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 pass down the heritage and knowledge base to the next generation. 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 Craftsman Meats is a family operation; 100% owned by the Peterson family. We are committed owner-operators and love what we do. Farming is in our gene pool.
Our family’s story began on a farmstead near Deronda, Wisc., milking cows and raising crops 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.
Your farmer of choice
Today, our family includes Wayne & Christine Peterson, Andy & Jenna Peterson (Shirley, Beau, Ruth), Nick & Elizabeth Shope (Noah, Evelyn, Oliver), and Ryan & Leah Peterson. We farm near the St. Croix River, in close proximity to Osceola and 45 minutes from downtown St. Paul.
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 butcher shop located near Rice Lake, Wisc. (Barney’s Meats). This gives us the unique advantage of quality assurance throughout the supply chain. As a result, savory taste and butter knife tenderness show throughout our products.
If you're looking for meats that are raised with integrity, we'd love to be your farmer of choice.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Are you 100% grass fed beef?
We are not 100% grass fed. We implement two biological systems (managed organically): crop rotation & rotational grazing. We utilize 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 legume/grass pastures while building soil/sod.
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What does “free-raised & grazed” mean?
Free-raised & Grazed is our regenerative agriculture term to best describe our animal husbandry and stewardship practices. We keep our livestock in their natural environments whenever possible. Given the dormant nature of winter, we are not able to graze year-round but we ensure ample, clean space.
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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. However, we raise non-gmo cereal grains/grasses. We do not administer synthetic growth hormones nor feed antibiotics to our livestock.