It all started with a couple of lambs for a 4-H project in 2000.

That was when Paul Davies and his family started Davies Hillside Farms in Springville, NY. “I grew up on what started as a hobby farm and has grown and grown to what it is today,” he explained.

Paul took over the farm and has been running the business since graduating college in 2019.

The Davies family, hoping to share their homegrown, steroid- and antibiotic-free meat, opened their shop in 2016. They sell full lines of beef, pork, chicken and lamb cuts, from steaks and chops to roasts and sausage.

Paul said, “We also use our meats in a selection of frozen dinners. We make meatloaves, lasagnas, stuffed chicken breast and pork chops, stuffed beef patties and everyone raves about our single serving pot pies.”

From 4-H project to farm to table

Paul Davies and his dad of Davies Hillside Farms match any donation given to their local food bank so that whatever they collect is doubled for their community. Photo courtesy of Davies Hillside Farms

He explained that while his biggest sellers in terms of beef are his premium steaks, his biggest draw is his selection of homemade beef, pork, chicken and lamb sausages. “We make over 100 different varieties of homemade sausages,” he noted. “Around half are available any time, but the other half are seasonal, like our Reuben sausage that is only available to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in March or our garlic leek sausage that we only make as long as fresh local leeks are available.”

Paul’s most popular flavors are the blueberry maple pork breakfast sausage, the Philly cheesesteak pork sausage and the spinach and feta chicken sausage.

To supply this operation, Paul and his family maintain a flock of 70 sheep and 20 goats, a herd of 50 to 70 cattle and 50 hogs, all on 110 acres. “All our animals are grass-fed and pasture raised. Some of them are finished on grass but most are finished on grain,” he said.

The farm itself has one full-time laborer as well as a few part-time workers that come in when needed. The meat shop has two full-time and four part-time employees.

“We sell most of our products retail out of our meat shop but we also sell wholesale to a couple of restaurants and grocery stores,” Paul explained. He divides his time between the farm and the store as needed.

Looking ahead, Paul has plans for new and expanded facilities for his beef finishing program and to expand the hog housing facilities. He also intends to open other retail locations over the next two to three years. There are also plans to expand the farm’s restaurant and grocery store market reach by bringing a USDA inspector into the facility.

For more information visit DaviesHillsideFarm.com.

by Enrico Villamaino