Brush Creek Farm All in the Family
By Mille Whitehead
A successful cow-calf operation requires a lot of work with a diverse amount of responsibilities. They are the backbone of the beef industry; however, Brush Creek Farm differs from most of the farms in this category. Our farm does have a permanent herd that is responsible for producing calves year around, but instead of selling our calves to feedlots, like most farms do, we raise the calves and finish the entire process ourselves. We believe in raising our calves naturally and keeping them in open grassland. A longer process of raising cattle means more work, which is where family comes in handy!
According to USDA, more than 97 percent of farms are family owned. If you let that sink it just a moment, you will realize how immense that percentage truly is. I don’t think that people sincerely grasp the fact that when they purchase a steak or a package of ground beef that they are not only feeding their family, but they are also helping a farm family provide for their own too. We are proud to say that Brush Creek Farm is family owned and operated and we take great pleasure in being able to work side by side with our loved ones on a daily basis.
We think it is important for people to understand where their meat comes from and how it is raised. We also believe it is important for our buyers to know the people behind all the hard work. A variation in duties requires people with different skillsets. David and Holly Whitehead are the owners of Brush Creek Farm. My husband, Matt, is their son. He manages the farm, trains horses, and has broiler houses for Mar-jac poultry. The youngest ranch hands of the family are our two boys, Buck and Colt. Kayla is the daughter of David and Holly, and is in school at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College along with her husband, Matthew. Upon graduation, Matthew and Kayla plan to return home and integrate their degrees in Diversified Agriculture back into the farm.
Farming side by side with your spouse and children has its advantages, but it certainly has its disadvantages as well. In a way, farming is a lot like a marriage; it is a relationship between farmer, cattle, and the land. The more you work at it, the better it becomes. It takes a lot of effort, faith, blood, sweat and tears.
More times than not, an idea of some romantic alone time for a married farm couple, or at least us, consists of checking calves on horseback at sunset. And more times than not, that romantic evening will probably be interrupted by loose cows on the road that need fetching or a heifer who needs assistance in the birth of her first calf.
My boys are still very young, but my husband and I include them in as much as possible in our day to day activities on the farm. Their early life lessons might be presented a little bit differently than other children that aren’t farm raised, but we cherish the opportunity to instill in them the appreciation of this lifestyle that we love so much. We hope that we will be able to continue this legacy that has been passed down through the Whitehead family for many more generations to come.
Mille Whitehead earned her bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Relations from the University of Alabama. Although she was born and raised in Alabama, she now resides in Colbert, GA with her husband, Matt, on his family’s cattle farm. She is the mother of two little cowboys. She is passionate about being able to incorporate ranching, family, and business all into one. For more information: brushcreekfarm.net or check us out on Facebook! brushcreekfarm.mw@gmail.com or (706)207-0245 for beef inquiries
