HERITAGE DEXTER BEEF · GRASS-FED & GRASS-FINISHED · PONDER, TEXAS
SALT & IRONCATTLE CO.

SALT & IRON CATTLE CO. · PONDER, TEXAS

Grass-fed, grass-finished Dexter beef in North Texas

Raised in Ponder, Texas, by Salt & Iron Cattle Company. Here’s what goes into our beef.

Grass-fed and grass-finished, from our family cattle business.

Salt & Iron Cattle Company raises Dexter cattle in Ponder, Texas, in Denton County. Our cattle eat a forage-based diet through finishing. We do not switch them to a grain-finishing program.

We chose Dexters because we value their hardiness, efficient use of forage, and the tenderness and rich flavor we aim to produce. They fit the kind of grass-based cattle operation we want to run here in North Texas.

Illustrative serving scene of sliced steak on a ceramic platter
Illustrative serving scene · AI generated

What grass-finished means here

Grass-fed describes how our cattle are fed. Grass-finished means the forage-based diet continues through the finishing stage before harvest. We describe our beef as both because both are part of how we raise it.

For us, raising cattle on grass means doing the pasture work, too. We plant a mix of forages, rotate the herd, and allow time for grazed areas to recover.

See how we manage our pastures ↗

Why we raise Dexter cattle

Dexters are a compact heritage breed with roots in Ireland. Their thrifty nature and hardiness are two reasons we chose them for our North Texas operation. We also chose them with the eating quality of the beef in mind.

The breed is one part of the work. Suitable forage, water, shade, and attentive care matter, too. We want to raise cattle well and produce beef we’re proud to put our name on.

Learn about Dexter cattle from the ADCA ↗

Our cattle and pasture practices

  • No artificial fertilizer, herbicide, or insecticide applied to our pastures.
  • Regenerative rotational grazing, with Monil solar-powered virtual fencing collars.
  • Aerated compost tea applications from Dave Phillips of Big Little Farm, several times a year.
  • Continuous access to 18 different free-choice mineral options.
  • Cattle raised without vaccines.

We explain the reasons behind these choices on our pasture page, so you can understand what we do before deciding whether our approach is right for your family.

Professionally processed at a USDA-inspected facility

All our beef is professionally processed at a USDA-inspected facility. Professional processing is part of the path from our cattle operation to the beef on your table.