Brasstown – Ridgefield Farm and Brasstown Beef, which the Whitmire Family has owned since 1954, are about 6 miles from downtown Murphy.
Brasstown Beef hosted an educational and fun time for 32 Sysco sales contest winners and managers from Florida on May 24-25. The contest ran from November through January. The North and South Regions of Florida account for about 50 percent of total Brasstown Beef sales. The other 50 percent comes from customers in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee Virginia and through retail sales at the farm in Brasstown and plant in Franklin.
Brasstown Beef is on the menu of a number of nationally known establishments in Florida, such as Bern’s Steakhouse in Tampa, frequently rated No. 1 in the United States; and Red, The Steakhouse, rated No. 1 in Miami; and Brooks Burgers in Naples, No. 1 rated in Florida.
The attendees were treated to dinner and entertainment at Granddaddy Mimm’s Distillery in Blairsville, Ga., where Epic Catering from Hayesville smoked and carved whole Dry Aged Brasstown rib loins and short-ribs. Entertainment was provided by country recording artist and Blairsville native Tommy Townsend and his band.
Presentations were made regarding various entities that in one way or another are involved with Ridgefield Farm and Brasstown Beef.
Molly Phillips of Mainstream Conservation Trust explained their mission and the importance of having 867 acres of Ridgefield Farm in a permanent conservation easement so it can never be developed, but instead remain in a natural state with a combination of forested and pasture land.
Presentations were also made by Adrian Martin, USDA FSA; Michael Wiggins of the USDA NRCS; and J.B. Reeves of Cherokee Soil & Water Conservation District. They explained the purpose of their organizations and related examples about their roles in providing technical and financial assistance to farmers in the area regarding how best to protect the environment while raising livestock and growing crops. When natural disasters occur from severe weather events, they also help farmers make repairs in order to keep providing the food we need.
Dr. Dean Pringle, UGA professor of meat and dairy science, discussed the importance of genetic selection of cattle that will efficiently produce high-quality beef as cost effectively as possible. He also performed a demonstration using an ultrasound to determine the carcass merits of an animal.
Ruminant nutritionist Johnathan Wells from Provini, a division of Cargill, explained the role of the proper nutrients, probiotics and minerals in promoting animal health and consistency of flavor in the beef.
Following a lunch of Brasstown Beef hot dogs and hamburgers, everyone was taken on a tractor-pulled hayride across the fields to see cattle and the beautiful scenery.
At The Crown on the last night, the group was fed roasted Brasstown strip and Carolina mountain trout, with bluegrass played by the Brasstown Naturals.
Keeping the farm in the family has always been the mission at Ridgefield Farm. Profitably raising cattle is difficult no matter where the operation is located, but raising and selling cattle in Cherokee County’s terrain is even more of a challenge.
Toward that end, over the years Whitmire has evolved the business from a “cow/calf operation,” selling the calves after weaning, to one where carefully selected bulls are raised and sold to others, with calves purchased from the bull buyers and grown out for Brasstown Beef.
Brasstown ground beef is available at Ingles Markets and Whole Foods Markets throughout the South. The Farm Store in Brasstown and the retail store at the plant in Franklin both offer a complete selection of Brasstown Beef for local customers to buy.