Discovering NC Agriculture is a social media series focusing on N.C. grown, raised, caught, and made commodities. Originally started in 2025, this series has been renewed to run for another year! Tune in each month to see how an N.C. commodity is grown, harvested, packed for consumer use and more. Learn nutritional value, find fun recipes to try, hear from local chefs who use that product, and other unique commodity facts throughout the series. We look forward to helping you better understand some of our N.C. commodities and how they impact your everyday lives!
Raising beef cattle in our state’s agriculture industry takes a lot of hard work and dedication for first generation farms and century old farms alike. From facing ever changing obstacles, like the weather and market prices, to managing unexpected circumstances, like the death of a calf, cattle farmers work hard to ensure you and your family have beef products on the table. Ruby Brown Farm in Leicester has a legacy of farming and providing high-quality products for over one hundred years, a legacy that continues to impact the community in Western North Carolina to this day.
In the late 1800’s, James and Sarah Brown purchased, what is today known as, Ruby Brown Farm. Originally, the family produced a variety of crops, including tobacco, corn and eggs, as well as raised chickens and beef cattle. When James and Sarah passed away, the farm was passed down to their daughter, Ruby Brown, who truly established the legacy that stands on the farm today. “Ruby Brown, my great-grandmother, was the worker of the family,” said Ethan Rhinehart, co-owner of Ruby Brown Farm. “Her hard work and legacy are what we stand on today because without her many years of dedication and perseverance, we wouldn’t be here.” Before Ruby’s passing, the land was handed down to her son, Wayne Brown, and his wife, Barbara Brown. They continued growing tobacco and raising cattle. When Wayne’s health declined, he and Barbara passed the farm to their daughter, Cynthina Rhinehart and her husband Rick. Together with their two sons they continued to farm, transitioning solely to cattle.
The name Ruby Brown Farm was given to the farm in more recent years when Rick, Cynthia, Ethan and his wife, Donna, decided to dedicate the farm to Ruby and honor her legacy through its name. “Ruby Brown worked her tail off to keep this farm, which is why we named it after her,” Donna, Ethan’s wife, said. “We are grateful for all the times that she persevered to keep this farmland in our family and honored to carry it on for future generations.” Over the years, Ruby Brown Farm has been passed down from generation to generation and transitioned to solely raise beef cattle, but their passion for farming has never changed. Today, the farm encompasses around 140 acres of owned and leased land and is home to over 100 head of Black Angus and Red Angus cattle.
The cattle industry in our state provides many benefits both to farmers and consumers. “No one knows the heart of a farmer like a farmer,” Donna said. “Many people don’t know or understand where their beef products come from, but cattle farmers work very hard to provide these products to consumers around the world.” Not only does this industry feed people on a daily basis, but it also presents farmers with the opportunity to use parcels of their land that are inaccessible to row crop operations. “Beef cattle operations have been a solid alternative for many farmers who used to grow tobacco or dairy but didn’t want to sell their farm when those two drastically declined,” Ethan said. “It also allows farmers to use land that is harder to farm or inaccessible for equipment to manage.” From sun-up to sun-down, cattle farmers like Ethan and his family work hard to ensure high-quality meat products are on your plate.
From pasture to plate, the entire process of one beef cow takes two years on the farm. “Everything that we take to the processor is born and raised right here at Ruby Brown Farm,” said Ethan. “We are a non-GMO, hormone and steroid-free operation, ensuring the best products for our consumers.” Calving takes place year-round at the farm, meaning that Ethan and his father, Rick, have to keep a close eye on the fields, especially in the winter months, to watch for new-born calves. “It’s amazing how resilient these animals are,” Ethan said. “We have some calves born in the middle of winter with snow and ice on the ground. Even with those freezing temperatures we experience in the mountains, and their mom washing them as soon as they are born, these calves can pull through.” Once born, the calves are left in pasture with their mother for seven months before they are weened and separated. For the next year or so, the cows are rotated between four pastures on the farm and fed hay in the winter to ensure proper nutrition throughout the year. “In the last four months, we switch our cattle to grain, which gives them more protein and fat content, before being sent to the processor,” Ethan said. “A full-grown cow weighs anywhere from 1,200 to 1,300 pounds.” Ruby Brown Farm partners with Mays Meat in Taylorsville for all their processing needs. “They do an incredible job of processing our meat products,” Ethan said. “Typically, our products take 2.5 weeks at the processor before they are sent back to us for packaging and retail.” All products from Ruby Brown Farm can be purchased at the farm store on-site or once a month at the 2nd Saturday Farmers & Artisan Market at Worley Flower Farm in Leicester.
Although Ethan and his family can face a lot of unexpected challenges from year-to-year, their biggest challenge on the farm is the volatility and fluctuations across the industry. “From market prices to land purchases, everything in this industry is constantly shifting,” Ethan said. “We rent and/or lease a lot of our land here at the farm, so we constantly have to keep an eye on what’s being bought and sold around our area. That’s one of the most important lessons that I have had to learn as a farmer, is that things are going to change, so we have to learn to adapt and grow from those changes.” On the consumer side, Ethan and his family have faced some inquiries and confusion surrounding the pricing of their products, which can be a challenge. “Our prices are higher than what you will find at the grocery store, but not by much,” Ethan said. “It’s the quality, locality and nutrition of the products that you are paying for. Trust us, it’s worth it.” Although farming has its challenges, Donna and Ethan wouldn’t trade their farm for anything in the world and have a strong passion for producing the best products for their customers. “Farming is a full-time job that often goes unnoticed,” Donna said. “Not many people see the amount of work, sweat and tears that goes into it, which means they also miss some of the pride, passion and joy that goes into it. This farm generates a lot of pride for us to not only see customers enjoying our products, but to see our family legacy continue to grow and thrive.”
As fifth-generation farmers, Ethan and Donna have a lot of advice for those seeking a career in agriculture or a life on the farm. “Make sure agriculture is something that you love being a part of and doing day to day,” Ethan said. “It’s easy to look online at farm photos or see Instagram posts and think this life is easy and beautiful, but it’s hard work. If you’re willing to put in the work, have a passion for what you do, and adapt well to change, then this life will be extremely rewarding for you.” Donna echoes Ethan’s words by saying, “it’s important to love what you do and to love who you do it with. Be on the same page and work together as a team, whether you farm with your family or someone else’s.” When it comes specifically to cattle farming, Ethan says, “not everyone will understand the hard work, sacrifice and labor that goes into getting a piece of meat to their plate, but don’t let that dull your passion. Establish a strong why behind what you do and let that motivate you through every season.”
Ruby Brown Farm is a member of our Century Farm Family Program, which celebrates farms in our state that have been under family operation for one hundred years or more. “It makes you proud to see all the hard work before you paving the way for the hard work being done today,” Ethan said. “Especially as a small farm in Western NC, it means the world to us to be a Century Farm Family, and we share that honor with all who came before us and made it possible.” Donna echoes his statement by saying, “Rudy Brown would be proud to see how the farm has continued to grow and prosper, since it was something she dedicated so many years of hard work to build.” Rick and Cynthia, Ethan’s parents, still play an active role on the farm from today. Additionally, Ethan and Donna have three children, the sixth generation, who love being on the farm, complete daily farm chores, and will, hopefully, continue the legacy of the farm in future years. “It’s a blessing to farm together as a family,” Donna said. “We love it and hope to see it continue to thrive in our family for another hundred years.” We are so proud of all that Ruby Brown Farm has done and will continue to do in our state’s agriculture industry. If you find yourself in the Leicester area, be sure to stop by their farm store and stock up on locally raised beef products for you and your family!
