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Couple provides free-range beef at farmers market

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BY LIZ STINSON / Lincoln Journal Star

Wednesday, Aug 15, 2007 - 12:03:34 am CDT

She was a fashion merchandising major. He studied accounting.  Twelve years ago, Marcy and J.R. Hollenbeck were set to be your average, city-dwelling couple.

 But things weren’t meant to work out that way.

In fact, since he was child, J.R. has known that he’d come back to the family farm and start up his own business.

Story Photo
Marcy Hollenbeck cuts a piece of cheeseburger from Hollenbeck Farms for a customer at the Old Cheney Farmer's Market. (Ted Kirk)

The farm has been in the family for four generations, and cattle has been a part of it since the beginning. But J.R. wanted to do something different when he came back to Elmwood more than 10 years ago.

Instead of raising only breeding stock and club cattle, J.R. decided that he wanted to breed cattle for eating as well.

The Hollenbecks’ cattle are 100 percent all natural with no hormone, steroids or antibiotics.

The only thing keeping the beef from being certified organic is that they feed the cattle conventional corn rather than organic corn, which is four times as expensive.

Marcy said she believes that the product is still healthy and that the added label of “organic” isn’t worth the price increase for the customer.

The free-range cattle also roam  on the 1,000 acres of pasture that the Hollenbecks have.

J.R. said this allows the cattle to be in their natural element instead of being kept in cramped, dirty holding pins like many of the commercial feedlots use.

“I wanted to put the animal in the element they were raised in and not in a confined area like sardines,” he said.

By allowing the cattle to roam in an open area, Marcy added, it prevents them from acquiring diseases which have to be treated with hormones and antibiotics.

But they didn’t stop there in their pursuit of quality beef. J.R. said he uses a particular cross breeding to achieve the optimal flavor and tenderness in his meat.

 With a mixture of Maine-Anjou, Angus and Simmental  cattle, the Hollenbecks said their meat is on a different quality level than meat that comes from other breeds.

J.R. said he handles the cattle from birth to taking them to get processed at the USDA-approved plant in Diller.

“We do everything from the ground up,” he said. “If we get them (cattle) from a commercial place, there’s no quality insurance.”

The Hollenbecks have been raising cattle for more than 10 years, but it wasn’t until this summer that they decided to sell the meat at the Old Cheney and Havelock Farmers Markets in Lincoln and the Village Point Market in Omaha.

The timing was right to expand their operation, they said, with the kids getting older and the demand for all-natural products on the rise.

“We just kinda finally realized that there were a lot of people who wanted a quality, all natural product in beef,” Marcy said.

At the market, the Hollenbecks sell 30 different types of meat: four cuts of roast and 10 different steaks ranging from $5.39 for a round steak to their best selling bacon-wrapped filet of steak for $24.98.  The couple also encourage people to buy their quarter wholes and halves because customers often get a good deal on the price.

In addition to selling individual pieces of beef, Marcy has begun making gift boxes that people can custom fill and send through the mail.

The Hollenbecks hope to have ordering from their Web site, www.hollenbeckfarms.com,  running  by the end of the year, but for now, the easiest way to order is by calling (402) 781-2992.

The meat is also available at Ideal Groceries, Cetak’s Gourmet Meats & Sausages and Leon’s Food Mart in Lincoln.  The couple also hopes to find an upscale restaurant to feature their steaks and meats.

Reach Liz Stinson at 473-7254 or at estinson@journalstar.com.


