Daniel Stewart got his first cow at age seven and never looked back. Now a fourth-generation farmer in Rockingham County, he’s turned that childhood passion into a 180 momma cow operation—and he’s just getting started.
Daniel Stewart
OUR FARMERS
COUNTY
Rockingham
Rockingham
YEAR FOUNDED
2025
2025
FARM SIZE
180 Momma Cows
180 Momma Cows
FARM OUTPUT
Beef Cattle & Hay
Beef Cattle & Hay
- Daniel Stewart
During high school and college summers, Daniel worked cattle and harvested hay on farms around the area. An internship at the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Upper Piedmont Research Station (UPRS) proved pivotal—when he graduated from NC State University with a degree in Animal Science and was looking for a job, he reached out to Joe French, then superintendent at UPRS. Joe connected him with Robert “Zizzy” Osborne, a beef producer in Eden who was looking to hire a manager for his growing herd of Angus cattle.
Daniel spent nine years working for Zizzy, taking on new responsibilities with each passing year. He learned how to artificially inseminate cattle, earning a certification from Select Sires. ‘Artificial insemination has its place and is a good way to quickly improve performance,’ he notes. He also learned hard lessons—after one particularly tough season of over-grazing, Daniel watched their pastures struggle to bounce back, a lesson that now keeps him vigilant about animal movement and rotation.
Zizzy was passionate about improving meat quality, and as a Firsthand Foods supplier, he received grading data for each batch. Under Zizzy’s mentorship, Daniel dove deep into the science of pasture-finished beef. Together, they obsessed over that data, fine-tuning everything from genetics to forage to nutrition. The result? Steadily improving beef, season after season.
In 2024, when Zizzy announced his plans to retire, Daniel decided it was time for him to get into the business on his own. He and Zizzy came to an agreement and Daniel began the process of buying Zizzy’s herd. “I never questioned this was the next right step for me. There’s nothing better than being outside every day, watching the cattle, managing the land. It’s the independence and flexibility that sold me on this life.”
Daniel is married to his high school sweetheart, Chelsea, and they currently have one son, Tucker. On weekends, you’ll find Chelsea and Tucker out at the farm with Daniel. Chelsea’s his go-to when it’s time to work cattle, and Tucker? ‘He’s turning into a good boss man,’ Daniel says with a grin.” His gratitude extends to his many family members, all of whom are always ready to lend a hand. With family backing, hard-won experience, and a herd he knows inside and out, Daniel’s building exactly the operation he’s always envisioned
