OUR BEEF

Awendaw farms raises a few select breeds of cattle chosen for both their tolerance for the hot and humid environment of Awendaw as well as their incredible meat quality. These cattle breeds include Simmental, SimAngus and Simbrah. Our current breeding stock was meticulously selected by Bruce Van Meter of Select Cattle Enterprise with the primary focus of expertly meeting the criteria laid out above.

*Due to our operational size and the large pasture space we allot for each cow, our Beef is very limited. The beef we offer is sold as whole or half cows. make sure to call for pricing.

The Simmental

The Simmental is the cornerstone breed of our cattle. Originally hailing from Switzerland, the Simmental is among the most widely distributed cattle breeds in the world primarily due to their, “rapid growth development; outstanding production of milk, butter, and cheese; and for their use as draught animals” (American Simmental Association). Their popularity led to generations of selective breeding resulting in the modern American Simmental you’ll see in our pastures today. Colored black (different from its original red and white) and maximized for efficient and remarkable meat and dairy production, this breed is characterized by their highly adaptable nature, their heavily muscled and fine lined builds, and their well conformed and docile dispositions. Below are some additional statistics procured from the American Simmental Association on what makes this breed special – further illustrating why we are keen on raising them!

High, long term fertility
Longevity
Calving ease
Short intervals between calving
Excellent mothering ability
Good grazing ability
Early maturity
Good growth rates
Easy to handle
Feed conversion and efficiency
Uniformity in type & color

The Simangus

We additionally choose to raise SimAngus cattle for a multitude of reasons. SimAngus refers to a crossbreed between a Simmental and the popular Angus breed. The SimAngus cross brings out the best in both cows as it combines the, calving ease and low birth weight, added marbling and maternal characteristics such as mothering ability, udder quality, and fleshing ease derived from the Angus with the, boosted growth, lower yield grades, and increased rib-eye area while not sacrificing calving ease, birth weight and marbling as well as maintaining the highly sought after black hide.

As such, a SimAngus takes all the best traits from a Simmental previously detailed and adds the renowned carcass and marbling quality of the angus; a formula built for consumer and producer satisfaction!

the SimBrah

The SimBrah is another Simmental based crossbreed we choose to raise. A cross between a Simmental and a Brahman, the SimBrah, “has been described as ‘The All Purpose American Breed’. Developed in America, Simbrah genetics may be called on to infuse superior maternal traits into a herd. Or, due to their rapid growth, vigor, and heat tolerance… Simbrah will produce a lean, high quality beef product” (American Simmental Association).

For us, the SimBrah is valuable for combining the excellent traits of the Simmental with the insect tolerance, heat tolerance, and foraging ability of a Brahma; something all too important for a summer in coastal South Carolina.

References 
American Simmental Association, One Genetics Way, Bozeman, MT 59718.