Libby Landry grew up in West Texas, and during her youth, most of her family's friends were cattlemen. Later, her Dad became involved in ranch work full-time. In the mid-1990s, while in Bible college, Libby took a part-time ranch job, and also worked cattle on neighbor ranches during branding days. She learned about holistic land management through the works and research of Allan Savory, and she attended Bud Williams Stockmanship School on proper methods of effective and gentle livestock handling.

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Around that time, she learned the horrifying fact that some cattle were actually processed while still conscious and alive, and the percentage was rising. She had never thought much about what happened to the cattle after they were sold and shipped off the ranch, but this was something she never dreamed possible. This type of treatment went against everything she was taught about livestock husbandry. The people she worked with took great care and concern over their cattle, and it was hard to come to terms with what type of treatment these cattle might encounter after leaving their land. It was not only a horrifying thought on the level of humane animal treatment, but it went against the Biblical instruction given to Noah in Genesis 9:4, and reiterated in Leviticus 11 to Israel and those who attached themselves to God not to eat the limb of a living animal, “But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.” She stopped eating meat for a few years. Then, around 2003 Libby found herself living in a city where kosher meat was available and eagerly transitioned to the kosher meat products, which ensured the animal was rendered unconscious humanely, and quickly, and the blood drained.

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During the early 2000s, organic and more naturally raised meat came on the market in full force. It was the obvious choice for anyone wanting to take more control over their physical health. But there was no option for this healthier meat that also carried the kosher processing certification. The more her knowledge expanded about the effects of growth hormones and antibiotics given to cattle, and their diet, the more she realized she should not expect to receive high-quality nutrition from cattle raised this way. It was also antithetical to her personal deeper understanding of kosher and biblically-based standards of ethical treatment of animals. Taking the life of the animal for consumption under these conditions no longer made sense. Libby stopped eating meat, and this time remained a steadfast vegetarian for 15 years until 2021.

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During those vegetarian years, though Libby had an exceptionally healthy lifestyle, she was plagued with fatigue after the birth of her daughter. Over the years, she regained some of her vitality through continuing her education in the area of natural health, but not until she switched from synthetic supplements to whole-food supplements, and specifically adding desiccated beef liver, did she see any significant boost in her energy levels. This led her to realize that the years without receiving the naturally occurring ratio of vitamins and minerals in a form that the body recognizes and easily absorbs had left her energy bank exhausted. If a whole-food supplement had increased her energy this much, how much more would the whole food itself boost it?

 

She decided to see if perhaps the beef market had evolved and would offer meat that would satisfy all of her demands, which had only grown higher over the years. Her research led her to a farm in Texas not far from where she lived. She was skeptical about what meat might taste like or if there would be digestive issues after not eating meat for so many years but tried it anyway. The meat tasted better than she dreamed it could, and she had zero digestive issues, to her great surprise. The more frequently she ate meat, the better and better she felt.

 

Libby shares what she knows about the beef industry and the deeper spiritual connections about eating with others so that they are equipped to make informed and conscious choices about meat. Those with a strong leaning toward vegetarianism and/or spiritual living who find they need the benefits of meat can feel confident about Segol because of the extra stringencies placed on stewardship. Libby personally visits and maintains a relationship with her suppliers to ensure that every possible question regarding the animal's lifecycle is answered for the meat she purveys.