Michigan Beef Sustainably Creates a Farm-to-Table Experience

In partnership with: Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development

Using horses to move cattle isn’t a practice often utilized in Michigan. But, due to the terrain in the Irish Hills, Noggle Farms has employed this method for generations.

Shortly after Matt and Kathleen Noggle graduated from Colorado State University – each with degrees in ag business and animal science – they made the trek to Michigan to continue the unconventional, at least for these parts, husbandry practice at Noggle Farms.

“The cattle are just a little bit calmer when you have the horses in there,” Matt says. “We like to keep the cattle calm, comfortable and as happy as possible.”

Both Noggles have a livestock background that influences their practice today. Matt is the sixth generation on his family’s farm to raise beef cattle in Michigan, and Kathleen is a product of Colorado, where she grew up working on the family’s sheep operation.

The Noggles are one of about 12,000 farms in Michigan that raise beef cattle, meeting 33% of the local demand, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Part of Michigan beef’s quality comes from the climate and access to natural resources.

“We’re able to keep our cattle out on grass throughout the summer and not have to supplement with hay until late fall or early winter,” Kathleen says.

“And, of course, Michigan has the best freshwater anywhere,” Matt adds. 

See more: The Sweater’s Story: A Journey From Shepherding to Cozy Creations

Resiliency and Diversity

Rotational grazing and cover crops are just a few of the ways Michigan beef producers continue to have a positive impact on the environment. This aligns with the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development’s priorities.

“At MDARD, we’re really prioritizing resiliency and diversity with climate-smart practices but also an economical supply chain as well,” says Dr. Tim Boring, director of MDARD.

The Noggles incorporate rotational grazing with their cover crops to stretch resources while keeping the cattle well-fed.

“We’ve been fencing in some of our crop ground so we can add our cattle into the mix,” Kathleen says. “A few of our fields we had wheat on this year, we’ll be able to plant a fall grazing mix and run our cattle on there. They’ll go back in the spring as well before we plant again.”

Currently, the Noggles are able to raise two animal units per acre, and Matt says they are exploring more intensive rotational grazing to gain additional use out of the land.

“We’re getting more use out of our acreage, and the land is getting the benefits of having the cattle on them,” Kathleen says. 

Practices like this exemplify MDARD’s ambitions of resilience and diversity in agriculture.

“We have inherently diverse operations as it is,” Boring says. “When we’re integrating animals onto the land, there’s a lot of climate resiliency.”

See more: Michigan’s Farmland Preservation Program Benefits the Environment

Farm to Table

A rise in farm-to-table interest – beneficial for farmers producing local meat, restaurants supplying it and consumers enjoying it at the peak of freshness – has allowed restaurants like Grand River Brewery (GRB) to expand the local culinary scene.

During the pandemic, GRB wasn’t able to operate as a restaurant, so owner Justin Dalenberg began butchering two cattle per week.

Since then, the new enterprise has led Dalenberg to also purchase a grocery store and operate a butcher shop and hanging room where they process four to 12 head per week to sell at their restaurants, located in Jackson and Marshall. 

Dalenberg says purchasing cattle to butcher from the Noggles appeals to him for multiple reasons.

“Proximity is important, so being located 5 miles down the road from the restaurant is ideal,” Dalenberg says. “Plus, the Noggles have their own breeding program for Black Angus, and the way Black Angus put on fat is important for quality and yield.”

However, for Dalenberg, it primarily boils down to how the Noggles handle their animals and the beautiful Irish Hills they raise them on, a continual priority for the farm-to-table experience.

“As the population in Michigan increases, people in Michigan care about where and how their food is grown,” Boring says. “There’s been a resurgence of farm to table.”

See more: Michigan’s Artisan Cheesemakers Craft Delicious Products