WHO WE ARE - WHAT WE DO

The owners of Foss Road Beef LLC are Bob and Charlotte Forster. Originally dairy farmers, we have over thirty years of experience caring for cows and calves, producing lots of sweet, nutritious grass for them to eat right here on this farm. We now apply this experience to raising all grass-fed, all natural beef.

"All Grass-fed" means a diet of the grasses and legumes that cattle evolved to consume, in the form of pasture, hay or silage. Other than salt and minerals, they do not get anything else, no concentrates, grain or by-products. It also means they are on pasture all year, except for the worst winter storms, when they have access to the barn's loafing area, with fresh rye grass straw bedding.

"All Natural" means no hormones or antibiotics. We do not use worm treatments or vaccines. With a vigorous breed, nutritious diet and a clean, low stress environment, our animals thrive without needing help from any artificial products.

We deal with butchers who age meat the natural, old-fashioned way, by dry curing. This means hanging the halves in a cooler for at least two weeks. To accomplish this, the carcass must have a significant amount of fat to minimize spoilage. Dry curing takes longer and costs more than the wet cure method used in the commercial beef industry, but it is more natural and results in a superior product.

ALL NATURAL - ALL GRASS

Herefords are noted for their temperament, conformation and quality meat.

We practice Management Intensive Grazing with frequent pasture rotation and seasonal feeding of our nutritious, home-grown grass silage. An all-grass diet makes for delicious beef. It is sweet and mild flavored. Your palate knows it is beef but it is never gamey tasting.

An "all they can eat, all the time" feeding program, small herd size, with skilled and patient handling create a comfortable, low stress life for our animals.

We breed our herd to calve in April and May. In our area the grass is most nutritious and growing fast from May through July. A two year old feeder consumes prodigious quantities of spring grass and gains weight rapidly. When the days start getting shorter, in July, the animal's metabolism changes from growth to fattening for the coming winter. By August the older, more vigorous feeders are at their peak of quality and ready to harvest, followed by the rest over the next two months. At 27 to 29 months of age, young for grass-fed, the hanging weight of the carcasses runs between 650 and 750 pounds.

The fat content is good with moderate marbling in the steaks. It would probably grade USDA Choice. There is plenty of fat for tender, juicy beef and successful dry aging.

Careful management, working in tune with the seasons, and feeding all they can eat of the best grass we can produce results in an excellent product. It's great value for your food dollar and a delight to eat.