North Carolina Shorthorn Beef

North CarolinaShorthorn Beefby Shelby Diehm, ASA

Yokeley Farms hasn’t always been raising Shorthorn cattle; they originally raised another red breed. Chris Yokeley’s dad, Gilbert, purchased Red Angus cattle after he retired and spent a few years raising his herd before he passed away. Chris took over the farm and continued with the Red Angus herd until he started researching other breeds because he wanted something different.

During his research he came across a story about Shorthorn mothers saving their babies from a fire. The mothering ability really interested him initially, so he continued his research on the breed.

Chris purchased Shorthorn beef from Steve Fields, a fellow North Carolina cattleman, so he could do a taste test against his own Red Angus beef. Chris cooked filet’s the exact same way seasoned only with salt and pepper.

“The Shorthorn filet melted in your mouth,” Chris said. “Once I tried the beef, I was sold on the Shorthorn breed. I already liked the cattle, but the beef sent them over the edge.”

Once he decided Shorthorn cattle were the breed he would raise, he joined the American Shorthorn Association and it opened him up to a new world. Chris began traveling to operations all over the United States and attended many Shorthorn University conferences.

“I quickly realized that my North Carolina farm is far from everywhere else with Shorthorns, and I would have to travel to buy the kind of cattle I wanted to add to my herd,” Chris said. “And I prefer seeing cattle in person versus buying them from a computer screen.”

He has attended the Ohio Shorthorn Sale, Jungels Shorthorn Farm sale, as well as many others to grow his herd and bring in the cattle that fit his goals. Chris purchased females that would make good steers.

Chris and Sandy decided to start

selling beef as another way to market their animals. Since they both grew up on small family farms, they understood the ups and downs of farming. They took it as an opportunity to grow a business. They now sell freezer beef, registered females and hay.

“I attended the North Carolina Choices Conference for a few years,” Chris said. “I was able to learn a lot about marketing beef locally which led me to start our business. I began talking to some people about selling beef and found interest.”

Yokeley Farms began selling their beef in 2005 and after a few years they were able to open a small store front that was converted from an old root cellar. Customers were able to pre-order beef with custom cuts or visit the store for pre-cut beef options. In 2013, they began selling at the local Farmer’s Market on Saturdays.

Chris gets distillers grain locally from Wise Man Brewing in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He uses this free byproduct to help finish his steers and make a high-quality product for his customers. They feed corn because he knows it is a tried-and-true method of finishing cattle. He also feeds bales of second generation cleaned cotton that is 5-7% protein. “When I put a bale of cotton out, they eat it before the hay,” Chris said. “The cattle love it and so do I, especially in the cooler months. They love to eat it and it also serves as a sort of blanket on the ground to help keep them warm.”

They process cattle at 15-18 months old and he has learned it takes time to build an inventory, especially right now because it is hard to get an appointment at the processor. Chris has a core group of customers that keep him busy.

“My customers definitely keep me busy,” Chris said. “But it is rewarding because they never have a bad comment. Many customers stick around because once they try it, they say it is the best steak they have ever had.”

Customers of Yokeley Farms are always willing to try new cuts of beef they may have never had before. An example is the coulotte which is a top sirloin steak known for its tenderness and flavor.

“I always am excited when customers try new cuts because usually it leads to it becoming their favorite cut to buy and sometimes, they want to buy all I have. My favorite cut is hanger steak. It is full of flavor,” Chris said.

Chris went to school for advertising but doesn’t like to advertise. They have a Facebook page and website, but mainly rely on word of mouth to market their beef. The have built a loyal customer base and usually sell out of everything but ground beef.

Yokeley Farms welcomes visitors in the area to come out to their farm to buy some Shorthorn beef. You won’t be disappointed! =