As a fourth-generation dairy farmer, Holly LaPlant wanted to find another way to connect you to the food you eat. That journey officially began in 2021 when LaPlant started Next Door Beef in Sturgeon Bay, selling cuts of meat on the other side of a door it shares with the farm’s milk house. Like other dairy farms, LaPlant Farms crossbreeds some of its Holstein/Jersey mix cows with Angus cows to diversify the agricultural commodities it brings to market. The venture also inspired LaPlant to start her herd of Hereford cows, another common beef breed. LaPlant says she enjoys talking to customers about the animals they raise to harvest and the misconceptions that often come with it.

According to the American Farm Bureau, approximately 72 percent of dairy farms are now incorporating beef genetics into their herds to offset lower revenues during reduced milk prices. You can learn more about Next Door Beef by visiting their Facebook page and by watching the Ask the Farmer video below, sponsored by the Door County Farm Bureau.