Nestled in the southern end of Nash County, the Strickland family farm has seen generations of change. Once a tobacco farm, the land is now home to Old Rudera Farm and a herd of Piedmontese cattle, a rare Italian breed known for its lean, tender, and exceptionally healthy beef.
Larry and Marina Strickland have spent nearly three decades rebuilding the family homestead into a small-scale cattle operation. They’ll be bringing their unique story and their premium beef to the Got to Be NC Festival as part of the Got to Be NC Agriculture Pavilion in the Agri Supply Expo Center.
When Larry and Marina met in Granville County outside Franklinton, he had been away from the farm working with a power company. The farm’s tobacco allotments had been sold, and another farmer was renting the land. She worked for a metal fabrication shop. It’s now been more than 28 years since the two moved to Larry’s family farm property.
Initially, they raised commercial cattle, some of which their younger son AJ showed at fairs. Some judges’ feedback led the family to the Piedmontese breed, which is now the farm’s bread and butter.
“They would say, ‘oh, your commercial cattle needs some more substance to it. They need some more muscle.’ So we started researching, and I said, ‘how about mixing them in with Piedmontes?’ We were also finishing up cattle and selling them, and I found out you’re getting so much more meat if you’re cross breeding [Piedmontese with our commercial cattle]. Then we slowly got into the full-blooded Piedmontese.”
The Piedmontese breed originates in the Piedmont region of northern Italy. While unfamiliar at first, Marina was drawn to the breed’s health benefits and impressive yield.
What Makes Piedmontese Different?
The secret of the Piedmontese beef lies in the myostatin gene. Piedmontese cattle carry a natural mutation that means Piedmontese cows have two copies of the gene, according to Marina.
“It’s so high in omega fatty acid and in protein, but very low in cholesterol,” Marina said. “So it’s very healthy meat, and they grow meat, not fat, very little fat. That’s all naturally occurring. It is really a very unique meat. But it doesn’t mean because there’s no fat on it, it’s tough.”
Unlike typical ribeyes with heavy marbling, Piedmontese steaks are nearly free of visible fat, but they remain tender and flavorful, Marina said. It’s more like the meat she was used to tasting in Europe where she grew up. Her southern Germany home is just across the Alps from northern Italy.
“I was used to eating leaner meat,” Marina said. “When I first came over here, I was like, ‘why is that meat so diluted?’ It didn’t have that real meaty taste to it.”
[button link=”https://www.ncagr.gov/divisions/ncstatefair/got-be-nc-festival” type=”big” color=”green”] The Got to Be NC Pavilion will feature nearly 100 North Carolina food and beverage vendors showcasing some of North Carolina’s tastiest products. Visitors can sample and shop the Pavilion for their favorite items. Admission to the Pavilion is $3. [/button]
A Taste of the Farm at the Got to Be NC Festival
At this year’s Got to Be NC Festival, visitors will find the Old Rudera Farm booth stocked with frozen Piedmontese beef and detailed information about the breed and its health benefits.
“I’m going to bring a small freezer in, and I’ll have meat available, and I’ll have the breed information there that tells you all about the breed” Marina explained. “And then I have the meat analysis there – what you are getting when you are eating that meat.”
People will have an opportunity to buy on the spot, or they can visit the farm or find Old Rudera Farm beef at the Nash County Farmers Market in Rocky Mount. Marina sells there every Saturday (except this Saturday when she’ll be at the state fairgrounds for the festival). She has recently joined the Knightdale market as well, which is open one Sunday a month. Mother’s Day was her first time selling at that market.
Resilience and Family Roots
Old Rudera Farm isn’t just about good beef. It’s about resilience. The Strickland family farmhouse they moved into about three decades ago was built by Larry’s grandfather in 1902. In 2019, a tornado destroyed it along with barns and shelters. They lived in a camper for six months while rebuilding.
Another house from the 1800s still stands with some recent remodeling. Today, not only do Larry and Marina call the homestead home, but so does AJ and their older son Adrian too. AJ has his own herd of Piedmontese while also helping his parents with their herd of about 40 cows including calves.
“The area where we live, it’s growing so fast, and there are new houses everywhere,” Marina said. “AJ is planning on taking over the farm down the road and still farm. We’re trying to keep it a farm.”
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