Meet Clay Steelman | Entrepreneur / Co-Owner of Steel Mill Farms

We had the good fortune of connecting with Clay Steelman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Clay, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
Steel Mill Farms is owned by four brothers, Clay and Clint Steelman and Michael and Kevin Miller. All four of us were born and raised in Bettie, a small community just north of Gilmer, Texas. Bettie is a very rural community with one blinking light, a small 1A school and plenty of agricultural land and black top roads. I first met Michael Miller in this small community at the age of 5. Michael and I were very close in age and immediately became best friends. Our younger brothers, Clint Steelman and Kevin Miller, were born and quickly followed suit, forging their own close friendship. Over the next 35+ years, these bonds were nurtured and grew into what can more accurately be defined as more familial than simply “friends.”

During our childhood years, we were free to roam countless cow pastures or hundreds of acres of woods, creeks, and ponds. This “pre-cell phone” freedom led us to have a great appreciation for the simultaneous serenity and sense of adventure that can only be found in the great outdoors.

We also grew up with not only our loving parents, but an entire community full of grandparents, great grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, and lifelong family friends. All of us grew up within a stone’s throw of homestead sites that our ancestors settled in the late 1800’s. Our small community truly cared about our future and would regularly invest their wisdom into us at young age. They loved us unconditionally but would correct us when we needed correcting! Most of the community had permission from our parents to “discipline as needed” if we were found somewhere we shouldn’t be! They taught us honesty, integrity, work ethic, and sacrifice. They taught us all these things, not simply by words…but by deeds. They truly lived out these characteristics for all to see.

Every Sunday morning you would find most of the community, including us, at a small country church called Oak Hill. It was in those church pews that our faith and love of the Lord was grown. Our faith has always been and will continue to be a major component of who we are, not only as individuals or families, but also as a business.
This upbringing of community, family, freedom, and faith truly shaped all of us into who we are today. We have lived and observed, firsthand, the power that community and relationships can have in someone’s life. It’s all these things combined that forged such a great friendship between all of us.

We live in a world that is seemingly getting more and more disconnected from our communities, our friends, and the food that we consume. While we sell REAL food…locally raised beef, pork, and poultry…but we also want to provide REAL relationships and a true sense of small-town friendship and community.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Steel Mill Farms started as a back porch conversation between lifelong friends during the summer of 2020. Our two families, the Steelman and Miller families, sat and spontaneously began discussing things that had been important to our way of life. We talked about the influence that our parents, grandparents, and great grandparents had on our belief system and values. We also discussed how we could share these values with our children and our community. From that conversation, we decided to move forward and share a little piece of our family with the communities that surround us.

At our core, Steel Mill Farms is dedicated to three things: Serving Christ, Feeding Families, Resisting Tyranny. We take each of these values seriously, and we try our best to enact all of these in our daily lives.

First, we believe that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. All four families of Steel Mill Farms unashamedly profess the truth of how Jesus has changed our lives. We believe that, because Christ changed our lives, our first commitment is to serve Him above anything else. Second, we have a deep passion for feeding families real, locally raised food. We work tirelessly to provide the healthiest, humanely raised, high-quality meat that you can find. Our animals are cared for and have access to grass 24 hours a day. We are called to be good stewards of these creatures that God has given unto our care. Lastly, we believe that God has blessed us to live in the greatest country the world has ever known. Our country was founded by divinely inspired men, and we must exhaust every effort to uphold and defend these freedoms that so many have died to preserve.

We are no stranger to the difficulties that all small businesses encounter, especially early on. The first thing that comes to mind was the “Snow-pocalypse” that hit our area in February of 2021. We were still very young as a business when we experienced 15+ inches of snow and the first subzero temperatures I have ever seen around here. We simply were not ready. But excuses don’t pay the bills, and they certainly won’t keep livestock alive. We shuttled water in containers multiple times a day to compensate for frozen water lines and frozen ponds. We were constantly moving hay and ensuring that the cattle had a proper shelter to stay out of the weather.

After the ground thawed and we were able to step back and evaluate what had just happened, we saw more clearly just how important it was for all four of us to be involved in this business. It simply could not have been accomplished without the entire team. This “team” mindset has helped us more times than we can count and will undoubtedly continue to help us into the future.

