Grandma’s Sloppy Joes featuring Kellie For Ag

Kellie and I met via social media several years ago now (I think!? Time flies!) and from the beginning I could tell Kellie had a heart of gold. She’s got a passion for animals, especially Herefords, the farm, and agriculture as a whole. You may know Kellie from her blog Kellie for Ag where she writes not only about agriculture but also chickens, Otis the Pet Bull, and even more personal posts relating to her life and family. Kellie shared with me a family recipe passed down from her Grandma Gregorich for Sloppy Joe’s. I honestly can’t think of a better farm family recipe than Sloppy Joe’s! Thank you Kellie for being willing to share about your life, your love of the farm, and your family recipe! 

BEEF: KELLIE GREGORICH, KELLI FOR AG
Iowa

I’m Kellie from Kellie For Ag and I raise cattle alongside my father. I am a 4th generation farmer and continue to have the same love and passion for agriculture and cows that my grandfather’s did.

We’re a start to finish farm so I got to see every aspect there was to raising cattle. We raise around 60 Shorthorns, Herefords, and I just purchased my first Miniature Herefords.  We used to have more, but because it’s just the two of us, I work full time, and dad is 60, we’ve cut back to make things easier.

Agriculture has always been a part of my life. It means everything to me. If I’ve had a bad day, a day on the farm can take away all the worries, concerns, and bad feelings. Ever heard of ‘runner’s high’? Well I have ‘farmer’s high’. It’s been in my blood for generations. It’s something I thrive on and enjoy doing. Most women don’t get excited about feeding calves, having a bottle calf, grinding feed, or raking hay, but this one does. In 3^rd grade we had to draw what we wanted to be. I drew “Farmer Kellie”. Someday I hope to be a full time farmer and make 3^rd grade Kellie’s dream a reality. Farming will be something that I do for the rest of my life.

I am also a board member for the Iowa Women in Agriculture, member of Iowa Agri Women, and American Agri Women. And I just happen to be the only female in the line of farmers in our family — which is a wonderful thing! I can raise cattle and cook! 

My favorite thing about living on the farm is the environment. That sounds funny doesn’t it? The fresh air, the wind through my hair, the smell of my tractors exhaust, the cows bellowing, the smell of fresh cut alfalfa, and many other great things that others don’t ever get to experience. It’s such a relaxing and comforting place to be. It’s all mine and it’s my favorite place in the entire world. My family knows that if they can’t find me, I’m out in the pasture petting my cows.

Beef has always and will always be a part of my life. I honestly don’t know very many recipes that don’t involve beef. The recipe I submitted for Thirty Days of Food is one of my favorites and one that many enjoy. It’s a different take on sloppy joes. They’re still called sloppy joes, but different. You’ll see why once you make these amazing, beef-itul, sandwiches. 

This recipe is my grandmothers. She passed it on to my mother who passed it on to my sister and I. Now that my sister has children she is sharing the recipe with them. Hopefully one day I will have that opportunity. Until then, my dog Lily, enjoys having some every now and again. Every time I eat them I can’t help but think of the meals around the table with my family, the meals out in the field when dad was working, or the meals in college that helped me from getting homesick. 

At first I never knew if I wanted to tell anyone my recipe (after all it’s a family recipe and I’m all about family heirlooms), but one day I was babysitting my godson and he just wouldn’t eat ANYTHING. His mom had told me that he wasn’t eating very well and it was making her nervous. Nothing seemed to satisfy him. So I made grandma’s sloppy joes. Not because I thought he would eat them, but his sister and brother needed to eat so I just made a good home cooked meal that I knew little kids enjoyed. I gave him some and hoped for the best. He loved them. He ate it for the entire 3 days I was there. (I tried other foods, but this was the only thing that didn’t end up on the floor.)

So I decided that grandma wouldn’t want me to be selfish and keep this amazing recipe to myself. She would love for me to share it with anyone and everyone who would like to make it because if it made one child’s stomach full, she would want many more to have the same feeling. 

So now with all my grandma’s love in the world and the wonderful beef products provided to you by American cattlemen (and women) I present to you: Grandma Gregorich’s Sloppy Joes. 

You can find more from Kellie on her blog, Kellie for Ag. Tweet with Kellie on Twitter, give her page a like on Facebook, check out photos of adorable Herefords on her Instagram page, or check out her pins on Pinterest. 

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This post is part of my Thirty Days of Food series where I am writing about food and farming for the entire month of November, to find out more about it all or how to follow along, visit my Thirty Days of Food page to find more great recipes with farmer features!