so God made a Farmer
If you are a member of the agriculture community or a football fan you may have heard the
speech “So God made a Farmer” given by beloved radio broadcaster, Paul Harvey. The speech
gained instant fame when it was featured in a Dodge tv commercial broadcast during the 2013
Super Bowl. The speech was first made by Harvey at the 1978 Future Farmers of America
Convention and then published in 1986 in his syndicated column. The speech will tug at your
heartstrings and make you beam with pride for all your farmer friends.
A new generation of farmers has been gaining attention locally for thinking outside the box.
These guys are bringing beef straight from the field to the consumer. I can personally vouch for
their products. The service and quality can’t be beat!
Emanuel County resident Abb Johnson is a 5th generation farmer and owner of Triple A Meats.
“Growing up, I knew I wanted to follow in my dad’s footsteps.” After high school Abb attended
Ogeechee Technical College and obtained a degree in Agri Business and soon began farming full
time.
Abb began his row crop and cattle operation in 2022. “I decided to take it a step farther by
providing homegrown beef. The beef that we produce comes directly from our cow calf
operation. My goal is to provide you with meat that was raised on our farm that has been fed
to provide the highest quality of tenderness and taste.”
Triple A Meats offers whole cow cuts, half cow cuts, and small bundle boxes.
I called Abb and picked up a bundle box. I was delighted with the variety and great quality of
the beef. I always have a hard time deciding what to cook for dinner, and avoid going to the
grocery store at all cost. Now I can go to the freezer and pull out a pack of ground beef, steak,
or roast for dinner and pair it with fresh veggies from our local farmer’s market. I love knowing
where my food is grown, and I love supporting a local small business. I have watched Abb grow
up and I am excited to cater his wedding to his fiancé, Emily in 2024.
Owner of Semiema Farms, Addison Hooks, is a 4th generation cattle farmer who came back to
the farm full time 10 years ago after graduating from UGA. “Since coming back, we have
focused solely on supplying grass fed, pasture raised, natural quality beef to our surrounding
communities. We are a GAP Certified program and have been certified since 2013. We are
passionate about our cattle and beef and always strive to produce some of the best beef
around!”
Semiema Farms is located just outside of Swainsboro. They offer bulk beef orders of whole, half
and quarter beef sides. They also offer individual steaks, roasts, ground beef, briskets, cubed
steak, and short ribs. All their cattle are processed off the farm at a local processor and all beef
comes vacuum sealed!
“You can find us on Facebook and Instagram, where we post fun things about the farm and the
beef we have to offer for purchase. We push education on the cattle industry and why buying
locally is so important. Placing an order with us is as simple as sending us a message on either
social media platforms. We will work with you on getting your order together and setting up a
date and time for pick up!”
I catered Addison’s and wife, Mallory’s wedding in 2022. Their biggest request when planning
the reception menu was that Honey use Addison’s home-grown beef tenderloin. I was excited
to add this special touch to their menu and I can honestly say this is the best beef tenderloin I
have ever cooked! When Mallory scheduled a time to drop off the tenderloin, I ordered a box
full of their favorite beef products! The box lasted my family 2 months!
Westwood Angus Farms is a third-generation cattle farm that has been in operation since the
early 1900’s. Bulloch County farmer Walker Blitch is following in the footsteps of his father and
grandfather.
Fred Blitch Sr. raised commercial cattle, a registered Horned Hereford herd, and ran a feedlot
in the 1950s and 60s. He was joined by his son Fred Blitch Jr. and they transitioned to registered
Black Angus cattle in 1969.
Walker and his dad, Freddie continue to raise predominantly registered Black Angus Cattle. The
Blitches provide registered bulls, open heifers, bred heifers, and pairs to surrounding cattlemen
looking to build upon or improve their herds with quality registered cattle.
Walker and his wife, Gina felt the need to diversify and offer a quality farm to table option for
consumers and in 2022 Westwood Angus Beef was born. Walker’s beef is bred, born, and raised
in Bulloch County. Westwood Angus Beef contains no added hormones or preservatives and is
antibiotic free. They choose to grain finish their cattle to provide the highest quality, best
tasting beef.
