SALT & IRON CATTLE CO. · PONDER, TEXAS
Questions about our grass-finished Dexter beef
Straight answers about how we raise our cattle, manage our pastures, and process our beef.
Is your beef grass-fed and grass-finished?
Yes. Our cattle eat a forage-based diet through finishing. We don’t grain-finish our beef.
Why spray compost tea if you don’t use artificial fertilizer?
Compost tea is a different kind of input. We work with Dave Phillips at Big Little Farm, who brews and applies it several times a year. We use it with the goal of supporting soil biology, alongside diverse forage plantings and grazing recovery. We don’t apply artificial fertilizer, herbicide, or insecticide to our pastures.
How do your forage mixes help the soil?
Different plants contribute in different ways. Legumes partner with root bacteria to fix nitrogen. Other plants capture nutrients already in the soil. Plant residues and manure return nutrients to the pasture as they break down. Our goal is useful forage for the cattle and a pasture that keeps improving.
Is everything you plant native to North Texas?
We try to favor native species where they fit. We also use seasonal forage mixes, so our goal of a more diverse, prairie-style pasture doesn’t mean every plant we sow is native.
What are the collars on your cattle?
They’re Monil solar-powered virtual fencing collars. We set grazing boundaries in an app and adjust them as we move the cattle through their paddocks. The system uses sound and, when needed, a brief electrical pulse to guide animals at a boundary. It reduces the temporary polywire work involved in changing paddocks.
Do your cattle have access to minerals?
Yes. We provide continuous access to 18 different free-choice mineral options in addition to their forage-based diet.
Where is your beef processed?
All our beef is professionally processed at a USDA-inspected facility.
Do you vaccinate your cattle?
No. We raise our cattle without vaccines.
Where is Salt & Iron Cattle Company located?
We are based in Ponder, Texas, in Denton County. Salt & Iron Cattle Company is a family cattle business and a separate company from Salt & Iron Ranch.
What breed of cattle do you raise?
We raise Dexter cattle. We chose this compact heritage breed for its hardiness, efficient use of forage, and the tenderness and flavor we aim to produce.