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.

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.

Origins

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.

Introduction to the US

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.