The Crooked Creek Beef Farms

At Crooked Creek Beef we are proud to offer our clients beef that is thoughtfully raised without drugs, hormones, or antibiotics.

Our herd can be found on one of two farms near Pacific, MO that have been in our family for more than 100 years.  Each spring and fall you will find us tending to a new group of calves and in the summer you'll often find us in the hay field. (Honk and wave if you see us!  The hours in the tractor make for long days!)

To see the history of our farm and learn more about the farm today please scroll down.

Five Generations in the Making 

• 1891 - The Early Days  - Fred and Caroline Howe purchased 80 acres just west of St. Louis on Thorton Road in Pacific, MO. Fred and his family raised cattle, sheep, chickens, and grew fruits and vegetables to be sold in the St. Louis market.

• 1904 - Worlds Fair St Louis - John Howe, son of Fred and Caroline, won a silver medal at the 1904 World’s Fair for his wine grapes. John was well-known in the area for his horticultural skills and was good friends with Dr. Edgar Anderson, curator of Shaw’s Gardens. John was famous for his graphed nut trees and daffodils, both of which can still be seen on the family farm today.

• 1922 - Second Generation Farmers  - Albert Howe and Edith Leutzinger were married and soon purchased the second Howe Farm just outside of Pacific. Albert and Edith raised cattle, sheep, chicken and pigs on the 120 acre farm.

• 1936 - The Farms Greatest Challenge - Years of depression, drought, and the untimely death of Albert brought out the tenacity of Edith Howe and her children. The farm at this time survived by selling milk, poultry, eggs, and anything else they could get their hands on.

• 1952 -  The Third Generation - Edith’s third child, Edith J. was married to Bill McLaren Sr.

• 1965 - The Golden Legacy - Edith J. inherited the first family farm on Thorton road from John Howe.

• 1974 - Agricultural Education - Bill McLaren jr., son of William and Edith McLaren, met Linda Young at University of Missouri Ag School where they both received their degrees in Animal Science/Ag Economics and Agricultural Education respectively.

• 1996  - Pasture to Plate Genetics - The McLaren family began developing the current cow herd for superior carcass traits. To do so, genetically proven, tested bulls were chosen as herd sires.

• 2014 - The Farm Today - Cows in the McLaren cow herd have been raised on one of the two family farms that have been in our family for over a century. All cows are raised on the farm from birth, giving our family full knowledge of the genetics of each animal and greatly limiting exposure to outside influences. The McLaren family has worked with the University of Missouri to develop a high-quality, high-energy, low-starch diet for our farm animals. The combination of a closed herd and specialized diet allows the animals to be raised without steroids and growth hormones.

Continuing the Tradition

Today, Bill and Linda McLaren manage the current herd of cattle.  They also have two married daughters that assist in the family farm’s traditions. 

Derek and Kristin Binford, received degrees from Missouri State University in Marketing/ In 2014, they had the fifth generation, Cole William Binford.

Kesha Nichols received a degree from the University of Missouri in Agricultural Business and her husband Ryan earned an agricultural finance     degree from Kansas State University. 

Since the 1890’s, five generations have added to the farms 120 year legacy.

Each year we invite friends, families, and customers to our farm to see how the animals are raised in their natural habitat.  To learn more about our next event contact us.

Additionally the family hosts weddings on the farm. To learn more, check out Haue Valley.