DRIFTWOOD — It can be challenging to fully understand the ins and outs of the food that is stocked on the shelves at the grocery store, whether that be where it came from or how it was made. That’s why Elkins Cattle Company started its business to feed the community the quality they trust for their own family.
The idea for the farm life behind Elkins Cattle Co. started in 2015 as purely a hobby with a passion for food quality, since founder Tim Elkins’ daughters have an autoimmune disorder that requires them to look more deeply at what they are putting into their bodies. Then, a couple of the cows won some awards and they felt called to serve the industry; not knowing what to expect, they began doing a lot of upfront restaurant involvement as the herd grew significantly.
About a year ago, the consumer direct brand of Elkins Cattle Co. began to compete with meat delivery services and have a more local presence in the community.
“The beef industry is a tough business. It’s an even tougher business for the consumer to get the food quality that their bodies deserve,” Tim said. “I think we are passionate about doing that and so, we kind of just married the two. Now … we are participating in not just the retail spot, but also kind of the local farmers markets and that kind of stuff.”
Elkins Cattle Co. prides itself in producing high-quality, grass-fed beef, while also ensuring that the well-being of the animals and the environment are at the forefront of the operation. Pictured is co-founder Christa Elkins, left, founder Tim Elkins, chief operating officer Kaitlyn Elkins, chief sales officer Ariana Elkins and Olivia Elkins.
The company takes pride in producing high-quality, grass-fed beef, while also ensuring that the well-being of the animals and the environment are at the forefront of the operation, according to Tim. In doing so, while the family resides in Driftwood, it has leased land in several other places across Central Texas as part of what they call the Golden Triangle — the areas that stretch across Lampasas, Hamilton and Waco — to find the right fit with the topography, soil quality and water access.
All of the cows are Brangus, which is an Angus breed. Elkins Cattle Co. is most popular for its whole cow, half cow and quarter cow customized options, but it does also offer a la carte single steaks, as well as regular boxes.
“[At] our local grocery stores, we tested some of the meat, specifically the ground beef, and found that in the lowest survey we took, or numbers we took, there were 85 different types of DNA in the ground beef that we sampled. Ours is all single cow, all steer, all within 18 to 30 months old. We really pride ourselves on the quality. We don't do any genetic enhancement. We don’t do any mRNA vaccines,” Tim explained. “It's really a specialty beef … Local beef quality, unfortunately, or global beef quality, has really gone downhill. Prices have gone up, but believe it or not, even with the price increase, quality just continues to suffer.”
When it's time to harvest, Elkins Cattle Co. partners with a local, family-operated United States Department of Agriculture approved butcher shop, where the animal is humanely harvested and inspected, adhering to the highest industry standards without any fillers or preservatives, according to its website. Then, the beef is dry-aged in a controlled environment for a minimum of 15 days, allowing for enzymes to break down muscle tissue, resulting in a richer flavor and tender texture.
Once the dry-aging process is complete, the beef is butchered by experts who understand the intricacies of each cut. The process is done with precision and care, ensuring that each piece of meat is cut to perfection and vacuum-sealed for freshness, the website stated. After butchering, the meat is shipped directly from the facility to the customer's doorstep with dry ice.
Additionally, the family has always wanted to look at using the entire cow; therefore, the business also produces grass-fed tallow skincare, sourced from the same herd, which isn’t found often when purchasing tallow products elsewhere, explained Ariana Elkins, chief sales officer. This also stems from the autoimmune disease that is shared amongst multiple members of the Elkins family.
“In our exploration of one, having autoimmune diseases and hearing about how tallow is effective in bringing down inflammation in the skin and not clogging pores, all that good stuff, we started to just try it. We started making it ourselves. My sister really took it on the most and she started putting concoctions together and figuring out what best oils were to add in there. We ended up coming up with a really great product,” Ariana said.
The skincare is from the kidney suet — or kidney fat — which is the most nourishing fat in the cow, full of vitamins A, E and K that moisturizes the skin, according to Ariana.
Along with the beef products, Elkins Cattle Co. also uses the whole cow to offer tallow skincare, which has been proven to be moisturizing to the skin and relieves inflammation.
“It helps with the fine lines and wrinkles. My sister breaks out in hives pretty continuously, honestly. Anytime she gets hot, she breaks out in hives, which is a big thing in Texas, obviously. So, she started using it all over her body and it really helps to calm down the hives. It helps to bring down the inflammation that's caused,” she said. “We started to sell it and we've gotten really good feedback. We just combine it with 100% organic jojoba oil and we leave an unscented one just as is, so [the] jojoba oil and then, the tallow … We also have a couple that have essential oils in it. So, it's got a lavender scent or we have an orange citrus scent that's really summery, really great.”
At Elkins Cattle Co., it’s more than just a business, it’s also a way of life and a celebration of the strong community bonds and relationship with fellow ranching families, Tim said. When looking at the future of the business, the father shared that he is currently enjoying his time with his daughters, as he acts as the rancher, raising the cows for them, and they manage the retail side.
“I think my goal is to continue the entrepreneurship and be good stewards of our current land [and] our current cows. [I want to] really give back to the community,” he said. “If we could sell everything local, that would be ideal for us.”
Ariana said that she has, and continues to, enjoy meeting the people that she serves throughout the entire process of fulfilling a consumer’s order. For her, helping people understand what is on their plate when they sit down at the dinner table every night is her goal.
“I think that's ultimately what's most important is knowing what's on your plate and that what's on your plate has also been eating well and so, I love being able to share about that and meeting new people and bringing the community together and hopefully, we continue to grow that,” she said.
To learn more information about Elkins Cattle Co., or to place an order, visit www.elkinscattleco.com. Stay tuned for its next appearance at farmers markets throughout the county by following its Facebook page at bit.ly/4jSERUD.
