The story behind Wheeler Farms
To answer your question: yes the road is named after us. We are the sixth-generation to work this land. Our family moved here from Vermont in 1843 and became some of the earliest settlers of Kendall County.
They chose a spot in Na-Au-Say township, built a small cabin and started to break the sod. The next year my great, great, great grandpa walked back to Vermont, got his wife and their sheep and came by steamer to Chicago, where they walked back to the homestead.
Over the years the house was added onto and grew bigger. In 1902 a barn was built followed by another house in 1906. This would be the house my grandfather would grow up in, as well as myself. Shortly after my grandma and grandpa got married, they bought the farm where I now live, just a mile west of the home farm. Grandpa added barns, cattle and children to this place. My cattle are raised in the same buildings that he built 70 years ago.
We are proud to carry on the tradition of caring for the land and livestock the way generations have before us. I guess it is fitting that the road sign bears the name of a family that has called it home for 175 years.
What do you get from one beef animal?
See for your self how good our meat is:
The cattle at Wheeler Farms are grain-fed instead of grass-fed. This means that our cattle become ready for harvest twice as fast as a grass-fed beef animal, this makes the end product succulent, tender, and juicy.
It’s true that grass-fed animals are leaner, but the marbling that is in the meat is there for a very good reason. That marbling keeps the meat moist and juicy during cooking, and also adds tenderness and flavor. Wheeler Farms aim for our animals to grade Choice. Choice meat is the second highest USDA grading available. It has less fat than Prime beef, but just enough to provide enough marbling that you are thoroughly satisfied with the taste and quality, but not so much fat that you have to trim it off and throw it away. We accomplish this through strict diet and selecting top Angus genetics.
We at Wheeler Farms work closely with a certified nutritionist to create our rations. They are fed a diet of cracked corn, screenings (which is ground corn), straw for roughage, and distiller’s grains (which is a by-product of ethanol production) and this makes excellent feed.
Our animals are raised without hormones or antibiotics. This means that your t-bone, brisket, or burgers are pure, good, and good for you. When we buy our calves they have been vaccinated against the common diseases.
