Featured photo: A few bulls hang out in the shade at Smith Family Farms in Doyline, Louisiana. Locally raised beef from Smith Family Farms can be found on menus at several eateries in Shreveport-Bossier.
The Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau (publishers of 20×49.com) publishes an annual local food guide called Eat Here: A Food Lover’s Guide to Shreveport-Bossier. For the 2017 edition, we’re gathering information on local eateries that regularly cook with local and regionally sourced ingredients. Recently, we visited Smith Family Farms in Doyline, Louisiana, where 26-year-old farmer Craig Smith raises beef, lamb and pork. A regular vendor at Shreveport Farmers’ Market, Benton Farmers’ Market, Provenance Farmers Market and South Bossier Farmers Market, Smith Family Farms is working to get locally raised beef to consumers in Shreveport-Bossier.
“In college, I started working here on the farm and grew it from just a handful of sheep to 170 head of cattle and about 75 sheep now,” Smith said. “Smaller groups of animals, and better care for the animals, just results in a better-tasting product.”
Smith Family Farms beef can be found on a daily basis at the following Shreveport eateries:
Blue Southern Comfort Food (5963 Fairfield Avenue, Shreveport) makes all of their outstanding burgers with Smith Family Farms ground beef. They also use Smith Family Farms products in their sausage, meat balls and pot roast.
“Even our kid’s burgers are made with local beef,” Blue owner Carolyn Huggins Simmons said.
The Some Like It Hot Food Truck (mobile eatery, locations are posted on Facebook) also makes all of its burgers with Smith Family Farms beef. So do Zocolo Neighborhood Eatery (436 Ashley Ridge Boulevard, Shreveport) and Bear’s Oyster Pub (1401 Fairfield Avenue, Shreveport).
Like Smith Family Farms on Facebook to keep up with their farmers’ market appearances, current pricing and more.
I can’t see where this meat is organic, grass fed, no antibiotics, etc. Is it? Just because it’s local doesn’t mean it’s necessarily all of these things. Any info regarding this would be appreciated. Thanks.
In their own words: “Louisiana raised lamb and beef. No hormones, no antibiotics and cattle are not raised on a feedlot.” They do not advertise that they are organic or grass fed. When I visited the farm I saw the animals grazing on pasture, with feed troughs as well.