Blending Passion with Experience

Blending Blending Passion with Passion with Expertise Expertise

BAGLEY BROTHERS MANAGE BEEF FROM BIRTH TO BARBECUE

by Barb Anderson

May is officially National Beef Month. But for the Bagley family of Shipman, Illinois, every month is beef month. Brothers Andrew and Adam, together The family started their Angus herd in 1991, when the Bagley brothers started showing steers and then registered heifers. Today, the brothers have about 50 registered Angus with their wives, Lauren and Emily, have turned their females and a few commercial embryo recipient cows. In collective passion for beef into two full-time businesses. addition, they background about 200 head on feed a year, They raise Angus and commercial cattle and operate a local buying 500-pound heifers and selling them at about 700 retail meat market at the same time. pounds. The family markets 10-15 registered Angus bulls a

“My passion for meat science was year through private treaty and sells really sparked by Tom Carr at the some bred heifers. They like to retain University of Illinois,” says Andrew. heifers to replace about 10 females a Carr, a now-retired meat science year to keep up with advancements in professor, is known to have influenced genetics. many students during his long tenure. “It depends on what the “I majored in animal science and commercial producer wants,” he says. interned on the meat side of the “Calving ease is a big selling point. We industry in Nebraska. I worked for are very focused on phenotype, EPDs Tyson for 18 months selling boxed beef and genetic potential, but we still have after graduation in 2002.” to have functional, sound cattle that

Andrew returned to the family appeal to the eye, so bull buyers are farm as the fifth generation in 2003 to interested.” join his dad, Jeff, in raising cattle and In 2017, Andrew invested in the growing corn, soybeans, wheat and Andrew Bagley shows off a tomahawk ribeye, one Hansen Meat Company that was hay. Jeff passed away unexpectedly in of the most popular cuts available at the market. opening a new location in nearby 2009, and Andrew continued to farm Edwardsville, Illinois. However, alone for about three years. He then hired a hand to help with Andrew’s partner and owner, Ryan the farm for a few years before Adam decided to also return Hansen, decided to close the location in late 2018. Andrew to farm in 2014. bought the equipment and assumed the lease.

Bagley Farms Meat Market employees pose in front of the company van.

“Owning a retail butcher shop is something Adam always wanted to pursue,” says Andrew. “We opened as Bagley Farms Meat Market in 2019 to a steady increase in business until COVID hit.”

Andrew was concerned the pandemic might spell trouble for the business. Instead, it grew gangbusters. “We are very blessed,” he says. “As grocery stores ran out of meat, COVID brought new faces to our door. Business was hot, but we were cautious about it. We expected those customers to return to grocery stores once they restocked, but our customer base stayed with us.”

Bagley Farms Meat Market focuses on providing the St. Louis Metro East area with the “highest quality, most wholesome meat, cheese and produce available.” The brothers do not claim to be a locally sourced operation, but they do try and source local products as they can.

“Some of the cattle we raise do end up as beef in our meat case, but by and large we source Choice Angus beef from packing plants throughout the Midwest,” says Andrew. “We use Korte Meat Processing in Highland, Illinois, to do our wholesale cuts. Then, we cut our own steaks and other products. We sell a beef/pork blend snack stick made from our beef by another company.”

The Bagleys have tested the waters for servicing local restaurant beef needs but have found it is not economically feasible for them. The price spread between what the Bagleys say they need to charge and what restaurants are willing to

The Bagley family includes, left to right, Adam and wife Emily and their children, Andrew and Lauren on their wedding day, and Adam and Andrew’s mother, Rosemary.

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pay for Choice Angus beef is too wide. With no slowdown in growth in sight, the Bagleys are

“We do get some requests from customers interested in moving to a larger retail space in July 2021. The new building buying a quarter or half beef, but we can’t offer that service will have a prominent storefront along a major road in right now. Appointments for processing in this area are Edwardsville. They plan to further diversify their offerings booking a year and a half out due to COVID, and I can’t and become more of a one-stop shop. Their fresh meat and guarantee a beef price that far out,” he says. deli case space will double and include more value-added

One area of growing demand they service enthusiastically products that are ready to cook, given that convenience is for dry-aged continues to be a prime beef. major selling point. Andrew says they They also will have have the capacity larger cooler and to dry-age 24 freezer space and bone-in ribeyes will increase dryin their case at a aging capabilities time. Typically, to accommodate all 24 sell almost more beef. immediately and “We are often customers adding a bakery will request to that will feature buy a whole substantial desserts ribeye. They also like homemade have created four pies, cookies and made-to-order cinnamon rolls,” meat bundles that he says. “We will they sell at a bulk discount price. Bagley Farms Meat Market will move to new retail space, as depicted in this artist rendering, in July to expand their meat case and value-added product lines. have a beer cave and limited wine and

“It helps alcohol selection. I move some of the lower demand cuts,” says Andrew. “Our am a self-professed whiskey junkie, and whiskey just seems to inventory is always subject to change based on availability, go with smoking and cooking meats.” and we do our best to meet the needs of our customers. Our Word of mouth has been the most successful and most butcher can help people find the right cut of meat when they economical promotion strategy for the business. Andrew come in and cut meat to order.” also has found sharing weekend specials on social media and

Andrew gets occasional requests for grassfed beef and for using a text message platform to share sales and coupons with antibiotic- and hormone-free beef. their roughly 1,000 customer “VIP” list is effective. Spending

“I take time to find out consumer beliefs and correct money on other advertising has not been necessary. misinformation about what exactly antibiotic- or hormone- “This is a hard business, but we love it,” Andrew says. “If free beef is. Often, they do not understand it. They just have other producers are interested in selling beef locally, I would heard it is better,” he says. “It makes me cringe every time recommend sticking with quarters, halves and wholes. If someone thinks they are getting a premium product with you try and sell cuts, your steaks get sold and too many soup antibiotic- or hormone-free beef, but they generally are bones end up in the freezer. You could end up with inventory receptive to the facts.” you can’t move, and that doesn’t pay the bills in this business.”