Neola Farms Black Angus Beef
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Products Offered
USDA Prime Black Angus Beef
Market Days
Every week
Contact Information
Neola Farms is located in Tipton County in the small community of Holly Grove just north of Brighton, Tennessee.
For more information, visit www.neolafarms.com
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On 150 acres, Michael Lenagar and his wife of 31 years, Charline, raise 100% Black Angus cattle which produce USDA Prime Black Angus beef which is known for its marbling and is critical to a juicy, flavorful steak. The key, says Mike, is having cattle from a specific blood line that are rated in the top 1% (yes, top 1%) in the nation by the American Black Angus Association. In fact, a USDA inspector was so impressed with Neola Farm’s beef that when he retired he purchased breeding stock from Mike for his own farm. Mike is a third generation cattle farmer and has been raising his own herd for over 25 years. Neola is a small town in Kansas where Mike’s father lived. “The name, Neola Farms is a tribute to Mike’s daddy,” says Charline.
A typical day on the farm is spent keeping watch over the steers, heifers, and brood cows. There is always work to be done; mixing feed, fixing fences, transporting cattle, picking up packaged beef, and preparing for the Memphis Farmers Market.September is a special month around Neola Farms because it is calving season. All part of Mike’s detailed plan, the calves are born during the cooler months. Although the drought affected many farms this year, the land at Neola Farms has made it bearable for the Lenagars and their herd. The farm is situated in an area of river bottoms about 10 miles from the Mississippi River. Here the soil is rich and moist and the pasture is green and lush. There is also a natural spring bubbling out of the ground creating a clear running creek for the cows to enjoy.Once the calves are born they spend seven months with their mother living off of her milk and the lush pastures. After that, the steers (and some of the heifers) are weaned to a feed lot where they are provided specially mixed all-natural feed and tap water. After a year or so they are butchered and dry aged. The 21 day dry aging process is a long-standing tradition that produces extremely tender beef. According to Mike, it is this extra time that makes the difference. Big producers are not willing to take the additional time and care to produce this type of quality meat.“We knew we were producing America’s best” says Mike, “but we didn’t know how to market it to the public. That’s where the Memphis Farmers Market comes in.” The Market provides an outlet for folks to buy local meat from a producer who not only cares deeply about the customers he serves, but also the cattle he raises himself.