Where better cattle become better beef.

About Brasstown Beef

Brasstown Beef is a family-run beef program built on genetics, care, and a clear standard for quality. What we do starts long before a cut reaches a kitchen or a table. It starts with the cattle, the land, and how we manage both from the beginning.

We’re not in the business of chasing volume at the expense of quality. The goal has always been to raise better cattle and produce better beef, with consistency people can count on.

That standard comes from Ridgefield Farm in Brasstown, North Carolina, where the Whitmire family has deep roots in farming and cattle. Over time, that experience grew into Brasstown Beef, a program built to produce beef with the tenderness, marbling, and eating quality people remember long after the last bite.

What Guides the Program

Brasstown Beef was built around the belief that the best beef starts with the best cattle. That means paying close attention to genetics, bloodlines, feed, animal welfare, and the overall environment in which the cattle are raised.

It also means not relying on shortcuts. The cattle are raised without added hormones or antibiotics, and the program is designed around long-term quality rather than quick results.

We believe the right way still matters. Raise cattle carefully, manage the details, and the difference shows up where it should: in the beef itself.

Consistency begins long before the first cut.

Why Genetics Matter Here

Not all Angus programs are the same. Brasstown Beef puts real weight on genetics because tenderness and consistency do not happen by accident. They are built into the program from the start.

Steve Whitmire brought both experience and technical knowledge to that process. Raised on the farm with a university degree and background in agriculture and leadership positions in the cattle industry culminating as president of the Beef Improvement Federation, he helped shape a program focused on producing cattle that perform the way they should.

That focus still defines Brasstown Beef today. The standard is not just to produce cattle and beef that look good. It is to produce beef that holds up from one order to the next.

Who We Serve

Brasstown Beef serves professional chefs and fine dining establishments via numerous food service distributors from Virginia Beach to Key West and over to New Orleans. The same quality of beef is now available to customers via direct delivery within 90 miles of Greensboro.

These areas include Burlington, Charlotte, Danville, Durham, High Point, Raleigh, Statesville, Winston-Salem, and nearby areas that want the best all-natural beef. For chefs and restaurants, that means exceptional quality and a product with a real story behind it. For home delivery customers, it means access to the same quality of beef served by the best restaurants in the Southeast.

Raising cattle that thrive, grow efficiently, and perform.

What Sets Our Cattle Program Apart

We breed for cattle that make excellent mama cows, raise fast-growing calves, and produce outstanding beef, all while helping reduce carbon emissions. We invest hours making decisions regarding the optimum selection of bulls and cows to produce calves that grow well, finish well, and make better use of every pound of feed.

By selecting for feed-efficient genetics, our cattle require less feed per pound of gain, reducing their carbon impact while still producing wonderful beef.

Dedicated to responsible farming for future generations.

Ridgefield Farm Has Earned Industry Recognition

The way we select and manage this herd has been recognized by cattle associations and university partners who study beef quality and efficiency.

Ridgefield Farm has received environmental stewardship and cattle industry awards and continues to work with researchers in Georgia and North Carolina; the Natural Resources Conservation Service of the USDA; and Forest Management Consultants to optimize all aspects of the farming operation. This is done to keep improving the cattle herd and managing the land in an environmentally sustainable way. We must take care of the land for the land to take care of us.