Living in the Midwest, people here are accustomed to seeing a sprawling landscape with beautiful brushstrokes of a myriad of greens  with young wheat, corn fields, soybeans and pastures of tall and short grasses covering the gently rolling hills. They’re also accustomed to seeing herds of cattle dotting the pasturelands of almost every breed from Hereford to Holstein, Gelbvieh, Simmental, Charolais and Angus. This is cattle country, home of modern day cowboys.

A local family has taken their cow herd operation from the farm to the table by selling quality cuts of meat from the cattle they raise from birth to market day. Cabin Creek Beef is owned and operated by the husband and wife team of first generation ranchers Troy and Dawn Strahm, living near Bern.

Dawn grew up in a farming family, and Troy’s passion for farming and ranching came about when he was in junior high school. Troy worked for farmers in his youth and eventually raised breeding heifers and market steers for 4-H and Future Farmers of America. During his college years, he continued to work on ranches and followed this passion even after graduating from Kansas State University. Later, Troy would become an assistant manager at a feed lot and also worked for Morris and Marge Edelman since 2005.

An Entrepreneurial Light bulb

With the shortages of fresh meat at the markets and higher prices becoming the norm, the Strahms started thinking about processing and selling their product directly to consumers. They had been selling beef cattle to family and friends for processing for years. In the summer and then the fall of 2021, the concrete details of their business plan were coming together.

“Grocery store prices for beef were soaring, yet meat packers were not paying higher prices,” Troy said. “It seemed like a win-win situation to try to sell directly to the consumer so that we could sell a high-quality product at a reasonable price. Low prices for our cattle compared to cost inputs in raising them, as well as high meat prices, caused us to try to see if we could find a way to bridge the gap between our operation and the consumer.”

From conception to the commencement, Cabin Creek Beef was born and began in earnest.

“We had our license, website and online store ready to go Jan. 1, 2022,” Dawn said.

What’s in a Name

The name Cabin Creek Beef came from a little cabin the Strahms have near their home and ranching operation, which was described as a “getaway” from their daily responsibilities.

“Farmers and ranchers don’t have a lot of vacation time, especially since our family operation doesn’t have any employees, so we try to escape once in awhile to the quietness of sitting around the fireside and family time outside of the work day,” Dawn said.

Cabin Creek Beef just seemed to fit perfectly to their budding new endeavor.

The Business End

“We raise Simmental and Angus cattle. Sim-Angus are known for their calving ease, maternal abilities, growth and carcass quality,” Troy said.

“Our biggest advantage is that we are a conception to consumer operation,” Troy said. “The meat we sell comes from calves we have raised, so we have cared for these animals their entire lives. There is no guess work in how they were treated and what they were fed. We are constantly improving our genetics to provide high quality beef. You will taste the difference in our product compared to your average purchased cuts.”

Cabin Creek Beef is family-owned and operated on a farm. They are licensed to sell USDA-inspected beef cuts in Kansas and across state lines, as well as state inspected beef within Kansas. Their product features pasture to plate genetics from Sim-Angus beef, which is sold commercially and to local customers. Troy’s favorite part of this endeavor is the fact that it is a family operation.

“Our four children are involved in all of the day-to-day work that goes into raising our cattle, so it is something we can do together,” Dawn said.

“Our cuts and bundles are USDA- or state-inspected and for those looking to fill their freezers, we offer a quarter, half and whole beef,” Troy said.

Customers are able to purchase up to a whole beef to feed a family for an entire year or a package of steaks for a dinner party, according to the Strahms.

Where to Find Cabin Creek Beef

Cabin Creek Beef is located northwest of Sabetha, near Bern, just one mile south of the state line. You can call Troy directly at 785-285-0236 with any questions or to place an order. Orders can be placed online at www.app.barn2door.com/cabincreekbeef, or visit their website at www.cabincreekbeef.com to learn more about the pasture to plate operation.

Customers can log on to the online store and click on “credits” to purchase store credits to Cabin Creek Beef as a gift. Giving the gift of beef to a family is money well spent.

You can also find them at www.facebook.com/cabincreekbeef, as well as on www.shopkansasfarms.com by searching for Cabin Creek Beef. Their address is 1943 232nd Road, Bern, KS 66408.

At this time, Cabin Creek Beef offers their meat for local pickup or delivery only, so contact them today if you would like to fill your freezer, buy some quality cuts to impress for a dinner party, or give the gift of locally sourced beef to friends and family.