Dave Cochran

Adel, IA

Dave Cochran and his daughter Amy manage their herd of cattle together. Amy tends to the cows and calves in Southwestern Iowa. When the calves are weaned, they are brought to Adel, Iowa where Dave feeds them until they are ready for market. Dave’s feeding program is something he likes to refer to as “grandpa’s beef.” Dave feeds his cattle ground ear corn. This method of feeding hails back to days before combines, when farmers used machinery that picked the whole ear of corn. The ear of corn is then ground up for the cattle to eat. This method of feeding provides both the grain and roughage (from the corn cob) that cattle need in their diet. Some cattlemen may think that Dave’s method takes too long to get the cattle fat. However, at Old Station Craft Meats, we know that Dave’s method of slow and steady has produced some of the best beef we’ve seen.