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Nina wrote on August 15, 2007 11:11 am:
" Actually, small family farmers have fed cattle 'free-range' for years. They roam the pasture, have their salt & mineral blocks out there, and come into the lot to eat corn & protein feed (and hay in the winter) from the feeder. This crossbred type is also not unusual. What makes the difference is marketing - by now farmers know the words 'free-range', 'all natural' and 'organic' get attention and premium price. It's the same way we raised cattle, hogs and chickens fifty years ago, but marketing has led people to think it's all the rage. Dept of Ag tests have proven there's no difference in nutrition and safety between these products and conventionally-marketed ones, but I wish them the best. Family farmers can use a gimmick these days, so whatever works. "
Meat Eater wrote on August 15, 2007 11:31 am:
" I don't mind eating beef that has been fattened in the stockyards. I do mind what they feed those animals. If the cattle feeders could get rid of the hormones first (easily done, just stop the implants), they would be taking a big step to where I would like to see things going. Next on the agenda: get rid of the antibiotics. Yes, they would need to modify the diet and put the critter on something besides 100 percent grain. In my opinion, this would produce much better beef and I would have no need for pricey beef with the 'natural' tag festooned onto it. Pure corn-fed beef has no taste. Now with the trend toward the ultra low fat cuts of meet, there is even less flavor. Oh how I yearn for the days when salt and pepper were all a steak needed to make it a taste treat. "
Arlin wrote on August 15, 2007 12:14 pm:
" All producers must certify in writing that no antibiotics, hormones or steroids have been fed to cattle within the time limit when such residue could possibly be found in meat, and the USDA has for years checked meat make sure this is the case. Natural is the way many small farmers raise their cattle, just as they have for generations. Now they advertise it and consumers think they get something better. Just goes to prove there's no such thing as a dumb farmer. "
beerorkid wrote on August 15, 2007 1:01 pm:
" Excellent meat. Tried a roast and then came back for steaks. Nice folk and excellent product. "
Corie wrote on August 15, 2007 2:29 pm:
" I don't get how cattle can be called free-range when they are fed corn. It's either or, according to numerous government and meat industry websites. I'm sure this feeder has a good product, but I agree with other posters who say it is the marketing that does the trick. "
Nina wrote on August 15, 2007 2:45 pm:
" To reassure skeptics, I'd like to say that only are most likely no traces of antiobiotics, growth hormones, etc. in conventional beef, there are also no traces of manure, which is what organic farmers use to fertilize the pastures for free-range cattle. "
SB wrote on August 15, 2007 5:15 pm:
" Nina, you’re right, small family farms raise free range animals – however most likely the meat you and I buy at (insert grocery store here) is the cattle raised out in a Milford cattleyard setting, stuffed onto mud/manure lots, fed ethanol byproducts, pumped full of steroids to increase market weight, and full of antibiotics to fend off disease given their settings. The only reason the coin words are no more then marketing words is because the FDA refuses to see a difference and regulate the farming methods. Yes, it is going back to how we did things 50 years ago – that’s the point, to get back to a time when we knew where our food came from and the government and farmers cared about what its citizens were eating. Given a choice, would you stick your hand in a bucket of chemicals or a bucket of manure? "
beerorkid wrote on August 15, 2007 6:44 pm:
" I have been a fan of these kinds of places for a couple years. I think it comes down to the meat is good, froze pretty much after being butchered, and well it beats stuff that has been packaged and on the shelf for days. We can tell it is really good and I cannot say that about most store bought beef. TO me it is worth the slight higher cost to know the cattle was not injected with crap drugs and confined. I will continue to buy Hollenbecks products because I really enjoy its quality. "
Nina wrote on August 16, 2007 11:57 am:
" Given a choice, SB, I would buy safe meat - which can be found at Farmers' Market, our local mom & pop grocery that buys its beef from local producers, or last choice, at a chain store. It's all wholesome meat - read what another poster said about regulations and testing. You'll not likely find any hormones, antibiotics, etc. in any of this meat, regardless of where/how the cattle were raised. "
SB wrote on August 16, 2007 4:14 pm:
" Nina, I'm not sure what Arlin is referring to, but according to the USDA “hormone free” or “antibiotic free” labeled beef is based on testimony of the producer that hormones and antibiotics were not used in the raising of the animal (steroids and non-organic feed/pasture can still be used). His choice of words; ” within the time limit when such residue could possibly be found in meat” is a little sketchy to me as well – they can still be given antibiotics, hormones, and steroids and fed products that have been grown using other chemicals throughout their life as long as they don’t show up in the meat at the time of butchering? “Natural” refers to any additives or artificial ingredient added to the meat, regardless of organic or non-organic raised, after the butchering process. The USDA also defines organic farming as “food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations.” Therefore yes – there is a difference between beef raised with no label versus beef raised/labeled 100% organic therefore the only “marketing ploy” is done by the USDA. The topic doesn't end at “is there chemical residue in the meat?” but goes into the process and butterfly effect of farming/conserving organically. This brings up the topic that I read the other day; Nebraska Pharmacists Association is currently exploring/testing all the chemicals, antibiotics, birth control etc. that pass through animals and humans and directly into the waterways and drinking water – with studies linking this to many forms of cancer, birth defects, genetic diseases, early pubescence etc. There truly is ‘something in the water’. "

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