Family brings local cattle operation full circle

CORRECTION: In a cow-calf operation, which focuses on building a breeding herd, male calves are often sold off to prevent inbreeding, while many of the heifers are kept and introduced to new bulls. 

Family cattle operations have been romanticized through television shows and movies over the last century as the number of them has dwindled. But one local family, which has been raising cattle for generations, has now acquired a Marion County beef processing plant in order to keep more local beef, well, local.

While the harvesting of cattle is the least romantic part of taking beef to market, the new owners of the plant plan to continue using the best practices established by the prior owner, which seek to reduce stress on the animals and treat them “with respect,” said Corban Russell, general manager for the plant.

The Fort McCoy processing plant and the surrounding 696 acres that were developed by Canadian businessman Frank Stronach for raising and processing beef under the Adena Farms brand were sold recently to Fort McCoy Plant, LLC, whose principle is Matt C. Rudnianyn. According to public records, he paid at least $6.3 million for the real estate.

Rudnianyn’s family, including his father, John Rudnianyn, is one of the largest landowners in Marion County and the acres that surround the plant look like something out of what you imagine the land looked like in Patrick Smith’s book “A Land Remembered.”

Rudnianyn, 47, said he has been cattle ranching since he was “we-tall” with his grandfather.

Historically, he has run a cow-calf operation, which focuses on building a breeding herd. The male calves are often sold off when they reach about 400 to 500 pounds to prevent inbreeding, while a large portion of the heifers are kept and introduced to new bulls.

Other cattle ranchers focus on the “finishing” aspect of raising cattle for harvest. They buy the calves and feed them until they are about 1,300 pounds and ready for market. There are different schools of thought on “added hormones” and whether grass-fed beef or a mixture of grain and grass produces the best-tasting beef.

Opening his own processing plant seemed like the next logical evolution for Matt Rudnianyn, after Stronach reached out about a year and a half to start the discussion.

“All cattle end up at a place like this,” Rudnianyn said as he opened the doors to the plant’s harvesting floor, packed with conveyor belts, extensive drainage and stainless steel machinery. The walls, floors and equipment were all very clean and without odor. The harvesting floor is where about 200 head of cattle are processed each week, not just from their farms but also from about five to seven other farms as well. While cattle ranchers will tout that their beef is different because of the breed or what the cattle eat, Rudnianyn and Russell explained that reducing stress on animals before they are harvested also impacts taste.

Rudniayn said the serpentine designed corral that guides the cattle into the plant is an important part of the operation. It was designed by Temple Grandin, who has studied ways to reduce stress on animals. There is a 2010 a movie about how Grandin developed best practices and Russell said it included her getting in the corral herself to experience what the animal experienced.

The floor footing of the corral is designed in a way so the cattle don’t slide around and get hurt.The plant walls are insulated so the noise of the loud machines stays inside and the cattle outside have the benefit of a quiet environment. The cover for the open-air corral is insulated to lessen the noise from rainstorms.

On the “Gazette’s” tour of the plant, we were joined by T.J. Baldwin, of the Baldwin Angus family of ranchers, who has worked with Rudnianyn on his cattle operation in northwest Marion County for approximately 12 years.

Both Rudnianyn and Baldwin said they started processing cows a few years ago for their own families, friends and customers.

“Matt and I wanted to know what we were feeding our families, so we started years ago, harvesting whole cows for our own use and for friends who requested it, now we have the plant to do that part ourselves too,” Baldwin said.

“There is a market of people who want to know where their food comes from around here and, as a local custom processor, we’ll be able to fill a need for the consumer and the other local ranches,” Rudnianyn

He said he would like to increase the number of local cattle ranchers who use his processing plant.

The company will sell direct to the public through it’s webportal, adenafarms.com, which can deliver frozen beef to a doorstep anywhere in Florida and Southern Georgia, and also delivers fresh beef to local restaurants.

If you are wondering what it costs to stock your freezer with a whole or half grass-fed/grass finished cow, options run from ¼ cow (108 pounds of beef) for approximately $1,425 to a whole cow (482 pounds) at $4,669.

For those who might want to try the beef without buying in bulk, options start at $10 per pound for ground beef.

All of the beef is hand-cut, which is another difference from big box processors that use lasers to scan and cut beef into equal portions. The knife skills it takes to butcher a cow take years to master, Russell noted.

One local restaurant, Charlie Horse Bar & Grill, has been purchasing ground beef from the plant since the beginning of the year and manager Cindy Tinsley said the decision to switch to the local beef was fairly easy.

“It’s local beef, they matched the cost of larger beef purveyors and everyone has liked it,” Tinsley said.

Baldwin said a few other local restaurants have also started buying ground beef from them, including Scrambles, Wise Guy’s, Braised Onion and Sister’s Place, which recently expanded to a new venue in Williston.

We asked Rudnianyn how he likes his beef cooked and he replied “medium rare.” He said he prefers cattle that have been fed a mixture of grain and grass.

“But the Adena brand of grass-fed beef is tasty,” he added

When asked how many acres and heads of cattle he has across Marion County, his eyes sort of glazed over, and either in a gesture of humility or humor, he answered, “I don’t know.”

Russell then empathetically told me, “There was a time when I didn’t know many cowboys too, so I’ll tell you what I learned— asking them how many acres and how many head of cattle is like asking you how much is in your bank account.”

To learn more, go to adenafarms.com

FM Meat Products L.P.

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