NC F&B Podcast · North Carolina Food & Beverage

Holy Cow! 150 Years of Shipley Farms with Gray Shipley

·1 hr 3 min·5 clips

Gray Shipley shares how a tobacco market crash left his family with only enough money for a train ticket home.

This episode of the NC F&B Podcast features host Max Trujillo and guest Gray Shipley, a fifth-generation owner of the historic Shipley Farms in North Carolina's Appalachian Mountains. They discuss the farm's 152-year legacy, its current operations, and the philosophy behind its meat production. Shipley explains the farm's origins date to 1872, with maternal family land ownership tracing back to a grant from the King of England. The business transitioned from traditional livestock and tobacco farming to a branded packaged meat company in 2014, inspired by Gray's grandfather who re-entered the cattle business at age 101. Shipley Farms now raises beef and pork through a network of partner farms adhering to specific standards, including pasture-raising and no antibiotics or growth stimulants. The farm supplies local restaurants, markets, and direct-to-consumer sales through subscriptions and gift packages. Gray details their focus on English cattle breeds like Hereford and Angus, which finish at around 1,300-1,400 pounds for better marbling and a calmer disposition. Their feeding protocol involves a consistent diet of grass with a small daily grain supplement, avoiding the industry norm of moving cattle to feedlots for finishing. The conversation touches on the economic history of tobacco farming in the region, including a story of a community's crop being sold for only enough to buy a train ticket home due to market manipulation. A surprising insight is Gray's connection between national health statistics and food quality, noting that while Americans now spend only 11% of income on food compared to 40% a century ago, healthcare spending has inversely grown from 5% to over 20% of GDP. He argues cheap food often involves exploitation and that consuming unrecognizable, synthetic ingredients contributes to health issues. The discussion includes a practical tip for reheating leftover meat by adding fat to restore moisture. Gray expresses respect for political figures who ask questions about the country's high healthcare costs despite poor health outcomes, framing it as a worthwhile inquiry regardless of political stance. The episode also promotes the upcoming "Bubbles and Brisket" event, featuring Shipley Farms brisket paired with champagne. The tone is casual and conversational, blending personal anecdotes, historical stories, and practical agriculture education. The style is interview-based with friendly banter between host and guest, including occasional mentions of the host's dog, Hershey. Listeners interested in North Carolina agriculture, family business legacies, and sustainable farming practices would enjoy this episode. Those seeking a highly technical breakdown of meat science or listeners averse to casual discussions linking food systems and public health might choose to skip.

As heard by us

A loose, useful beef conversation about family history, grazing, and how good meat gets made.

The episode plays like both a cattle story and a family story. Gray Shipley traces generations of cattle work, a grass first grazing approach, marbling, and the patience needed to build something like this over time.

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Why you'd press play

You want the story behind the steak, not just the steak.

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