ASHLAND — The Young family was tired of wasting corn byproducts. So it began raising beef cattle to offset the waste.
Young Family Farms specializes in producing fine ground corn — an operation that started three years ago when the family found out nearby dairy farms needed the product for their feed.
Owner Garry Young said the business exploded.
Young is a fifth generation farmer. He began farming with his father after graduating from high school and his children followed in his footsteps.
The Young’s farm is roughly 3,500 acres, with most of that land located in Ashland County. Some is scattered in Richland and Wayne counties.
As production grew, the farmers found out that by cleaning the corn, the product was better for the dairy cows. During the cleaning process, fine particles fall off the corn, which contain a mold that irritates the dairy cows’ digestion.
“Instead of trying to just dispose of the fines, because there’s value in the fines, we start raising cattle, and we can feed a certain percentage of those fines to our beef cattle,” Young said.
So Young Brother’s Meats came to life, a new business that had a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday.
“We decided that it was time to join the chamber and pick up more connections,” said Young. Both Young Family Farms and Young Brother’s Meats joined the Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce.
The Youngs formed Young Brother’s Meats at the end of 2023. But the retail business did not take off until the end of 2024, according to Ashley Bolin, one of Young’s four children, who helps manage the grain elevator and works in the fields.
After cutting the ribbon, the Young family cooked a barbecue feast for guests and inflated bounce houses for children.
The retail store, located on the farm at 956 County Road 1754, sells beef in individual packages for steaks, hamburgers and more. But customers can also order a half or quarter of whole beef, meaning the entire cow, and have the meat cut to their preferences.
The retail store also sells other local products, including Akers Raw Honey and Jules’ Jams. Visitors can stop by the store Tuesday to Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.