Local Partner Highlight: Young Overholt
November 27, 2024
At the Tides Inn, we support our local community by sourcing the very best produce and products from farmers and fishers. In this new spotlight, we will feature key purveyors in our Northern Neck region.
Cultivating Legacy and Land: The Story of Young Overholt Farm
Young Overholt, another important purveyor of Salt & Meadow, provides the restaurant with sustainably raised Black Angus beef. Their story unfolds on Elm Grove Farm, a place with deep roots in Virginia’s Ware Neck community. Established in 1881 by Thomas "TJ" Jefferson Chapman, the farm was originally a peaceful homestead. Over a century later, Thomas’ three-time great grandson, Blake Overholt, returned to these family grounds with a new vision — leaving a career in San Francisco’s tech industry to build something meaningful. “I chased money and climbed the corporate ladder…but I wasn’t fulfilled,” says Blake. As such, he returned to Virginia and in 2019, the first steps toward creating Young Overholt were set in motion.
Blake’s work on the farm began with a hop yard and a small garden and eventually expanded to include poultry and cattle. By 2023, he managed Young Overholt full-time, with a focus on Black Angus cattle raised for their flavor, texture and quality. Each addition to the farm’s operations represents a step toward the ultimate goal of creating a working farm and a farm-to-table venue that serves the local community.
In just five years, Young Overholt has grown through countless memorable moments, each one shaping the farm’s unique path in the food industry. One early milestone was the birth of the first calf. Blake also recalls the excitement of seeing the meat quality for the first time and being astonished by its difference from ‘average’ grocery store meat. Today, Young Overholt’s beef is a highlight at local restaurants and events, consistently earning praise from diners for its outstanding flavor and quality.
At Young Overholt, sustainability is not only a priority but also an ethos that drives farming practices across the farm’s 176 acres. Blake’s goal is to regenerate the land that has been factory farmed for decades by a sharecropper. With a commitment to soil health and animal welfare, Young Overholt employs a 94% grass and hay diet, supplemented with only the necessary nutrients to maintain the land’s natural balance. Blake personally feeds the animals, ensuring they receive a diet rich in minerals that reflect the quality of the land.
In line with his sustainable approach, Blake also aims to reduce stress for the animals by working with a small, family-owned processor known for its careful, humane practices. The cattle are allowed to develop for six months longer than industry standards, creating meat with improved marbling and tenderness—a product that reflects Young Overholt’s values.
Young Overholt stands out for its commitment to regenerating the land while simultaneously producing the best quality beef around. Unlike larger farms, Blake didn’t inherit a herd. Instead, he built his operation from the ground up, carefully selecting Black Angus breeding stock for traits like marbling and flavor. His approach merges traditional, regenerative farming methods with modern genetic insights, creating a product known for its nutrient density, flavor and tenderness.
The company’s community-focused mission has led Young Overholt to establish a share program offering an eighth pound, a quarter pound and half pound beef portions sold directly to consumers. Blake and his team are dedicated to becoming the trusted name in local beef, bridging the gap between grass-fed and grain-finished beef by feeding animals a unique diet that produces a beefy flavor with marbling and tenderness over time.
As Young Overholt’s reputation grows, so does its partnership with Salt & Meadow at the Tides Inn. Blake and his team remain committed to providing fresh, high-quality cuts to customers, both online and at local events.
Young Overholt is not just a farm; it’s a legacy of family, hard work and a vision that’s taken root on land that’s been in the family for over a century. Through sustainable practices, dedication to quality and a deep connection to the community, Young Overholt is building a future where people can savor beef that’s as authentic as the story behind it. As Blake says, “You can’t rush a good thing!”