When Matthew Balliet’s Great, Great, Grandfather William Saam settled on a small farm in the Eastern part of the beautiful Conyngham Valley in 1882, he could have never imagined the land would not be roamed by the teams of horses, but instead by 300 horsepower diesel tractors and combines that stand as tall as the old barn. Now, 5 generations later, Matthew lives with his son in that same house on a farm that has been handed down between fathers and sons and nephews for nearly 140 years.
In 1998 Matthew purchased an additional farm some 20 miles west of the family homestead in the beautiful Long Hollow of Beaver Township, Columbia County where he began farming full time. The first person in the family to do so since his Great Uncle Conrad Saam, Matthew primarily grew feed grains and hay on over 800 acres of rented and owned land the first years but began raising a handful of beef cattle for friends and relatives shortly after the turn of the century.
In 2011 the decision was made to realign the structure of the farm, transforming it from a grain, and custom combining operation to concentrating heavily on high quality, naturally raised, cattle production and the Long Hollow Cattle Company was created. While the name is new, the nearly 140 years of history remains unbroken. Continuing that 6 generation tradition into the future by taking an active role in caring for the cattle, is Matthew’s 15 year old son Jacob, who holds the name of his Great, Great Grandfather. ​

PA Beef Assurance

​The purpose of the Beef Quality Assurance Program is to protect consumer confidence in beef safety and quality. Most of our cattle will enter the human food supply at some point, and the BQA program hopes to make sure all eating experiences are good ones. Remember, we are not just cattle producers, we are food producers!