Perhaps the first mistake cattle rancher Kenneth Drinnon made was the practice of naming his calves. One of his first cows, named M.C. after a friend, lived to the ripe old cow age of 20.
When she was euthanized only a couple years ago, Kenneth says, “I cried like a baby.” He cares deeply about each of his animals, but he assured me he wouldn’t be keeping any more as pets. Kenneth and his wife Lucy were seeking a peaceful retirement project when they moved from Los Angeles to their 84-acre farm, just outside of Ashland City, TN, in 1993.
“It started out as something for us to meddle with,” explains Kenneth. The farm’s previous owner had a few cows, but the property was “pretty run down” when the Drinnons bought it. Kenneth’s childhood on a dairy and tobacco farm in East Tennessee was the only background the couple had in farming, but they were able to grow the “project” into a profitable beef business in only a few years.
Seventy-five percent of KLD’s sales is to 11 Nashville restaurants, with the rest going to a loyal handful of local individuals and families. The cattle at KLD farm are “grass-fed, grain-finished,” which means that they’re raised on grass pastures but eat grain in the final months before slaughter. The grain introduces fat, known in the industry as “marbling,” to the meat — a taste and texture some consumers and most chefs prefer.
Kenneth and Lucy agree their favorite aspect of owning and operating a beef farm is living in the quiet countryside while providing a product in which they take pride. “I just like the lifestyle,” Lucy says. “You meet so many nice people.”
“Having the land, the space,” Kenneth says, “And not having to listen to someone else’s boom boom box.”