Tink's Grass Fed Beef

Etwenda “Tink” Wade is a fourth generation cattle woman with hundreds of years of knowledge and experience packed into her tiny 5’2” frame. It all started with Tink’s great grandfather back in the 1800’s on his farm in central Florida. He believed in raising cattle the natural way – which happened to be the only way back then – before growth hormones, antibiotics, and mass production. His way of farming was simple, natural, and environmentally friendly. Good for people, good for the earth… it was a straightforward philosophy. That same honest care and commitment to the land, and to the cattle that grazed that land, runs strong in Tink. While she has always been involved in farm management and agricultural crops, it was not until she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in the late 1990’s that Tink began her own grass-fed operation. Tired of being overly medicated, Tink researched alternative ways to manage her illness and found an ideal solution in grass-fed beef. Grass-fed was not a new concept to her, as her family had been doing it for hundreds of years, but it was a new mindset for Tink. The idea that she could manage her own illness through an all natural diet and farm fresh exercise, motivated her to explore all the nutritive benefits that a grass-fed beef diet could provide. Thanks to her grass-fed cows, Tink is now medication free and in control of her own health. On her 230-acre farm in rural Wilkes County, Georgia, Tink has created a happy cow paradise offering everything Black Angus and Red Angus cows love – sweet green grass, fresh air and plenty of room to roam. They wouldn’t recognize a barn or a concrete pad if they saw it! Tink’s cows spend all their time outside foraging in acres upon acres of rotating paddocks that offer plentiful shade trees, rolling hills, and watering holes. “It was an experience, visiting Tink out at the farm. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when she looked over at me and said “Want to get up close to the cows?” Her eyes were twinkling. No sooner than that, we are rolling along in her old farm truck, past the paddock gate… headed straight out to a beautiful section of property she refers to her as her “little slice of heaven.” The sun sits low in the sky, casting a beautiful golden tint to the landscape. Butterflies and bugs of all sizes dive in and out of the long grass. Birds sing. It is unexpectedly sublime and delightful. Almost too much beauty for the senses to handle. Somewhere in the middle of a field, Tink cuts the engine. It’s completely silent for a moment. I could just barely make out the cows, way off in the distance…tiny specks barely moving. And then it was like magic. Tink starts talking and it’s as if her soft voice has been carried by the breeze straight over to those cows, signaling them that she was there for a visit. Tink’s siren song! Literally, out of nowhere, cows surround the farm truck in mere seconds. One minute I’m noticing the dive bombing bugs, the next minute I am covered up with 200 cows trying to lick my fingers! They instantly remind me of neighborhood kids coming home from a sweaty day of play – all vying for the attention of Tink. Every single one of them wants a pat on the head and a rub behind the ears. They are inquisitive – sticking their heads in the open windows and pushing up against the truck as if to see who can get closer. Some bellow for her with deep thunderous “moos” & other show off with frisky antics. It’s an overwhelmingly magical site. “Where are the treats,” I ask Tink. “They don’t eat treats,” said Tink. I smile ear to ear.  At that moment, I knew I would be a lifelong fan of Tink and her happy grass-fed cows.” – Tink’s Grass Fed Beef advocate