What do your cattle eat?
We grow almost everything our cattle eat right here on our century farm. We work closely with a nutritionist to make sure their dietary needs are being met. They eat different rations throughout their lives, but those rations almost always consist of high moisture corn, earlage, oatlage, haylage, hay, spent grains from local ethanol plants and a mineral mix.
Where to your cattle live?
Our cattle live in open air barns where they have 24/7 access to feed, water and both indoor and outdoor space. In the summer they appreciate the barns for their shade and in the winter for their warmth. But in the spring and fall the boys love to lounge outside on the feeding floor and take sunbaths. In the summer, our barns are cooled with fans. Every barn is equipped with a heavy duty brush that the cattle use to scratch their backs, heads and rumps. It’s fun to watch!
Where is your beef processed? Are there licenses involved?
We process with a USDA inspected facility in Minnesota. They handle the aging, cutting and packaging. I am a fully licensed and inspected food warehousing facility in the state of Iowa.
Do you use antibiotics?
Antibiotic use in cattle is a complicated topic. The short answer to this question is yes.
The long answer is that antibiotics are an essential part of maintaining herd health and providing adequate and humane care for our animals.
Cattle are particularly susceptible to respiratory infections. If we notice that an animal is sick and struggling to breathe we will bring that animal to the central barn to evaluate it and treat it with the appropriate drugs for the condition. As producers (and humans), we don’t believe in allowing an animal to suffer needlessly for the sake of trendy marketing or an up-sell. The vast majority of our animals will enter and leave our farm healthy and never require ANY medical treatment or antibiotics, and the animals that enter our meat program are hand-selected for premium results.
Additionally, food animals produced in the United States that are treated with antibiotics have a strict withdrawal period, and we are not allowed to sell an animal until they have cleared that withdrawal. IF the USDA happened to catch us selling an animal before the withdrawal period is up, we would be subject to an inspection. If violations continue, we would no longer be allowed to sell beef. Anywhere.
As a consumer, you can rest assured that meat produced in the US is safe, inspected and antibiotic free.
Where does your beef ship from?
Right here on our farm in Iowa! Your box will be packed by hand and shipped the same day.
How is it shipped?
Your order is packaged frozen and shipped out in a timely manner using cold safe packaging. We ship on Mondays to ensure delivery by the end of the week. Your beef should arrive on your doorstep still frozen or very cold, but it’s important to unpack it ASAP.
I can only pick from your boxes? Why can’t I build my own box?
There are two reasons for this.
I build my boxes so that all the cuts will fit and arrive to you still cold. To make this little slice of shipping magic happen, I’ve got to factor in qualifiers such as time of year, ambient temperature and shipping speed. Each box is packed individually according to where it’s traveling to. Curating boxes helps me make this happen without product loss.
It’s my goal to honor the animals that enter our food program by eating the entire animal, nose to tail, as much as possible. Which is why I’ll occasionally have liver, tongue and heart on offer for my local shoppers. I attempt to curate a mix of boxes from high-end to humble in order to offer a little something for everyone. I’m always willing to answer questions and give cooking tips, simply email achenfarms@gmail.com.
What if my beef arrives warm?
In the unlikely situation that a package arrives warm, a refund will be issued.
What does shipping cost?
Shipping is a flat fee of $20. Check out the Media Mail page to learn more about shipping discounts!