“Our hope and prayer are to be able to continue to steward and sustainably raise cattle here in
Bulloch County as well as provide the public with great tasting local beef so we can in turn pass
this family tradition down to another upcoming generation.”
Westwood Angus Beef partnered with Statesboro restaurant Uncle Shug’s Bar-B-Q place on S.
Main St. in Statesboro to offer locals hand-pattied burgers made with the freshest local beef.
You can order finished steers by the half and whole via reservation slots and retail beef bundles
when available.
I have catered many times for the Blitch family and our restaurant, Dolan’s BBQ featured
Westwood Angus Beef burgers as a “smash burger” special. My brother gave me a beef bundle
for Christmas. I recommend gifting this local product for any occasion!
I see a bright future for these young farmers and the strong women who help make their
operation a success. I am abundantly thankful that God made a farmer. Our world wouldn’t be
the same without their drive and determination to take care of the land and feed our nation.
Next time you see a farmer be sure to hug their neck and give them a big pat on the back.
Ordering Info
Westwood Angus Beef
Walker Blitch
westwoodangusfarms@gmail.com
912-687-6960
Semiema Farms
Addison Hooks
Triple A Meats
Abb Johnson
912-682-3767
www.tripleameats.com
Buffalo Beef Burgers
2 lbs Ground Beef
½ c Franks Hot Sauce
1 tsp Granulated Garlic
1 tsp. Black Pepper
6-8 Hamburger Buns
2 Tbs. Butter
Lettuce and Tomato
Blue Cheese Sauce:
½ c Blue Cheese
½ c Sour Cream
½ c Dukes Mayo
2 Tbs. chopped Green Onion
1 Tbs. Worcestershire
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Mix all ingredients and chill until ready to use.
Mix ground beef, hot sauce, garlic, and pepper until combined. Form burger into patties
(makes 6-8 depending on how large you like your burgers). Grill burgers until desired
doneness. Toast bun with butter. Serve burger on toasted bun with blue cheese sauce,
lettuce, and tomato.
Beer Braised BBQ Pot Roast
For the Roast:
5 lb. Beef Chuck Roast
Season Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, Chili Powder
1 Red Onion (sliced)
1 c Flour
1/4 c Olive Oil
3 Bay Leaves
1 can Budweiser
Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Season Roast liberally with season salt, pepper, garlic powder, and chili
powder. Coat both sides with flour. Heat oil in a Dutch oven. When oil is hot add roast. Sear on both sides
until flour is browned. Top with slices of onions and entire can of beer. Add water until roast and onions are
completely covered. Place lid on Dutch oven and bake 225 degrees for 5-6 hours.
Remove roast from liquid. Remove any fat, gristle, or bones. Set aside. There will be a thin layer of clear fat
that has risen to the top of the pan juices. Skim off as much fat as possible with a spoon. Reserve two cups
of pan juices.
For the BBQ Sauce:
2 c Reserved Pan Drippings
2 c Ketchup
1 c Brown Sugar
1/2 c Cider Vinegar
3 Tbs. Chipotle Peppers in Sauce
1 tsp. Black Pepper
Cook all ingredients until boiling. Pour sauce over roast and serve hot.
Ribeyes with Cowboy Butter
2 Ribeye Steaks (cut 1.5 inches thick)
Salt and Pepper
Olive Oil
Remove steaks from fridge and bring to room temperature.
Season steaks with salt and pepper.
Add olive oil to cast I iron skillet and heat to medium heat.
Add steaks and cook 5 minutes on one side. Flip and cook an additional 5 minutes.
Remove from pan and place on platter. Top with cowboy butter and let the steak 5-10 minutes before
serving.
Cowboy Butter
1 stick Salted Butter (softened)
1 clove Garlic (minced)
2 Green Onions (chopped)
1 Tbs. Worcestershire
1 tsp. Chili Powder
1 tsp. Dijon Mustard
1 tsp. Black Pepper
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.
Place butter on parchment paper and roll into a 1/2 inch roll. Refrigerate until firm. Slice in pats to put on
top of cooked steaks, veggies, pasta, potatoes, or bread!