Brandon was selected as Employee of the Month for September. He is a model employee with an excellent work ethic. He is never late, never calls in sick, never misses work, and is always the first one to arrive to work even though he drives the farthest. We asked fellow employees to describe Brandon: hardworking, reliable, team player, willing to do anything he is asked, great attention to detail, teaches others with patience and a smile, good at what he does. So what does Brandon do? He is the second in command on the processing floor, Head Butcher Kerry’s right hand man. Brandon keeps the grinding area organized, deboning the trim and various cuts of meat for customers wanting ground. He analyzes fat content, preparing the meat for grinding and seasonings. He enjoys working with the people here at This Old Farm and watches out for the new employees and guides them.
His interest in the butchering trade began when he was growing up and his family raised a bottle fed Holstein calf to butcher each winter with neighboring families. Then in 2004 Brandon started at Parrett’s Meat Processing during his senior year in Carroll Jr/Sr High School in Flora Indiana, where he was in a career exploration program, ICE (Interdisciplinary Cooperative Education), that allowed him to leave school at 1:30 each day to work. After graduating in 2005 he worked on and off at Parrett’s until he started working for This Old Farm in 2013. Used to being laid off during the slow seasons at Parrett’s, Brandon thinks it’s amazing how he and others can keep full time employment at This Old Farm during slow seasons, if they are willing and eager to learn and help in different areas of the company.
The meat processing business follows the seasonality of farming, which is super busy from July through January scheduling in farmers for processing as they have finished raising their animals and gotten them to optimal weight and slows down from February through June when farmers begin a new cycle of birthing, feeding and enjoying raising and watching their animals grow and thrive on fresh spring grasses.
Brandon is excited to announce that he and his wife Allison just found out last week that they will be having a girl, due to be born November 20th! They are avid music lovers and have decided to name their daughter Stevie, for Stevie Nicks, to go along with Waylon, their three year old son named for Waylon Jennings. Instead of the traditional music in their wedding ceremony, they played Bob Marley’s One Love and The Beatles All you Need Is Love!