Farm & Ranch Life
Each season we share what’s happening on the farm and ranch:
the work, the weather, the critters, and the little moments in between.For daily updates, follow along on social.
Look What Showed Up at the Shop
Best of 2026
Best Meat Wholesaler, Ellis County
Hooser Custom Meats has been named Best Meat Wholesaler in Ellis County for 2026. And the best part? It is powered by your Google Reviews.
Every five stars, every “best beef I’ve ever had,” every customer who took a minute to share their experience added up to this plaque on our wall. We didn’t ask for it. You earned it for us. I have an amazing crew that helps me every day and the best customers around.
From our family to yours, thank you for putting us here.
There’s nothing better
once you’ve had the best!
Seasonal News
Hooser Ranch Smash Burgers
The secret is searing on Hooser beef tallow for that crispy, lacy edge. Simple, fast, and pure Texas cookout.
Ingredients: 1 lb Hooser Reserve ground beef, 1 Tbsp Hooser beef tallow, 4 slices American cheese, 4 potato buns, salt and coarse pepper, onion, pickles, lettuce, and ranch sauce.
How to: Form 4 loose beef balls (about 4 oz). Get a cast-iron griddle screaming hot and melt the tallow. Smash each ball flat, season, and sear 2 minutes until crispy. Flip, add cheese, cook 1 more minute. Toast the buns in the tallow, build, and serve hot.
Introducing Hooser Whipped Tallow
We teamed up with M&C Tallow Co. to turn our own Hooser beef tallow into small-batch whipped tallow for your skin. Six scents plus a peppermint lip balm, all made right here in Italy, Texas.
Free Beef Fridays: July Calendar
Free Beef Fridays run year-round here at the ranch, and the July calendar is packed with something good every single Friday. Spend $100 in the shop and walk out with a featured cut on us.
- JULY 3 4 lbs Wagyu ground beef
- JULY 10 2 packs of brats
- JULY 17 20% off all cuts & snacks (celebrate Tori's 3rd Anniversary!)
- JULY 24 1 Hooser Reserve sirloin
- JULY 31 2 packs of franks
This is our little way of saying thank you for supporting a local ranch. Every Friday in July the shop is open, the coffee is on, and that Friday’s featured cut is on us when you spend $100 in the shop.
Pop in on the way home from work, swing by on your lunch break, or make it a new Friday tradition. Bring a friend, tell a neighbor, and try a cut you haven’t grilled before. Our crew loves talking beef and helping you pick the right cut for whatever you’re cooking that weekend.
Free Beef Fridays run year-round, but each Friday’s featured cut is only available while supplies last and only in-store. Get here early for the best pick. Mark your calendars and we’ll see y’all on Friday.
Maggie Moo Round-Up: Summer Edition
Maggie Moo is on the MOO‑ve! All month long, the Maggie Moo Mobile is out and about on deliveries. Spot her off the ranch, snap a photo, post it publicly on Facebook, tag @HooserCustomMeats, tag your location, and use #MaggieMoosOnTheMove to enter.
The prize: 5 lbs of Wagyu ground beef. Spot Maggie out on the route, snap the pic, tag us, and you could walk away with premium ground beef for the grill.
July Double Day: one day each month is a special Double Day, announced on Facebook the day before it happens. On Double Day, Maggie can be spotted in Frost, Italy, Mertens, or Blooming Grove, and the prize doubles to 10 lbs of Wagyu ground beef.
The fine print: sightings at the ranch don’t count, accounts must be public, follow all the rules to qualify, and only 2 entries per household per month (one Regular Day plus one Double Day).
Keep your phone handy. Maggie’s out there making deliveries and spreading the love all month long.
Tori's 3 Year Anniversary Party
We're celebrating Tori's three years with Hooser Custom Meats, and we've got a full day planned for you. Come hungry, bring a friend, and help us hit 5,000 followers by the big day! (still confirming the lineup)
- 8AM–11AM AZ Coffee Co — free coffee to start your morning
- 8AM–11AM Free donuts, on us with your coffee
- 9AM–10AM Maggie out for photos — come say hi
- 11AM–2PM The Lifestyle Food Truck — free Cali Dogs on our all-beef Hooser franks
- 11AM–2PM Sugar B's Slurp Shack — free fresh lemonades
- ALL DAY P5 Balloons photo booth and backdrop — snap a pic and tag us
And of course, it's Friday — so Free Beef Friday is on as always. Spend $100 in the shop and walk out with 20% off all cuts & snacks.
Heading Toward Harvest
Out at J&L Farms, the corn is climbing fast. AJ checked in on the rows this week (clearly thriving in the Spider-Man shirt) and we have to agree with him. The stalks are at harvest height now — 8 to 10 feet, tassels out, ears almost ready, and the field is dialed in for harvest. Good land, good rain, and the right timing all came together this season.
If everything holds steady, the combines roll out at the end of July 2026. That puts us about a month away from the first ear in the bin. AJ has been keeping a close eye on rainfall, soil temps, and how each row is filling out — every small detail adds up by the time harvest comes.
- CROP Field corn for the cattle feed mix
- ACRES Sized to carry the herd through winter
- STAGE Harvest height — 8 to 10 feet, tassels out
- RAIN Steady — no drought, no flooding
- HARVEST End of July 2026, weather permitting
Walking the rows this time of year never gets old. A crop reaching for the sun a little more every day is one of the best parts of farming, and it matters for more than just the view. A good portion of this corn goes right back into the operation, feeding the same F1 Wagyu and Hooser Reserve cattle whose beef ends up in your freezer. Grown with care, raised with care, finished with care.
When the trucks start rolling and the bins start filling, we will be right there with the camera. From the field to the freezer, every step matters — and you get to ride along for all of it.
Summer on the Ranch
Summer means keeping a close eye on the herd while the heat is up. Fresh water, shade, fly control, and pasture rotation are all on the daily checklist. We rotate the cattle through different sections so the grass has time to recover and there’s always good grazing ahead of them.
This is also when the spring calves are growing fast. We watch weight gain, make sure they’re pairing well with their mamas, and start planning ahead for fall weaning. Every animal gets eyes on it regularly so anything that needs attention is caught early.
Long days, hot afternoons, and a lot of saddle time. It’s how we make sure every steak that ends up on your plate came from a well-cared-for animal.
Fresh Beef, Always Stocked
We send roughly 20 to 30 head of cattle to the processor every month, which means the shop stays stocked with fresh cuts year-round. Every animal is dry-aged at least 21 days, hand-cut, vacuum-sealed, and flash-frozen so it’s ready for your freezer the same week it leaves the processor.
If you’re in the market for a quarter, half, or whole beef, just let us know and we’ll get you on the list. Custom cut to your preferences and packaged the way you want it. That’s a freezer full of beef raised right here on the ranch, and you choose every cut that goes into it.
Walk-ins are welcome too. The retail case stays full of steaks, ground beef, roasts, brisket, and everything in between. From the family cookout to the weeknight dinner, we have you covered. Fresh cuts, ready for everyone and anyone looking to stock the freezer.
Stock the Freezer
Can’t wait for Friday? The shop is open and stocked with everything from beef to chicken to pork to lamb. Browse online or swing by the ranch, and let us help you fill the freezer.
