Indiana Grown: Family Traditions Beef

Indiana Grown: Family Traditions Beef

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Each and every Saturday, WISH-TV highlights a local company together with our partners at Indiana Grown.

This week, Jennifer and Don Shoemaker with Family Traditions Beef in Vallonia, Indiana, join News 8 at Daybreak.

The Shoemakers are the fifth generation to run the farm, and they say they have farming in their blood, with their agrarian roots stretching as far back as the 1860s.

A few of their farming practices include allowing room for their cattle to roam, and providing their livestock a balanced and holistic diet. The Shoemakers share with News 8 why their beef-raising practices make their products so unique.

“We raise that (beef) specifically from birth to butcher, all the way through,” Don said. “Conventional beef gets traveled a lot throughout the country, and different people specialize in different areas, and we wanted control over that.”

Don adds that raising the cattle from birth to death enables them to breed for tenderness and marbling, as well as knowing the health plan for the cattle during its life cycle. “We know the health plan of that animal and how it’s been treated humanely during its life,” Don said.

Jennifer tells News 8 that they started selling their products in 2018, selling both beef and pork. “We started sourcing Berkshire pork, which is like the wagyu of the pork world,” she said. “We sourced that from a friend in northern Indiana. We also offer 12 lb beef bundles, 12 lb pork bundles, or a combination of beef and pork.”

The farm offers multiple beef bundles for sale on its online store, along with bulk options during the spring and fall. It also offers a monthly beef subscription service, that includes items like Heartland beef boxes, a cheeseburger box, and a Hoosier pork box.

To learn more, watch the full interview above.