Independent Virginia Cattle Farmers set to launch national meat snacks brand
When Gary Mitchell left his corporate job in 2008 to focus on raising grass-fed cat- tle, he didn’t set a goal of selling out to a Fortune 500 food marketer. He did it to keep his family’s farm in the family. Over the years, Gary added two business partners and, together, they have expanded their mission to promoting the economic and environmental sustainability of farms in and around Grayson County Virginia.
Today, the grass-fed beef company founded eight years ago as Grayson Natural Farms is unveiling a new identity to in- troduce its community-first, always wholesome products – including a new beef stick – across the country. The Land- crafted Food brand communicates the company’s rich farming legacy and commitment to bringing naturally-crafted, humanely-raised foods to a broader consumer audience.
“The interest and support from around our region has been tremendous, and we’re happy to finally share our story with the food industry as a whole” says Gary Mitchell, managing partner. “Our long-term growth strategy depends on and deepens our roots in southwestern Virginia. We’re committed to enhancing farm profits for the families we partner with, and we plan to build a national presence and line of products that our local community can feel a sense of shared ownership and pride in. We are creating products on our farms and through our facility that people are looking for and can believe in.”
To start, the company is introducing a line of meat snacks. Landcrafted Food Original and Sweet Smoked Beef Sticks are made from 100% grass-fed cattle and are gluten-free and GMO-free. All Landcrafted Food cattle are raised without added hormones or antibiotics, on the company’s small consortium of farms in the Grayson County, VA area. The sticks will be made at a newly-constructed company-owned smokehouse and processing facility in Independence, VA, which will employ 11 local community members.
The meat snacks category continues to grow at a rapid pace, and is currently approaching $3B in annual sales, accord- ing to recent Nielsen data.
“We believe our products will have a strong appeal among folks who are increasingly interested in knowing where their food comes from. By purchasing Landcrafted products, shoppers will directly support sustainable cattle farming and natural, small-scale food production,” says Mitchell.
For more information, visit www.landcraftedfood.com.
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