Bob and Jason…the Zeilke brothers from Coloma…are one of those quintessential American bootstrap stories. Their hard work on the farm since childhood is helping put food on the table for hundreds of families across Michigan’s Great Southwest and their dream continues to grow and expand, with a new retail presence just over the horizon.
Keep in mind that their strong success “since childhood” stems from work launched a dozen years ago when the Zeilke Brothers Farm was first founded in 2010.
As their mother Shannon puts it, “It really all started with just an interest in cows, when our kids started showing animals at the youth fair.” That fostered a plan by Shannon and her husband Scott who conceived of a way to, as she says, “Lay the groundwork for a child who’s 17 with special needs.” That’s their son Bob, and as Shannon tells it, “He’ll be graduating next year and this will be his job,” while adding, “We have been building it up over the years so that he has something to do after graduation.”
Bob and his younger 15-year old brother Jason have been hosting animals at the fair, and around Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, and beyond. Once the animals were ready to head to market, the Zeilke family developed a plan to provide a wide array of products to friends, neighbors and anyone interested in locally produced foods.
Shannon says, “We used to just sell by the quarter or the half, however in the past year, we acquired the license to sell individual pieces of meat because not everybody has the freezer space for half a cow.”
Ever since gaining the proper licensing to offer individual cuts, the Zeilke Brothers Farm has really taken off, allowing people to just call up and say, “Hey, I need a couple of t-bones for the grill,” and then they can just stop by the farm on North Coloma Road and pick them up.
The beef is all raised on the farm and then taken to a butcher for processing and USDA inspection. They also take hogs for processing for other people. Starting in March they will have pork available for individual cuts as well, whereas until that availability becomes reality, pork is sold by the boys only in bulk — in either half or whole hog fashion.
Zeilke Brothers Farm is a unique opportunity for local families to gain access to quality meat products from a small homegrown business. When we all heard last summer about meat shortages, the Zeilke family reminded us that those issues were generated by big meat processing plants that closed down. Such is not the case when you find neighbors like them who raise the beef for local families as a way of life, and send them for processing and return cuts to the farm for sale.
The Zeilkes are managing roughly 25 to 30 head of cattle at any one time in the winter, but that headcount increases in the spring and summer months. The number is constantly changing with new live births on the farm.
It’s usually around 14 to 18 months before they can send the cattle for butchering and processing. In the meantime, they have to feed them and take care of them all, so it’s a long process for them to be ready to be butchered.
The Zeilke Brothers operate largely through Facebook marketing of what’s available at any point in time. To see your potential for ordering, you can simply click the link below to go to their Facebook lineup, and then you can call, use Facebook messenger, or send them a text…whatever works best for you. Here’s the link:
https://www.facebook.com/Zeilke-Brothers-Farm-108753121368870/
This spring and summer, Zeilke Brothers Farm will be adding an actual storefront. Shannon says, “We’ve got a building, and are working now to finish off the interior. We’ve already got freezers and other retail materials, so then we’ll just move in and sell our product out of that building, which will also allow us to carry a larger quantity of options available to the public.”
As small operators for now, the journey is largely “catch-as-catch-can.” They simply post up on Facebook with availabilities and then, while supplies last you can get whatever is being offered. Otherwise you’ll have to wait until the next offering. By way of example, when I conducted the interview on a Thursday recently, they were somewhat limited. They were out of ground beef at that moment, but had more coming two days later on a Saturday. Nevertheless, they did have steaks like Porterhouse and T-Bones, some roasts and other cuts, but were just limited until new arrivals came to market.
At Zeilke Brothers Farm, they do not sell fresh cuts of meat, all product is frozen. They breed and raise registered Angus and Hereford cattle. Some, are raised for youth to show, while others are fed out to be butchered for freezer beef. All freezer beef is grain fed, USDA inspected, and available by the quarter, half, or by individual cuts. Detailed on Facebook you can find all of the individual types of cuts that are ready at any given time for purchase. For example, they routinely offer:
- Porterhouse Steak
- T-Bone Steak
- Ribeye
- Skirt Steak
- Cubed Steak
- Flat Iron Steak
- Sizzler Steak
- Delmonico Steak
- Flank Steak
- Sirloin Steak
- Chuck Steak
- Filet Mignon
- Chuck Roast
- Arm Roast
- Rump Roast
- Ground Beef
- Fajita Meat
- Stew Meat
- Short Ribs
- Baby Back Ribs
- Brisket
The new market is underway, on site at the farm, with plans to install interior walls to prepare it for launch this late spring or early summer.
Once the building is ready, availability will still be somewhat sporadic due to Bob’s class schedule until he graduates, but Shannon is at the house the vast majority of the time and can respond to requests and fulfill orders.
More regular hours of operation will come when Bob is able to be in the shop full time. In the meantime, orders continue through Facebook and once the shop is opened for business, you will be able to call, text, or make contact through Facebook Messenger. You can also peruse available inventory just as you would at a grocery store or butcher shop to see which cuts might catch your eye.
The Zeilke Facebook page is filled with responses from many fans who have shared comments, thanks and photos from their own grills and dinner tables singing the praises of the farm. Check it out for yourself.
Zeilke Brothers Farm is located at 5817 North Coloma Road in Coloma. You can reach them by telephone for ordering at: 269-363-1497.
Would you like more information from Zeilke Brothers Farm? Let them know by filling out your information below, and someone will be in touch with you.
