OUR FARM & FAMILY
Nestled in the gently rolling hills of Stillman Valley just outside Rockford, Illinois, Brass Family Farm has been in our family for over 100 years. Four generations of the Brass family have been stewards of this land.
Stephen Brass (fourth generation) graduated from Iowa State with a degree in horticulture and manages the grass-fed beef herd and farm. Stephen’s wife Andria is a stay-at-home mother, raising the fifth generation of future farmers.
Stephen Brass and family (2015)
Stephen Brass and family (2023)
Richard William Brass (third generation, with John Brass)
John William Brass (second generation)
William John Brass (first generation)
100% GRASS-FED BEEF FROM RED DEVON ROOTS
Our herd is built on a strong foundation of Red Devon genetics—one of the oldest and most respected heritage beef breeds. While we’ve added other genetics to support our grazing goals, Red Devon remains at the heart of our program, influencing the flavor, fertility, and temperament of the cattle we raise.
WHY RED DEVON?
This breed has stood the test of time for good reason: adaptability, hardiness, efficiency, natural hide color, fertility, early maturity, easy calving, strong maternal traits, milk quality, longevity, and gentle disposition.
The result? Beef that’s richly marbled, clean-tasting, and consistently tender—just the way it was created to be.
SOIL
It all starts with the soil. Because of this, we continuously monitor soil fertility and grass nutrition. The superior, gourmet quality of our beef is directly linked to the nutrients in the soil of the pastures used to raise each animal.
GRASS
Our pastures have been planted with a diverse mix of grasses and forbs (broadleaves) to promote a naturally balanced diet. Given the opportunity, each cow knows exactly what she needs and will eat accordingly. During winter our cattle are fed grass/alfalfa hay on pasture.
SUPPLEMENTS
Our cows have free access to a cafeteria-style supplement feeder with 16 different vitamins and minerals, including kelp, sea salt, selenium, and vitamins A, D and E. We also add raw apple cider vinegar to their drinking water as a general health tonic.