FAQs

Hi, welcome to Carson Family Farm!

Where are you located?

We are located on the Alleghany/Ashe county line in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains. While we have family in the area, our farm is not family land. Owning and operating has always been a goal of ours, and we would have to scrap and work to have our own farm. In 2018, that dream became a reality and Carson Family Farm was born!

Can we visit the farm?

At this time, we are not offering farm tours.

Are your animals grassfed?

Our cattle are pastured, which means they are on grass 100% of the time! We also provide a grain mix to provide a premium flavor and tenderness. Our locally raised beef still provides a white table cloth dining experience. During winter months when grass is not actively growing, we do feed haylage - this is grass hay that is fermented to increase digestibility and palatability for our animals.

Where can we find your products?

Our beef is available for purchase on this site with several delivery options. You can also find us at the Alleghany Farmers Market from May-October.

Do you process your own meat?

We utilize a local processor that is NCDA and USDA inspected. We do hold an NCDA meat handler's license that allows us to sell meat by the package. It takes years of experience to be able to process, and trim primals down to retail cuts. We knows how to raise animals, and prefer to leave processing to the experts.

Do you use growth hormones?

No, we do not use any growth hormones.

What are all beef sausages?

We offer several all beef sausages including Brats, Sweet Italian Sausages, Chorizo, and Breakfast Sausage links. All are free from nitrates and nitrites, and are gluten and dairy free. Brats, Sweet Italian Sausages, and Breakfast Sausage are links in an all natural (pork) casing. Chorizo is loose ready to brown.

Are your animals treated humanely?

Absolutely. We hold 3 Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) certificates including Cow/Calf, Transportation, and BioSecurity. BQA ensure that's animals are treated humanely, vaccines and any needed antibiotics are given in proper areas, and teaches low stress cattle handling. Our processor implements handing practices developed by world renowed animal husbandry expert, Dr. Temple Grandin.

Do you use antibiotics or vaccines?

The short answer is yes, the long answer is when needed. Vaccines are an essential part of our BQA (Beef Quality Assurance) protocol. Vaccines are an essential part of farm biosecurity and protect are animals from diseases that are a) deadly, b) easily passed from animal to animal, c) easily prevented, and d) could cause our registered animals to not be able to conceive or abort pregnancies. Cattle do not receive covid or MRNA vaccines. Out vaccine protocol reduces antibiotic use. If we do use antibiotics, most are used in our breeding cattle program. It is our responsibility as caretakers to ensure our animals are healthy and don't suffer. We only use antibiotics under veterinary supervision per the USDA mandated Veterinary Feed Directive. It is inhumane and cruel to withhold antibiotics from a sick or hurt animal. If an animal destined for human consumption required antibiotics, we keep strict records. Every antibiotic has a withdrawl period - this is the amount of time required after medication is administered until that animal can safety enter the food chain. We add an additional 30 days to the required withdrawl period before an animal is processed.