production practices are in sync with nature and are working with and not against God's intricately designed creation, the results will always be better. Yes, we do believe it's really that simple!
 Understanding the Difference...
It is important to understand our free-range birds are in a class all of their own. Do not get confused by other products in stores claiming 'natural' or "free-range." This simply means that the birds did not spend their entire lives cooped up in cages. Actually, almost all poultry can be labeled "free-range." Conventional meat birds are raised in large barns where thousands of birds roam about on concrete or dirt/manure packed floors, usually without access to the outdoors. Because these birds are raised in such large numbers and are not given proper access to sunshine and fresh air, disease becomes a big problem. Producers are left with nothing else to do but give the birds drugs and antibiotics which as you know filters down to the consumer. Their diets consist of medicated feeds mixed with the remains of dead chickens for added protein. The result of these irresponsible production practices is a very unhealthy and tasteless product. Yes, this is the kind of meat you will find in almost every grocery store and fast food restaurant.
Local Poultry Producer Alliances
Brice Hitzfield of Seven Sons
 We are very excited to announce that Brice Hitzfield (the 3rd of the seven sons) will be raising pastured chickens for you this year! As many of you know we have struggled in the past to get our own farm-raised chickens processed due to the distance between our farm and the closest Inspected Processor.
This year with the help of our good friends at Pasture's Delights Dairy, we have been able to purchase the needed equipment to process our own birds. The State of Indiana allows every farmer to process a limited number birds per year without having to setup a costly inspected facility. For this reason, Brice will be raising chickens exclusively for you and therefore all payments for chicken orders will be made to Brice Hitzfield instead of Seven Sons. As demand for chicken increases, we will continue to provide the opportunity for independent entrepreneurs like Brice to supply you with wholesome pasture raised chicken.
For the last several years we've had the opportunity to offer chickens to you from Gunthorp Farms in LaGrange, IN. We will continue to work with Gunthorp Farms during the times we do not have our own chicken available.
Greg & Lei Gunthorp of Gunthorp Farms
In years past we have found it difficult to economically process our own poultry at an affordable price due to State & USDA Regulations. For this reason we established a unique partnership with Greg & Lei Gunthorp of Gunthorp Farms located in LaGrange, Indiana. The Gunthorp Family have successfully specialized in a comparatively larger-scale sustainable free-range poultry and pork farming operation which has allowed them to build their own on-farm USDA Processing Facility, a feat nearly unheard of for a farm of their scale.
With the production and processing help from the Gunthorp Family can offer you the convenience of purchasing natural free-range poultry during times when our own chicken is not available.
More About Gunthorps
We first met the Gunthorps years ago at the Northern Indiana Grazing Conference where Greg spoke about natural free-range animal production. Greg & Lei are considered by many to be leaders in the emerging natural sustainable agriculture movement that is sweeping the United States.
In addition to producing for Seven Sons, Gunthorps also direct markets their products to many Chicago Restaurants including Charlie Trotter's, Va Pensiero, Campagnola, the Ritz-Carlton, and Blackbird, among others. We have known and worked with the Gunthorp Family for many years now and we both share a unique passion for what we do.
To learn more about Gunthorps we recommend reading their featured article in Chicago Magazine.
All-Natural Free-Range Pork 
 If you are one of those folks looking for a healthy alternative to conventional factory raised pork we have just what you're looking for! For the last several years we have been raising all-natural free-range pork on our farm in Roanoke, IN. Just like all of our other farm animals, when the young pigs arrive at our farm they are treated with care and raised in a healthy natural environment. Our pigs will spend most of their time rooting around in the woods eating all kinds of things like plants, roots, leaves and wild berries. When they're not eating they will probably be either relaxing or having fun taking a mud bath and doing whatever else pigs do best. Now that's the LIFE!
The Free-Range Diet
Just like our chickens, our pigs will be given access to our own specialty blend of free choice feed. The feed will consist of seeds such as corn and soybeans and will be packed full of all kinds of healthy vitamins and minerals.
Both pigs and chickens need a certain amount of grain for proper growth because their stomachs are the same as humans and unable to effectively digest forage unlike the cattle we raise which is 100% grass-fed.
 Our Passion Behind Raising Healthy Pork
Free-Range Pork is a product that we are uniquely passionate about producing simply because we feel it gives us a second chance at producing pork the right way! Some of you may be surprised to learn that less than 10 years ago our entire farm was based around a commercial factory hog operation producing thousands of pigs per year. We produced these animals using a mass production model just like commercial hog farms today. We know first hand how animals are raised on conventional farms - we were once one ourselves.
When we say that factory raised animals are crowded into large pens left to breathe toxic fumes and fecal dust we are not just feeding you some line, we have seen it for ourselves. When we say that factory raised animals receive all kinds of unnatural drugs and antibiotics we know this because WE used to administer these medications almost everyday to our animals. This was how the 'industry experts' were telling us to raise livestock. It was what every other guy was doing and at the time it was all we knew how to do. This is how the industry was functioning and still is to this day.
During the later 90’s one of our family members contracted a serious autoimmune disease that required further treatment beyond what the medical field could offer. We began learning about health and nutrition and became aware of the negative impact that conventionally raised foods are having on consumers. We recognized that our farming practices and philosophies needed a lot of change to say the least.
Long story short, we are now part of a new breed of farmers who are challenging the conventional wisdom of today. Whether it's cattle, chickens or pigs, animals are meant to eat what they find in the wild. Nutritional quality is far better when animals are raised using responsible production practices, allowed to live in the environment they were created to live in and allowed to eat the foods they were created to eat. Click here to learn more about our farming history.
Our Pork Production Protocols
Young pigs are purchased locally in Northern Indiana and arrive at our farm around 6-10 weeks of age. The pigs spend the remaining 5-6 months of their lives here on our farm where they are raised in a free-range outdoor environment according the protocols we have set in place below:
Free-range Environment & Natural Diet
We raise our pigs in a free-range environment consisting of pasture and or woodland where they are free to root for food.
Our pigs will also be given access to our own blend of free choice feed. The feed will consist of seeds such as corn and soybeans and will be full of all kinds of healthy vitamins and minerals.
Both pigs and poultry need a certain amount of grain for proper growth because their stomachs are the same as humans and unable to effectively digest forage unlike the cattle we raise which is 100% grass-fed.
Drug and Antibiotic Protocol
During our pigs stay on our farm we never feed any kind of feed grade drugs or antibiotics.
On commercial hog farms low-level antibiotics are administered day after day to help manage disease and sickness due to their unnatural environment. A natural free-range environment eliminates this concern and risk.
In the event that an animal becomes sick or injured a (non-fed) therapeutic antibiotic or drug may be administered at this time. If this occurs the recommended withdrawal period stated on the prescribed product label is then tripled.
NO Hormones or Steroids
Our pork must come from animals that have been raised without the use of hormones, steroids, artificial growth stimulants, or animal by-products.
Humane Slaughter
Our beef must be processed using only humane slaughter methods. This means we only use local family owned meat processors who we know and can trust to actually adhere to State and USDA regulations
100% Grass-fed Lamb
Our lambs are being raised for us by Amzie Schwartz who is a close associate and friend of Seven Sons. These lambs were purchased early this spring just after being weaned and they have never been fed any grain! Amzie has raised these lambs on a strict diet of grass and natural minerals WITHOUT feeding any drugs, antibiotics, animal by-products, or using any artificial growth hormones.
If you have any questions regarding our production practices please feel free to contact us.
Our Products:
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