Art Ozais, owner of Breezy Hill Farms, believes in raising his stock naturally and offering customers organic alternatives.

CENTERVIEW, Mo.--“Look how beautiful it is out there. See how the reds come out in those ones when the sun hits them. Just beautiful! It’s getting more and more beautiful every minute.”

Art Ozias of Breezy Hill Farms was right. The scene was beautiful. From his kitchen window that spanned the length of the wall, you could see the pasture, which covers Ozias’ land, and the cows, about 20 visible, grazing in the pasture, hides reflecting their red and gray colors, while the shades from hovering clouds moved swiftly across the land.

“We raise cattle and raise cows. Actually, we raise grass. We’re actually grass farmers and the cows eat the grass,” Ozias said.

At Breezy Hill Farms, located at 62 SW 58 Highway in Centerview, unique products are being raised and sold that break the mold of contemporary food products.

“People are receiving a lot of misinformation that’s corporation-driven to fulfill their agenda. The only difference in my beef and theirs is that my beef is good for you. There’s no side effects, no detriment. Big corporations can say that, but they’ can’t prove it,” Ozias said.

Ozais prides himself on the grass that is grown at his farm that the cattle consume.

Grass-fed

There is no feed lot here, or build-up of cow manure. There are no sick animals sitting in pens no bigger than their massive body length, and there is only one farmer, Ozias, who is trying to offer his family and the community another option.

“People type in grass-finished or organic into a search engine, and they find me,” Ozias said. “A good part of my time is spent educating about grass-finished products, organic eggs and milk. I think people should be aware of manufactured food.”

An onslaught of resources can be found when typing in grass-finished beef, informing the readers of products that have less fat content, are higher in Omega-3s, vitamins A and E and, when organic, do not contain the potentially dangerous antibiotics and chemicals.

“The food you buy at the grocery store is heavily processed and designed to stay on the shelf up to six months. It’s basically dead food and your body needs food that’s alive,” Ozias explained.

While Ozias ran out to put away the calves for the night, his wife, Debra, stood in the kitchen, scooping homemade cookie dough onto a baking sheet with her blond granddaughter intently watching by her side.

Selling beef, milk, eggs

“What I do is not too exciting. I wash milk bottles, collect the eggs, label the cartons. I more take care of the chickens and the granddaughter,” Debra said about her role on the farm.
At any given time, Ozias and his wife sell beef, milk and eggs to about 40 customers, who buy the products for varying reasons and circumstances.

The farm also has chicken and eggs to offer, aside from beef.

“We sell a product that not a lot of people do, and there are some people who need raw milk to stay healthy. Some people say their children break out if they drink store-bought milk. One lady says she stopped having asthma attacks after she started drinking our milk,” Debra said.

Other regular customers like Ben Knapp, of Warrensburg and a psychology major at UCM, said there are two main reasons he goes out of his way to purchase Ozias’ products.

“One reason is political, economical; to support local food production. I like to support local food and keep money out of the big corporations’ hands. And two is for the health benefits. [Ozias’] milk has no poison and processing that takes the life out of the milk. The pasteurized milk, although the USDA would dispute this, loses enzymes and changes protein structure, all of which helps digest the milk. If you keep it alive, it’s much easier to digest. He also doesn’t use synthetic hormones or any crazy insecticide products that most milk producers do,” Knapp said. “And third, and highly significant, is that it tastes so good.”

One detriment to buying organic and grass-fed beef products is that most people feel they can’t afford them. An important aspect of Ozias’ business, he said, is to make his products affordable to everyone. After diligently explaining some specific meat production definitions, it was clear that compared to meat free of antibiotics and other harmful chemicals purchased at a health food store, Ozias’ price is around $1 to their $3.

Beef by the freezer full

"The only difference is you have to have the money all at once, and you have to have a freezer,” Ozias said.

Ozias strives to educate those in the community about what they’re purchasing as well. A common phrase he uses in most of the Breezy Hill Farm Updates, sent by e-mail to more than 200 recipients, is that we all

The cattle at Breezy Hill Farms aren't locked into stalls that barely accommodate their size like at other farms. Instead they are grass-fed and allowed to wander the pasture.

have a chance to vote on a daily basis, with what we purchase, specifically food products. By purchasing meat free of harmful agents, Ozias and his customers said they are telling the corporations that their practices unmindful of human health are not acceptable.

Ozias sells eggs, milk and beef mostly year round, and information about his products and prices can be found on his Web site at Breezy-Hill-Farm.com.