Three years ago, Sam Moffett and his family sold their house in Austin and decided to pivot completely, buying a farm on the rolling Blackland Prairie just outside Brenham, TX (about halfway between Austin and Houston). Coupled with their belief of running a production that would prioritize animal welfare and the mission of running it in the most simple, environmentally friendly manner possible, Shirttail Creek Farm launched their dream.Sam took a moment in between collecting eggs and doing delivery drop-offs to sit down with Farmhouse Delivery and tell us more about their leap of faith, breakfast, and what a day on the farm looks like:
Farmhouse Delivery: How did you guys get started?
Sam Moffett: We took a leap of faith! We both had careers, sold our house in Austin, and jumped into the farm thing.
Farmhouse Delivery: What does “pasture-raised” mean at Shirttail Creek Farms?
Sam Moffett: Things like pasture-raised aren’t regulated by anyone. It’s up to the farmer. It’s an intensive process of providing as much foliage off the pasture as much as possible and investing time energy, and money into nourishing the soil, and the soil health. Rather than kill, plant, repeat, we’re trying to create something that sustains itself.
Farmhouse Delivery: What’s your go-to breakfast on any given day of the week?
Sam Moffett: Scrambled eggs for the kids. Plus grass-fed sausage!
Farmhouse Delivery: Tell us about your farming techniques.
Sam Moffett: We try to treat our pastures like we would a garden by minimizing driving with lightweight ATV’s. Every square inch is there for our animals. We have lush oats, ryegrass, and feed that is nutritious for the animals (and us!)
Farmhouse Delivery: What does successful farming look like to you?
Sam Moffett: Successful farming is reliant on the ability to be efficient without compromising the integrity of the product, and always finding ways to minimize labor.
Farmhouse Delivery: What is one take away you’d like our customers to walk away with?
Sam Moffett: Our number one priority on the farm is animal welfare. Everything we do, we do with the consideration of the fact that they’re living things and producing things that nourish our families and customers.