The Black Angus cattle at Lil’ Ponderosa Beef are truly special. Owners Uncle Bob and Aunt Kate Boyce feed their closed, purebred cattle grass their entire lives, and never use chemicals, hormones or additives. The result is ethically raised meat with exceptional flavor and quality. We spoke with PA Preferred® Homegrown by Heroes member Bob Boyce about his farm and products in Carlisle, Cumberland County.
Boyce appreciates being PA Preferred, saying “As a proud producer of PA protein, we display the PA Preferred program as a ‘mark of distinction!’ It gives folks assurance that they are consuming a locally produced product.”
In addition to beef, the Boyces also sell pork, chicken, salmon, cheese and honey, which you can find at the Lil’ Ponderosa Beef farm storefront and on its website. They also provide ag-tourism experiences, like farm walks, tractor rides and education on various steak cuts. Read more in our Q&A:
PA Eats: What do you love about what you do, and why?
Bob Boyce: It is our Lil’ Ponderosa ranch’s mission to deliver a premium product to our friends and customers. One can take much pleasure from serving others.
What are your most popular products and why do people love them?
Folks often comment that our burger is our best product. Our ground beef is made from only young Angus animals, which were grazed humanely in a natural setting and fed a species specific diet. Our beef grades high as Choice and Prime. What is not to like about a grill full of juicy and flavorful beef?
What make Pennsylvania a special place to farm?
Lil’ Ponderosa Beef is located in south central PA, an ideal setting for grazing beef cattle. We take great pleasure from strictly adhering to conservation and stewardship best practices. We seek to have our cattle flourishing in a natural setting. The PA climate, landscape and infrastructure complement our efforts. We have received many awards from various organizations, which attests to our continued efforts to earn the respect of our PA neighbors over the past 38 years.
Find Lil’ Ponderosa Beef‘s farm storefront at 44 Ponderosa Rd., Carlisle; (717) 245-2820 and shop its beef, pork, fish, poultry, dairy and other products online. You can also follow Lil’ Ponderosa Beef on Facebook and Instagram to stay in the loop.
This series was created in collaboration with PA Preferred.
PA Preferred® is Pennsylvania’s statewide branding program that promotes locally grown and processed food and other agricultural products.
- Photos: AIP Photography and Lil' Ponderosa Beef
