Our Story
Our family has farmed in the fertile St. Croix River Valley for five generations. This remains our number one goal today: farming together as we steward the land together. We raise and market heritage-bred livestock with a focus on quality, animal care, and environmental stewardship. Relationships are central to our DNA. We value people and hope to be your farmer of choice!
About Us
Peterson Craft Meats is a family operation; no outside or foreign investors. We are committed owner-operators and love what we do. Farming is in our gene pool.
Our family’s story began on a small dairy near Amery, Wisc. during the Great Depression. We continued to milk until the 1960s - and added land near Osceola, Wisc., as the family grew. In 1969, we diversified into cattle, pigs, and broiler chickens. We began to direct-market our product to neighboring families through local butchers.
Earn Your Business
Today, our family includes Wayne and Christine Peterson, Andy and Jenna Peterson (Shirley, Beau, Ruth, Quincy), Nick and Elizabeth Shope (Noah, Evelyn, Oliver), and Ryan and Leah Peterson (Ada, Asher).
We believe in raising livestock as nature intended - taking what the land gives while not taking it for granted. We aim to build the soils of the valley with organic matter and recycle nutrients through crop rotation and rotational grazing.
We also own and operate our farmstead butcher shop near Osceola, Wisc. This gives us the unique advantage of quality assurance throughout the supply chain.
We'd love to earn your business.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Are you 100% grass fed beef?
We are not 100% grass fed. We plant non-gmo grains/grasses (oats, corn, wheat, barley) in rotation with our pasture legumes (pink clover, alfalfa). We use the grains for feed, bedding, and key nutrient recycling as part of a regenerative soil system. Our cattle graze pastures while building soil.
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What does “Free-Raised and Grazed” mean?
Free-Raised and Grazed is our regenerative agriculture term to best describe our animal husbandry and stewardship practices. We keep our livestock in their natural environments as much as possible. Given the dormant nature of winter, we are not able to graze year-round but we ensure ample space with clear access to clean water.
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Are you certified organic?
We are not certified organic. We manage our pastures organically but we do not use certified organic seeds for crop production. We grow non-gmo cereal grains/grasses. We do not administer synthetic growth hormones, feed antibiotics, or use mRNA vaccines on our livestock.