By Cheryl Kepes
Photos courtesy Hutchins family
Destiny Angus Farm strives to run its purebred cattle operation and its new direct-to-customer beef sales business with steadfast integrity.
Making it to the top of the Angus industry requires unwavering dedication, vast expertise, and unrelenting passion. In an industry brimming with fierce competition, the pressure to succeed at any cost can be daunting. Yet, the owners of Destiny Angus Farm; Brian, Lora, and Morgan Hutchins, refuse to concede even the slightest shred of their high standards and values to prosper.
“When people purchase from us, whether it is show cattle or cattle that go to their breeding program or freezer beef, we do it the right way. We don’t cut corners,” Brian Hutchins explained.
Through the years, Destiny Angus Farm has achieved national accolades for its show ring success and powerful genetics. Last spring, the Hutchins family decided to diversify its operation, located in Charleston, Ill., to offer direct sale premium Angus beef. The addition of the beef business brings the operation full circle.
Committed to Integrity
The Hutchins appreciate the opportunity to market premium Angus beef as well as produce national caliber show prospects, replacements, and herd sires. At the heart of the business lies a deeply rooted conviction to operate with the utmost integrity. The proper care of the animal reigns as their primary objective.
“Our cattle are all-natural showing, and they are all-natural when they hit the food supply. We take care of the animal first. We go out of our way to make sure the animal is happy and healthy. Whether it is for the show ring or even if they are terminal and end up being a meal someday, we believe in taking care of our animals,” Brian shared.
Built on Tradition
Though they cherish their successes, the Hutchins’ passion for agriculture keeps them dedicated to the industry. “We go out of our way because we just love animals. Even if they do enter the food supply at some point, we love taking care of our animals and doing it the best way we know how,” Brian stated.
The love for livestock started early for Brian. His dad, David Hutchins, owned an Angus herd for 40 years. When Brian was eight years old, he bought his first cow with money he earned working on the farm. He’s been entrenched in the Angus industry ever since.
Brian’s spent 45 years raising registered Angus and his passion for the cattle business is stronger than ever. The Hutchins family has worked for years to build its operation’s elite herd of Angus genetics. The family manages about 40 registered momma cows on their 60-acre farm in Illinois.
Destiny Angus Farm has been selected twice in the past six years as a top 10 breeder. Brian and Lora’s daughter, Morgan, wrapped up her illustrious show career as one of the top 15 showmen in the country.
The Hutchins market their Angus genetics all over the country. In addition, Destiny Angus Farms has five bulls listed with Cattle Visions for semen sales.
Operation Expansion
The Hutchins recently embarked on a new endeavor. After evaluating ways to expand their operation, the family decided they had another product to offer in addition to production cattle and show animals. They decided to incorporate a direct sale beef business into their operation.
Brian explained the family’s rationale for starting the beef business, “The cattle that are good enough to show we show and the ones we want to keep back for the production herd we can, and instead of sending our beef level cattle to the stockyards we decided we will just harvest it ourselves and sell the beef as a premium Angus beef.”
The expansion emerged after Brian semi-retired from 30 years of holding executive leadership positions at farm retail companies. His lighter workload off the farm gave him margin to devote to the new venture. Brian leaned on his wealth of experience as a business leader to vertically integrate the beef business into the farm operation.
Start Up
The beef business took off from the start. The Hutchins were a bit surprised with its almost instant success. In hindsight, the Hutchins discovered one of the reasons for the quick success of Destiny Black Angus Beef was their extensive work and planning prior to beginning the business.
They partnered with three outside vendors to develop and fine-tune their website. The Hutchins attended presentations, conducted research, and queried direct beef sales business owners to help them successfully launch Destiny Black Angus Beef.
Though it turned out to be far more work initially than the Hutchins thought it would be, all their groundwork paid off. “We didn’t want to have too many false starts. We wanted to do it one time and do it right. So far it has worked out very well for us,” Brian said.
Beef Business Management
The Hutchins approached their beef business with the same passion and devotion to high standards as their registered Angus operation. The animals that are selected from their herd for their beef program are managed with similar care as the elite production and show animals.
All Destiny Angus Farm’s calves are pasture born and raised. The Hutchins do not spread pesticides or herbicides on their property. The fields are managed with rotational grazing and mowing, with occasional spot spraying as needed.
Cattle roam on pastures with plenty of forage, shade, and clean water. None of the animals are developed in pens or concrete feedyards. Even though the beef animals are grain finished to make sure they have optimal marbling, tenderness, and flavor, they have access to grass throughout their development.
Destiny Black Angus Beef processes several beef each month, a few more in the peak season. The business stands at 100 customers (some repeat) and counting. The Hutchins ship their frozen beef products anywhere within 250 miles of their hometown. Additionally, they are in the process of establishing central meeting locations for customers in nearby cities to pick up their orders.
When demand spikes, if the Hutchins don’t have enough of their own genetics to fill the beef orders, they reach out to their pre-established cooperative herds. These producers run their operations with Destiny Angus Farm’s genetics. The producers also operate with the same philosophies and management style as the Hutchins.
Striking a Balance
Part of the Hutchins’ success may be attributed to their balanced approach to their operation. Their longstanding management practice of avoiding fads and breeding for good, consistent genetics positions them to reach their goals.
“We have always tried to maintain a very balanced approach whether it be show cattle, donors, sires, or EPDs and marbling. We have always tried to strike a balance and not go too far in a single direction,” Brian said. “What that does is, that allows us to accomplish all three facets of our business. Number one, good solid production cattle out in the pasture. Number two, successful show cattle. Number three, premium beef,” he added.
Bright Future
The expansion into the direct beef market is proving to be a positive choice for the Hutchins family. Consumers interest in food safety, awareness of inflation, and confidence with ordering food products online all equate to a rise in demand for the Hutchins’ products. “I think what people are finding out is they can buy a premium product for the same price or a little bit more than a subpar product at the grocery store or fast-food business,” Brian said.
The Hutchins look forward to what the future holds. As they grow this new aspect of their business, anchored in the confidence of quality Angus genetics, the Hutchins are excited to see where this venture leads.
learn more at www.destinyblackangusbeef.com
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