Carrie Oliver Rating: Outdoor Adventure Beef™

The email began with the simple line, “Please allow me to introduce my farm,” but by the end, I knew this was going to be some special beef. If you have ever had the chance to drive past (or stay at) the Greenbrier resort in West Virginia, you will know that  Sarver Heritage Farm, where the Doering family produces delicious grass-fed steaks and ground beef, is in a spectacular setting. Given that the farm is just west of the Appalachian Mountains and Jefferson National Forest, perhaps it’s no surprise that this earthy beef is reminiscent of a stroll through the woods on a crisp autumn day. If you like a bit of adventure in your beef, this one’s for you.

Tasting Notes:

The grass-fed steak had a nice chewy Texture, a straightforward to adventurous Personality, and left a brief Impression on the palate. It was earthy in tone with noticeable mushroom flavors and a hint of caramelized vegetables toward the end. The burger was more deeply flavored with added umami and left a longer-lasting Impression.

Favorite Quote:

“I am in hamburger heaven.” Steve, Toronto, Ontario.

Wine Pairing

Zoltan Szabo, sommelier, wine consultant and educator. The steak was opaque – red with a blue edge in appearance; mild aromas of earth – sauteed portobello are underlying the softly beefy primary nuances; this is lighter, softer-textured meat with an interesting herbal taint on its moisturous finish. Wine: 2008 Pinot Noir Le Grand Clos, Le Clos Jordanne, Niagara Peninsula.

Meet The Farmers

Robert and Jewell Doering are the 3rd generation to raise cattle on Sarver Heritage Farm, located in the Karst terrain highlands of West Virginia. Robert’s grandfather switched to a grass-only feeding system in the 1980′s and since then the family has been grooming their small herd of 50 or so brood cows to not only thrive but also marble nicely on fresh and dried cool season grasses such as orchard, timothy, fescue, and bluegrass, clovers (which are legumes). New to direct marketing, the Doerings are off to a great start.

Robert Doering recently signed a conservation easement with the Farmland Protection Program, an organization that sells of development rights and promises to preserve the farm in the future. He’s also know for producing top quality hays.

Where to Buy It:

You can purchase quarters, halves, wholes and individual grass-fed steaks, ground beef, roasts, and stew meat directly from the farm. You can also find Sarver Heritage Beef along with the Doering’s fruits and vegetables, pies and jams at the Lewisburg Farmers Market.

Tasting Overview:

Taster:	Carrie Oliver
Date Tasted:	October 2010
Cut Tasted:	Rib-Eye Steak, Ground Chuck
Diet/Feed:	Grass Fed and Finished
Cooking Method:	Gas Grill
How Served:	Rare
Seasoning:	Kosher Salt
Other Cuts Tasted:	n/a
Other Date Tasted:	n/a
Other Tasters:	8 guests at my home in Toronto

Detailed Husbandry Practices:

Breed:	Angus – Angus-Cross
Growing Region:	Greenbrier Valley, WV
Farm/Ranch:	Sarver Heritage Farm
Farmers/Ranchers:lllllllll	Robert and Jewell Doering
Diet/Feed:	Grass-Fed
Raising Protocols:	Calving from early March to early June. Pastures of native grasses, blue grass, orchard grass, fescue, timothy, red & white clover. Calves weaned at 6-7 months. Hay from same pastures fed during winter.
Finishing Protocols:	Pasture and grass-hays
% Time on Pasture:	100%
Age at Slaughter:	18-24 months
Slaughterhouse:	Greenbrier Meat Company, Inc., Lewisburg, WV
Butcher:	Greenbrier Meat Company, Inc., Lewisburg, WV
Aging Technique:	Dry-aged (as carcass)
Aging Time:	21 days
Packaging:	Vacuum sealed
Never Use Antibiotics Ever:	-
Use Vet Approved Spot Treatment Antibiotics:	Only if sick (removed from program if treated)
Never Use Sub-therapeutic or Feed Antibiotics	✓
Never Use Added Growth Hormones:	✓
Never Use Ionophores:	✓
No Animal, Fish, Fowl By-Products in Feed	✓
100% Vegetarian Feed	✓ (Grow 100% of our own feed)
Practice Rotational Grazing	✓
Practice Managed Intensive Rotational Grazing	-
USDA Natural	✓
USDA Naturally Raised New Voluntary Certification	-
Third Party Certified Organic	-
Third Party Certified Humane	-
Other Third Party Certification	-
Other	Also grow and sell fruits and vegetables along with baked goods and jams

Tagged as: Artisan Beef, Black Angus Cross, grass-fed steak, Sarver Heritage Farm, West Virginia