Heartland Beef Farms staying busy in new location

HARRISBURG - When Lori and Adam Brooks opened Heartland Beef Farms near the end of 2016, and today, the all-natural beef and pork production company says they stay busy working to keep up with demand.

"We're trying to keep the store stocked," Lori Brooks said, laughing. "It definitely keeps us busy."

The company has expanded since its early days, she said.

"One of the big things that has changed is, when we first started out, we pretty much were producing all of the cattle between ourselves and our sister farm," Brooks said. "Now, we've had to bring in another small farm to help keep up with the demand."

Brooks said the increase in interest in locally produced all-natural beef and pork is good for them and other small farmers.

"This is a really good thing for small farms," she said.

Interest is high across the region, she said.

"We have customers come from Marion and Carterville, plus a lot of Gallatin County folks," Brooks said. "And we have quite a few from Hardin County and Pope County."

While many businesses are closed or operating under reduced hours during Illinois' COVID-19 stay-at-home order, agriculture and food supply businesses are not.

"We're working six days a week," Brooks said. "We do close early on Wednesdays currently."

Hours are 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. On Wednesdays, the store is open 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and Saturdays has hours of 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. While customers may drop by the store, Brooks said she urges them to either call the store or email her (or contact via Facebook Messenger).

"People can come in the store, and we sanitize constantly. But, there's a better option under the current circumstances. We can get the order together and send the invoice electronically, people can pay, and they can pull up. We'll just put it in the trunk of the car. They don't have to touch anything," she said.

The store shares space with Good Life Nutrition, and she said the two businesses work well in conjunction.

"It's two stores in one location, and we're both small enough that it works great for both," she said.

To call the store, dial (618) 499-3917. Email is heartlandbeef@gmail.com.