From Start to Finish, The Black Hawk Farm Difference
Deep within the rolling countryside of Western Kentucky lies Cook Farms: a three generation, family-owned farm built on a foundation of hard work and strong family values.
To outsiders, the lush landscape of fields and crops appears to be merely a part of the peaceful scenery and small town charm that characterizes Princeton, Kentucky. But don’t be fooled, this full-blown row cropping operation is more than meets the eye. In addition to its rolling fields of rotating corn, soybeans, and soft red wheat, it’s also the birthplace of Black Hawk Farms: Kentucky’s leading producer of American Wagyu beef, now offering home delivery across the entire continental US.
Black Hawk Farms began as a partnership between Milton Cook, head of Cook Farms, and his first cousin, Brandon Oliver. Their goal was simple, to sustainably breed, raise, and finish the most delicious beef possible. Combining their resources and expertise in crop and livestock production, Cook and Oliver began building a herd of exceptional American Wagyu cattle on their farm in Western Kentucky. To be exact, the pastures of Black Hawk Farms are located in a historical township known as Black Hawk, Kentucky, hence the farm’s name.
Small but mighty, Black Hawk Farms has made huge strides during a daunting time in history and is now becoming an important player in the world of Wagyu beef. This probably poses many questions to readers — what is American Wagyu, how can it be raised sustainably, and why Western Kentucky? We took a look inside the program to answer these questions and see what makes Black Hawk Farms so unique.
Wagyu beef is well known across the globe for its high marbling, quality and flavor. At the very root of the word, “wagyu” in its literal translation means “Japanese cow.” Think of it like the Cadillac of beef. But unlike Cadillacs, these Japanese cattle are hard to come by in America, and their potential for exceptional marbling makes them highly sought after by beef connoisseurs.
So what is American Wagyu? In short, it is simply a cross between Japanese cattle bloodlines and traditional American cattle breeds. All of the beef produced at Black Hawk Farms is a 50/50 cross between fullblood Japanese Wagyu bulls and American cattle, thus producing what ranchers call “F1 Wagyu”: this is a first generation cross. The result? Perfectly marbled beef that combines the richness of Japanese Wagyu with the robust flavor and heartiness of American cattle.
Starting in 2013, Milton and Brandon set out to go beyond the traditional path of cow-calf farming operations common in their part of the country. With both Cook and Oliver being born and raised on the farm in Western Kentucky, they decided that, rather than send their calves out West at 8-9 months of age, they would keep their calves on-site and go the distance to produce fully finished animals, fattened with their home grown feed. After all, why move cattle back and forth across the country when they had everything they needed right at home? This plan was essentially unheard of in Kentucky and significant innovation was required to pull it off. With the help of the University of Kentucky’s College of Agriculture, they created a sustainable and environmentally friendly process to finish beef locally in Kentucky.
Over the years, the program has grown and evolved, but one evolution in particular came about in the spring of this year due to the global pandemic. With more families staying home and the demand for quality beef rising, Black Hawk Farms decided to adjust their business model and launch their newest venture: a direct-to-consumer e-commerce site. Sure, you can still find their beef in many fine local restaurants such as Chauhan, Red Hog Butcher, Salazar, and Decca, but in addition, you can now enjoy the rich, buttery taste of their American Wagyu from the comfort of your own home. And trust us, you will be able to taste the Black Hawk difference.
So, what exactly is it that makes Black Hawk Farms so unique? First and foremost, their farm is completely vertically-integrated. This means the entire process, from growing the clean, fresh feed, to breeding and raising the cattle, to fattening them for harvest, all happens on the farm in Western Kentucky. This allows them to control every aspect of the seed-to-harvest process by keeping it in-house.
Their calves are raised in the pastures where they spend their first 8 to 9 months grazing in open fields. Afterwards, they are fed and fattened for 500 days in a clean and spacious composting feed barn just 1.6 miles down the road from the pastures. Here, the animal’s diet comprises a blend of home grown corn and a high ration of roughage (alfalfa hay and straw) plus some essential minerals for optimal nutrition. The finished cattle are then processed locally and humanely just a hop and a skip away. The combination of their slow feeding process and balanced diet keeps the animals healthy throughout, so that no hormones or antibiotics are needed. As a result, Black Hawk Farms’ beef exhibits exceptional marbling and depth of flavor.
At the heart of Black Hawk Farms’ mission is environmental stewardship. In every step of the process, eco-friendliness and sustainability are top-of-mind. The grasses and grains that are grown on the farm are used to feed the cattle, and the compost produced is then used as fertilizer for the next season of crops. This ensures that nothing goes to waste and helps produce an amazing product while also protecting the environment.
The Black Hawk Farms process is optimized for quality, consistency, and environmental responsibility, but it takes time. In contrast, the production process for the vast majority of commodity beef produced in the US is optimized for capacity, speed and efficiency. It is a segmented process taking place in multiple locations, operated by independent companies, separated by great distances. A typical commodity beef animal will be transported to various parts of the country for different phases of its life, culminating in a comparatively rapid 180 day finishing process in a vast feedlot out West. Not only does this cause stress to the animal, which can decrease the quality of the beef, it also results in an overwhelming carbon footprint.
The Black Hawk Farms team has invested a serious amount of effort and resources to produce high quality American Wagyu beef in a responsible way. Their commitment to quality and sustainability and their attention to detail all carry through to the last step. All of their beef is carefully aged, portioned, vacuum-sealed and blast-frozen to maintain quality. The frozen vacuum sealed cuts are then carefully packed for shipment by a small number of hardworking individuals on the Black Hawk Farms team. Each box they ship is lined with a fully recyclable and compostable cellulose based thermal insulation and packed with locally produced dry ice to ensure the product quality is not compromised in transit. Finally, the beef is shipped and delivered directly to your door.
Not only do these customized beef boxes make for a delicious personal treat, they are also great for gift giving. With the holiday season in full swing, a Black Hawk Farms gift card is the perfect present to give your coworker, special someone, family member or beef loving best friend. You can find Black Hawk Farms’ American Wagyu online by visiting their store at:
https://blackhawkmeats.com?aff=americanoutdoornews&#utm_source=social&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=americanoutdoornews
Denver Steak topped with Chimmichuri
For the Chimichurri Sauce: