Sugar Creek Piedmontese is a small farm that is family owned and run, started in 1996. We raise Piedmontese Beef reigning from the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy. Piedmontese beef has tenderness similar to that of Prime or Wagyu beef, but without the fat!
Sugar Creek Piedmontese beef is unlike any other. We raise a breed of cattle that is genetically superior, in addition to using an old fashioned approach to animal care and husbandry to produce a consistent, high quality product that is extraordinarily lean and incredibly tender. Piedmontese beef has been proven to be more tender than like cuts from traditional cattle. It’s tenderness is similar to that of Prime or Wagyu beef, but without the fat!
Our cattle spend the majority of their lives grazing in pastures. Their diets are supplemented with hay and spent brewers grains. The spent grains (Barley and Wheat) come from the O'Fallon Brewery. Sugar Creek Piedmontese cattle are never given any hormones, growth steroids, or antibiotics. Instead, we focus on improving the natural environment for cattle, allowing them to grow and develop naturally.
In 1992, Beth Lavy read an article in the Small Farmers and Ranchers magazine about a unique breed of cattle that was lean, but still tender. There were also several pictures of the breed and how they crossed with other breeds. Both Chuck and Beth were very intrigued and started on a search for their first Piedmontese bull. They eventually located a breeder in Lebanon, MO, and in 1994, they purchased their first fullblood Piedmontese bull (C-3 Capital Gain). It has taken several years, but the Lavy Farm now has about 40 head of registered Piedmontese cattle.
Scientists believe the Piedmontese breed is a cross between the Zebu and Auroch cattle, which morphed over a period of 25,000 years, in the renowned Piedmont region of northwestern Italy. By the 1870s, a unique double muscling (DM) characteristic was constant within the Piedmontese breed. The term (DM) describes the breed's unusual ability for developing extra muscle mass but very little fat. The result is an efficient source of lean meat that, in spite of the absence of the fatty marbling, remains tender and juicy.
In the mid-1970s, a few progressive ranchers imported the first 5 Piedmontese breeding stock into Canada. A few years later, 10 more were imported. In the mid- 1980s the breed was introduced into the United States. The first Piedmontese registry in the United States was formed in 1984. Today, Piedmontese cattle represents less than 1 percent of all cattle in North America. It is estimated that there are only 4,000 or so registered Fullblood and Purebred Piedmontese cattle in the US, making them a truly rare breed.
After about four years, Beth’s parents, LeRoy and Mary Ellen Schieffer, also started raising Piedmontese cross cattle. LeRoy’s true passion is in raising cross calves and Mary Ellen enjoys raising the fullblood cattle. They started out with two fullblood heifers, and now their herd has grown to over 25 head of registered fullblood and purebred Piedmontese cattle. As the two farms grew, they made the decision to merge and sell their cattle and beef together. When this happened, they did not want to choose one farms name over the other, so they came up with a new name. Sugar Creek Piedmontese is named after the creek that runs between the two farms along with the name of the cattle that they sell.
Greg –
I appreciate that the Piedmontese strip pack is leaner than traditional beef cuts. It's a guilt-free indulgence without compromising on taste.
Steve –
I ordered the Piedmontese strip pack for a special occasion, and it was the star of the dinner. The guests couldn't stop raving about the quality and taste.
Carlos –
The grilling box is a great value for the quality and quantity of Piedmontese beef you receive. It's a true indulgence.
Ben –
I'm always up for a good barbeqe, the steak in this piedmontese grilling box was incredibly tender and flavorful.
henry (store manager) –
Super tasty steaks! Very tender yet very lean. Only caution is you MUST reduce your cooking time because there is much less fat. I overdid the first one, but once I adjusted, they came out great!