Hereford cattle originate from the Welsh Marches around the Black and Cambrian mountains, and the river valleys that flow east into the the counties of Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Shropshire.
They are one of the oldest native breeds, with records dating back into the mid 1700s. They have proved popular and successful across the globe as a pre-eminent beef breed that produces tender, tasty, well-marbled meat. That success, however, has lead to much crossing of the breed to increase its size and meet the trends of the late twentieth century for high-input, high-output farming and cereal-based diets. This put at risk the ‘old fashioned’ Traditional Hereford.
Thankfully, a few influential breeders rescued the remaining Original Population Traditional Hereford cattle, saving the special characteristics of the uncontaminated bloodlines.
At Smiling Tree, we feel very fortunate to keep a herd of these beautiful native cattle in their native habitat, where they thrive on their native diet of pasture and hay, to produce the most delicious, tender meat. Our 100% grass-fed cattle are never fed any grains, roots or brassica crops.
