Meet Colby: First-Generation Mississippi Rancher

Stop wondering where your beef comes from—meet the rancher raising it. 

When I look out across our pastures near Brookhaven, Mississippi—especially during those stunning sunsets that paint the sky over our ranch—I see cattle grazing along the banks of the Bogue Chitto River and a different way forward, one that puts transparency, animal welfare, and honest relationships with customers at the center of everything we do.

A Simple Dream with Complex Challenges

"I want to be a cattleman." That simple dream became the foundation of Culbertson Cattle Co. But being business-minded, I knew this dream had to be sustainable so I could serve families for years to come. What followed: a 2-3 year journey learning an industry that, frankly, frustrated me at every turn.

The traditional cattle industry, I discovered, operates in ways that often leave consumers in the dark. If you go to your average grocery store, you know what they won't be able to tell you? What ranch it came from, how someone raised the cattle, what they ate, or who cared for them. This disconnect between consumers and their food source became the driving force behind my decision to build something different.

Beyond the Grocery Store Mystery

We've all been there—standing in the meat aisle, staring at packages of beef with no real idea where it came from, how someone treated the animals, or what they ate. For most of us, it's become normal to accept this mystery. I decided to change that.

If you go to your average grocery store, you know what they won't be able to tell you? What ranch it came from, how someone raised the cattle, what they ate, or who cared for them. This fundamental problem—the complete disconnect between families and their food source—drives everything at Culbertson Cattle Co. I believe every family deserves to know their rancher, understand how we raise our beef, and trust the source of their food.

The Culbertson Difference: Transparency You Can Trust

At Culbertson Cattle Co., transparency is our promise. Full transparency is one of my core values—being open about our operation with everyone who buys from us. My ideal customers are people who value this transparency, who want to know where their food comes from and how it's raised.

This commitment to transparency extends to every aspect of our operation:

Grass-Fed, Grain-Finished Excellence: The cattle at Culbertson Cattle Co. spend their lives on pasture, enjoying a natural grass-fed diet before being grain-finished to ensure optimal flavor and marbling. No hormones. No antibiotics. Just pure, honest beef.

Complete Life Cycle Management: My goal is to oversee every aspect of the animal's life from ranch to table. Every animal receives the care and respect it deserves throughout its entire life.

A Philosophy of Care

Walk around our ranch and you'll quickly see that our commitment to animal welfare extends far beyond the cattle. From our dogs who help manage the herd to every creature under our care, there's a deep respect for life that permeates the operation.

I'm not willing to sacrifice the overall health and well-being of an animal to make money. This philosophy guides every decision on the ranch, from pasture management to processing choices. The animals are part of a carefully stewarded ecosystem.

A Day in the Life: Ranch Work Never Stops

When the sun rises over the ranch, I'm already moving through our pastures, accompanied by my eight dogs who follow me across every acre of the ranch. I'm checking fence lines, monitoring water sources, and moving cattle to fresh grass, and this devoted pack is always at my side.

This hands-on approach gives me intimate knowledge of every aspect of the operation. I know each pasture's grass quality, which cattle are thriving, and how weather patterns affect grazing. It's the kind of attention to detail that only comes from being present every single day, walking the land, and understanding the intricate relationship between animals, grass, and soil health.

This personal involvement means that when customers buy from Culbertson Cattle Co., they're getting beef from cattle that I've individually cared for—someone who knows farming is a calling that requires dedication seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Regenerative Stewardship: Caring for the Land

Beyond animal welfare, Culbertson Cattle Co. operates as stewards of the land itself. We employ rotational grazing practices that allow pastures to recover and rebuild soil health naturally. By moving cattle regularly, the grass roots grow deeper, soil organic matter increases, and the land becomes more resilient to drought and weather extremes.

This approach to land management produces healthier grass, which in turn produces healthier cattle, while being environmentally responsible. The diverse plant species in well-managed pastures provide cattle with a natural variety of nutrients that you can't replicate in a feedlot environment. It's a system where caring for the land directly translates to better beef for families.

Fighting for the Little Man

I often reference Alan Jackson's song "Little Man"—a tribute to small businesses standing against corporate giants. This resonates deeply with my mission at Culbertson Cattle Co. By choosing direct-to-consumer sales, I'm bypassing both the traditional cattle industry bureaucracy and the retail chains that dominate our food system.

It's not the easy path. Building a direct-to-consumer beef operation requires significant investment, careful planning, and the patience to build relationships one customer at a time. I chose this path because it allows me to maintain complete control over quality while building genuine connections with the families who trust me to provide their beef.

Honest Marketing, Honest Promises

In an industry where marketing claims often stretch the truth, Culbertson Cattle Co. takes a different approach. Whatever we advertise on the website or say in a video—that's what it will be.

This commitment to honesty extends to acknowledging the realities of ranching. The animals are raised to feed families, and I don't shy away from that truth. I believe deeply that every animal deserves the highest quality of life while under my care.

Building Something Lasting

The vision for Culbertson Cattle Co. extends far beyond our current operation. I dream of expansion—potentially to other animals, to larger pastures, maybe even to that 2,000-acre ranch in Montana I talk about. But at its core, this is about building something lasting and meaningful for my family. With my wife Caroline by my side and our young daughter growing up on the ranch, I'm establishing a legacy rooted in integrity and stewardship.

I want to create a business model that proves families don't have to accept mystery meat from grocery stores. I want to show that transparency and animal welfare can coexist with profitability. Most importantly, I want to build relationships with customers who value knowing their rancher, understanding their food source, and supporting a different way of doing business.

Your Invitation to Something Different

When you choose Culbertson Cattle Co., you're supporting a first-generation rancher who believes families deserve to know where their food comes from. You're investing in an operation that puts animal welfare and environmental stewardship at the center of everything we do.

Serving families throughout McComb, Hazlehurst, and southwest Mississippi, Culbertson Cattle Co. provides an alternative to grocery store mystery meat. You're getting beef raised with care, finished with attention to flavor, and delivered with complete transparency about every step of the process. No mysteries. No corporate middlemen. Honest beef from a Mississippi rancher who's willing to put his phone number on every package and answer any question you might have.

Because at Culbertson Cattle Co., the question becomes "Do you know where it came from?" instead of "What's for dinner?"

Ready to know your rancher? Contact Culbertson Cattle Co. today to learn about our available beef and place your order.

To learn more about my story and the beef available from Culbertson Cattle Co., visit our website or give us a call. We're always happy to talk about our cattle, our process, and our commitment to providing beef you can trust.