Our Family, Our Farm, Our Future
Sampson Family Farm is exactly what the name says—a family-owned and operated farm built around family, livestock, and the land we care for.
Our Family
Our story began in 1988, when Jeff and Janet Sampson married and started their first small herd of cattle in Davie, Florida. Jeff had spent his teenage years learning from experienced cattlemen, giving us a strong foundation as we began building both a farm and a life together.
In 2000, we moved our family to Live Oak, Florida, looking for more land and a small-town community where our children, Jessica and Jared, could grow up surrounded by agriculture.
Both became involved in 4-H, FFA, cattle shows, and the Cattlemen's Association. Through those experiences—and through everyday life on the farm—they learned responsibility, patience, hard work, and respect for animals and the land.
More than three decades later, those same values continue to guide Sampson Family Farm.
Three Generations Working Together
Today, Sampson Family Farm is a true three-generation family operation.
Our daughter Jessica, her husband Waylon, and their children Arieanna and William are an important part of the farm and its future.
Jessica has degrees in Animal Science and Business Management and works full-time as our herd manager. She combines her education with a lifetime of practical experience raising and caring for livestock. She is responsible for much of the day-to-day herd health, grazing, breeding, and livestock management on the farm.
Arieanna and William are growing up much like Jessica and Jared did—helping with chores, livestock, and everyday farm life. They are learning firsthand where food comes from, how animals should be cared for, and what it means to contribute to a family farm.
Our son Jared and his wife Taylor also contribute an important part of the farm's future. Taylor helps manage our social media, customer outreach, and farmers market activities. Jared and Taylor are also developing natural products made from our grass-fed beef tallow, including balms, soaps, and other farm-based products.
Every generation brings different skills and responsibilities to the farm, but we all share the same goal: keeping Sampson Family Farm a working family farm for generations to come.
Growing for the Next Generation
Our goal has never been simply to make Sampson Family Farm bigger.
Our goal is to make it better, stronger, and more sustainable for the next generation.
We want to preserve a farm that Jessica, Jared, their families, and future generations can continue building upon while maintaining the values that have guided us from the beginning.
Looking ahead, we hope to expand online ordering and eventually offer shipping throughout Florida. We also plan to continue developing natural farm products such as grass-fed tallow balms and soaps and, one day, open a small on-farm store where customers can purchase directly from us.
No matter how the farm grows, we want it to remain personal.
We want our children and grandchildren to inherit more than land and livestock. We want them to inherit a working farm with a strong reputation, healthy pastures, established relationships with customers, and a clear understanding of why responsible agriculture matters.
Our Farm
From a Traditional Cattle Farm to Direct-to-Family Farming
Like many cattle producers, we originally raised calves for the conventional livestock market.
Over time, we began asking ourselves whether there was a better way to connect the care we put into raising our livestock with the food families were bringing to their tables.
We wanted greater control over how our animals were raised, what they ate, and how they were handled throughout their lives. Just as importantly, we wanted our customers to be able to know the farm and the people behind their food.
We started small, selling processed beef directly to families looking for naturally raised, high-quality meat. What began as a small part of our farm gradually became the heart of our operation.
In 2015, Sampson Family Farm became the first farm in Florida to earn Certified Grassfed by A Greener World for beef, followed by the same certification for our sheep in 2017.
Today, we raise Angus cattle and Katahdin sheep using a pasture-based, grass-fed and grass-finished production system.
Farming With the Land
We believe healthy livestock begins with healthy soil and healthy pastures.
Our cattle and sheep are managed through rotational grazing, moving between pastures throughout the year rather than remaining continuously in one area.
During the warmer months, they graze native grasses, improved pastures, wooded forage areas, and other naturally available vegetation. During the cooler months, we plant seasonal forage and cover crops and supplement grazing with hay produced on our own farm when needed.
Rotational grazing allows pastures time to rest and recover while helping distribute manure naturally, improve soil health, protect plant growth, and make better use of the land.
It also gives us greater control over what our livestock consume throughout the year.
Our goal has never been to produce the greatest number of animals possible. Our goal is to raise healthy livestock responsibly while continually improving the land that supports them.
Raising Food for Other Families
Today, we harvest approximately 80–90 grass-fed and grass-finished steers and about 30 lambs each year.
We intentionally remain a relatively small operation because personal livestock management is important to us. We want to know our animals, understand our pastures, and maintain the standards we have established over decades of farming.
Our beef and lamb are sold directly to customers through:
- Bulk freezer shares
- Individual USDA-inspected cuts
- Farm pickup
- Farmers markets
- Florida Meat Up locations
For more than a decade, we have had the privilege of meeting many of the families who purchase food from our farm. Those relationships are an important part of why direct-to-consumer farming means so much to us.
Customers aren't simply purchasing beef or lamb.
They have the opportunity to know where their food was raised, how the animals were managed, and who raised it.
Our Commitment to the Land and Livestock
We plan to continue improving our rotational grazing system, soil health, livestock handling facilities, and pasture management while maintaining the personal care that has always been part of our farm.
We believe responsible farming requires constant observation, learning, and improvement.
Every pasture is different. Every growing season is different. Weather, livestock needs, and environmental conditions change from year to year. Our responsibility is to adjust while continuing to protect the health of our animals and the land entrusted to us.
Our Promise
Trends in agriculture will change. Markets will change. Technology will change.
The principles behind Sampson Family Farm will not.
We will continue to focus on:
- Family ownership and hands-on management
- Grass-fed and grass-finished livestock
- Responsible animal care
- Pasture-based and rotational grazing
- Healthy soil and long-term land stewardship
- Transparency about how our animals are raised
- Direct relationships with the families who purchase our food
- Building a farm that can continue into the next generation
After more than 30 years of raising cattle, we are still learning, adapting, and improving.
We invite you to learn more about our family, our farming practices, and how we raise the beef and lamb that goes from our pastures to your family's table.
— The Sampson Family