Follow along as Farm to Fork features local producers supplying meat for the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement in Utah.
Meet Sarajane Snowden, Owner and Manager of Snowden Meats!
OUR MISSION:
Inspiring healthy communities and family wellness, because we believe there’s nothing more valuable in this world than relationships.
Provide a brief history of your farm or ranch.
My husband and I both grew up in the cattle industry. However, there was no room for us to expand directly with our families so we jumped into the cattle business for ourselves! We manage our cattle on private leased lands. It was during Covid when I (Sarajane) started Snowden Meats. There was a huge disconnect from the producer to consumer and I wanted to bridge that gap, so I started our meat company that provided our local community with high quality beef and from there it has grown!
Tell us about your farming practices.
Cattle are a really effective way to manage the mountain landscapes in our area. Similarly to mowing the lawn, when managed correctly cattle will stimulate healthy grass regrowth while grazing, along with promote soil health. Not only does grazing cattle promote good soil health and healthy grasses for themselves but for the natural wildlife also! If you watch wildlife, especially in the fall, they come out of the high country and will start nibbling on the fresh tender grasses! That regrowth, is from the areas that our livestock have previously grazed and healthy regrowth happens naturally!
“The farm to fork movement has been huge in creating sustainability in our agricultural operation.”
- Sarajane Snowden
What sets your beef or bison apart?
It starts with selecting good cow and bull genetics that will thrive in the environments that we raise them in. Because our herd is raised at high elevation with a short grass growing season we need to have efficient cattle that can maintain good body scores on a grass/hay diet for 5-6 months of the year. Then, they need to have a strong maternal instinct to raise their calf for 6 months on top of that! For our bulls we work to have genetics with calving ease to avoid any unnecessary stress at calving and extreme growth after birth. We want that calf to utilizes its mothers milk well, and gain healthy weight throughout its entire life even after weaning time. I believe what sets us apart is we take tons and tons of records to track our cows and which genetics thrive for us and which ones we need to weed out. We also have high integrity in the beef that we sell direct to consumers. We want the consumer to notice not only its quality flavor, but texture! We do not put any additives in our beef, so you are getting 100% beef, no added soy or dyes!
Why do you love ranching?
I love raising cattle, because of the purpose it has given me. This way of life is full of meaningful work. From a young age my father had roles for me from making calf tags, opening and closing the gates, to driving the feed wagon. We love our cows and want the best life for them, but we also understand what they are being raised for high quality nutrient rich meat!
Cattle really are amazing, they can take grass and grain and convert it to a protein dense product! For several years I was not involved in agriculture, and I missed it! There is a joy that this industry gives you that I really can’t explain. My husband and I are thrilled to get to be involved in agriculture for ourselves, so our children can have similar experiences that we each had growing up.
Enjoy this video created by Sam Decosta Photography, specifically for schools to show their students the behind the scenes of the ranch supply beef for the cafeteria!
Learn more!
Is your school participating in the LFS grant? Click here to download marketing materials to display in your cafeteria!
Click here to learn more about the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program (LFS) from the USDA.
Click here to read the press release for the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program (LFS) in Utah.
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