The Grass Farmer

Dale Thompson spent 28 and a half years working at Alcoa, an aluminum factory in Badin, North Carolina. It wasn’t until he retired that he could finally do what he loves — farming. Now, his retirement has become a full-time job as a grass-fed beef farmer.

On about 250 acres in Mt. Gilead North Carolina, Thompson raises cattle on the rolling green Uwharrie hills that have been in his family for four generations.

But he’s doing things a little bit differently. Thompson is devoted to raising his cows humanely, giving them plenty of space to forage and eat grass, “just like nature intended.” Thompson is going against the grain of corporate farms that raise their cattle in feed stocks, fattening them up on corn and giving them little to no exercise.

His connection to his animals is as strong as his connection to the land, which he hopes he can keep in the family for his children and grandchildren to continue to live on, holding onto the tradition of the small family farm.