Everyone finds the beef raisin’ and beef eatin’ so interesting that we don’t get to talk about our sister company nearly enough. But what CTS Greenwaste does for this family operation isn’t just important, it’s actually pretty cool. The elder sister by nearly a decade, CTS is the backbone of the operation. Landscapers, golf courses, cities and municipalities (which have included Tempe and Cave Creek), organizations with sustainability goals (such as SRP and the Department of Treasury)…. All have brought their organic waste to our site to be composted into mulch. 
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But the best part? ​

To the left is a photo of our brand carved into wood that hangs above our door. The E is for Ellis, my maiden (now middle) name. The P is for Perry. The 3 is for our three kids with the rafter representing a roof. Our brand is a visual representation of our family coming together because that's what this business is for us - a family operation through and through. 

I know it's not everybody's favorite subject, but it's an important -and necessary- part of raising cattle... and when I started this blog, I said it would be to share my journey, not just market our product. So here it is, 5 things I learned on branding day.

​Some people live with the ‘fresh is better than frozen’ ideology, and they suffer needlessly for it! They lose opportunities to pre-make their favorite meals (thus enjoying delicious dinners even on busy nights), it forces multiple trips to the grocery store every week, and worst of all, they miss out on some of the best beef on the market.

Although the word “fresh” is often used to mean “not frozen,” whether or not its been frozen has nothing to do with how fresh the product actually is. In fact, freshness gets locked in during the freezing process and is used to facilitate the dry aging process (which is used to increase flavor and tenderness).

We have nothing against freezing and thawing our beef, which is always fresh off the farm. Freezing it locks in that freshness so you can store it in your own freezer after purchasing for as long as you like.  Here are some of the most common ‘frozen food’ myths we have encountered.  

As many of you know, we at Perry Land & Cattle have a very unique relationship with Four Peaks Brewery in Tempe, Arizona. (We’ll write another blog soon delving into that deep well of awesome-ness). To sum it up for the sake of brevity, they send us the nutrient rich leftover liquid from their brewing process (called ‘wort’) and we feed it to our cows. Hence, our beef is ‘beer fed,’ and this is a big part of what gives it the exceptional taste and superior marbling. But how do you properly pair the finest quality beef in Arizona with the best beer brewed in the state? Read on to find out.

Imagine this. It’s Monday morning and you’re starting to think about dinners for the week. You walk to your freezer, scan the contents, and easily decide on Taco Tuesday, Burger Thursday and plan to smoke a brisket on Saturday. You grab a package of carne asada, a pound or two of ground beef, and a 4-5 lb brisket from the freezer and place them in the fridge to thaw. It’s almost too easy!
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Buying a side of beef (or a whole cow) is a great way to make life easier (saving trips to the store) and also gives you the peace of mind that your yearly supply of protein is already in your freezer! Getting your beef this way is a little different than grabbing it from the supermarket, however. Here are 5 things you should know about buying a side of beef.