From Our Farms to the Hospital Cafeteria: What the CAMC Partnership Means to Us
Last spring, something pretty special happened in a hospital cafeteria in Greenbrier Valley.
CAMC Greenbrier Valley Medical Center announced that they'd be bringing local beef into their cafeteria for employees, guests, and patients by partnering with Mountain Steer Meat Company. Chief Administrative Officer Becky Harless made the announcement in front of a room of about 60 employees and community members, and after touring our facility, she didn't hold back on the compliments, calling it one of the cleanest operations she'd ever seen.
For us, that day was about more than burgers (though we're told the free lunch was a hit). It was proof of something we've believed since we started this business: when a community decides to invest in the farmers and producers around them, everybody benefits - the hospital gets a menu it's proud of, and we get to keep doing what we love.
Why This Partnership Matters
When Frank and Jamie started Mountain Steer, the goal was simple - bring the community together around good food and support the kind of farming they grew up with. That mission only works because people and organizations like CAMC choose to back it.
Partnering with a hospital feels different than partnering with a restaurant or a family down the road. A hospital cafeteria feeds people at some of their most vulnerable moments - patients recovering, families keeping vigil, staff working long shifts to take care of others. Being trusted to play a part in those meals, as a local business rooted in Greenbrier County, is something we don't take lightly.
A Catalyst, Not a One-Off
The CAMC partnership didn't happen in isolation. It's part of a pattern we've seen build over the last couple of years, and it's a pattern that only exists because people keep showing up for us. Mountain Steer is now serving schools, restaurants, and homes throughout the Greenbrier Valley. Each new partnership seems to open the door to the next: a school hears about the hospital, a restaurant hears about the school, a family hears about all three - and that support is what lets us keep growing.
That growth is part of why we built our own processing plant and retail storefront in White Sulphur Springs. None of it would have been possible without a community willing to bet on a local business.
CAMC's Becky Harless mentioned hoping the partnership could grow to reach other Vandalia-owned hospitals down the road. If that happens, we'd be honored — but even if it stays right here in Greenbrier County, we're proud of what it represents: healthcare and agriculture, two industries built on trust, showing up for each other.
Thank You
None of this works without the people who choose local first - the neighbors who order a quarter of beef, the school that changes its lunch menu, the hospital that decides its cafeteria should reflect the community it serves. You're the reason we get to keep doing this.
If you haven't tried Mountain Steer beef yet, stop by our storefront in White Sulphur Springs or place an order online. We'd love to have you at our table too.