There is an unbelievable number of moving pieces to a business such as ours. Animals must be cared for, infrastructure such as barns and fences must be maintained to keep them safe, animals must be safely transported to an inspected processing facility, and this is not even mentioning things such as inventory management, marketing, financial reports, etc. We are reminded DAILY that all of us have play a vital role in our success. Many people will say “Never go into business with friends or family.” Well, we did both! While some people may see the dangers of mixing business with friends or family; we see it as our biggest asset and have seen just how rewarding and successful it really can be.

It is our hope that Steel Mill Farms can be a beacon of sorts for small businesses. We want to live out our motto (Serve Christ. Feed Families. Resist Tyranny.) in our communities and beyond. We want to show that small town America can THRIVE….we must only open our hearts to God, place our hands on the plow, and utilize the freedoms that we are so blessed to have in this country.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Gilmer is a small town that has never been accused of being a tourist destination. But that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have a lot to offer, especially for those that are looking take a break from the “city life” and slow down a bit in rural East Texas.

First, plan your visit in the early fall…when the temperatures are starting to drop, and people are beginning to emerge from their air-conditioned sanctuaries! Like everyone else in Texas, the Fall season brings the revival of outdoor activities as everyone takes a collective breath of triple digits finally being gone.

Start off with a light evening dinner at Rowdy Creek Ranch just south of Gilmer. The scenery surrounding this winery will not disappoint with beautiful vineyards, rolling hills, and a beautiful private lake. Enjoy dinner and a glass of wine before retreating to your own private cottage on the ranch. Next, travel just a few miles down the road and visit Calie’s Acres. During the fall Calie’s Acres turns into a beautiful pumpkin patch with games, hayrides, and countless activities for your small kiddos. If you’re an ice-cream connoisseur, drive just a few miles north of Gilmer to Efurd’s Orchards for the best homemade ice cream around!

Lastly, a trip to Gilmer cannot be complete without visiting the historic downtown square. This small-town city square is seeing a revival of small businesses that are dedicated to supporting and buying local (#LiveGilmer) with restaurants, coffee shops, day salons, and more. And if you’re lucky, visit Gilmer during the third weekend in October to enjoy the longest lasting festival in Texas, the East Texas Yamboree!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My goodness, where to begin? We could all go back to our childhood and the values that were instilled in us so many years ago by family and friends, many of which have passed on. More recently, as we have begun building Steel Mill Farms, there are so many people that have supported us along our journey.

First, our family. We could not have a better support system than we have with them. When trying to get a small business like ours off the ground, there are often a lot of ups and downs. Our family has always been there to show support and help push us along during some of those down times. Our wives, Becca, Elizabeth, Heather and Alaina have been unbelievable. From helping with Farmers Markets to literally wrangling, loading, and hauling our cattle to the processor…our wives are the best.

Next, we must give credit to the most loving and loyal customers that a business like ours could ask for. We have met people from all walks of life and have loved every minute of building relationships with every one of them. We are so blessed to have so many customers right here in our communities that understand and support what we are doing. We also have those that are willing to travel from hundreds of miles away, simply to buy our products and share a quick visit and handshake! Elizabeth Miller (wife of Michael Miller) put it best when she once said, “We don’t just make customers…. we make friends!”

Lastly, we must give credit to those other small businesses that have supported and mentored us. Katie, Kristen, and Tonya at Rail 19 Meat Processor in Brashear, TX have been unbelievable to work with. Their processing facility stays immaculate, and we are ALWAYS greeted with a smile! Ris and Trenton at The Waldo Way Dairy Farm in Mineola, TX have been indispensable. Their knowledge and experience have helped us at every turn in this journey! Lastly, our most recent friendship / partnership has been with Shane & Stephanie Shelton with Taste & See Farms in Tyler, TX. Shane and Stephanie personify everything that Steel Mill Farms stands far. They are such a loving family that fears God and loves America…. oh and they have the tastiest pastured poultry!

We owe all of these people, and many more, so much gratitude for all the unique ways that they have helped Steel Mill Farms.

Website: www.steelmillfarms.com

Instagram: @steelmillfarms

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/steelmillfarms

Image Credits
Micah Harper (Harper Photography)