Laura’s Lean Beef: From “Cowbelle” to Agricultural Entrepreneur

Top billing was the tour to the newest, most modern, most cost-effective cattle feedlot. Mom and I went to sign up for our seats on the bus, and the woman on the other side of the table said, “Oh, you don’t want to do that. You’re cow belles! We have a fashion show organized for you.”

Back then, I didn’t protest. I laughed and went with my mom to the fashion show. But when the conference was over, I had my husband drive me to the feedlot, and glimpsed an astounding 100,000 head of cattle on feed.

If I’d tried to be “one of the guys,” I might have seen “low-cost protein production,” as advertised.

But I wasn’t one of the guys.

I was Laura, kicked off the bus, and my first thought at the sight was, “If regular people saw this, they would be appalled.”

-Laura Freeman: A Letter from Laura

After selling her lean beef company, Laura set her sights on new endeavors. Following a serious horseback riding accident that left her with full-body, chronic pain, Freeman was introduced to CBD products. She was originally given an isolate product that didn’t prove effective. However, she was later convinced to try CBD again- this time full spectrum- and it worked! Her pain was subsiding and she quickly realized her farm, Mt. Folly, needed to grow this … and that’s exactly what they did! The hemp grown at the farm is now used to create Laura’s Homestead Alternatives Full Spectrum CBD products that are sold online at Laura’s Mercantile, or in select stores.

Laura has long been an agricultural entrepreneur, even after retiring from Laura’s Lean Beef, and continues her work at Mt. Folly combatting climate change by developing a sustainable climate system. In addition to hemp, the farm also grows rye and wheat for whiskey and moonshine and provides menu items from their seasonal harvests that are then sold at Wildcat Willy’s Distillery and Farm-to-Table Restaurant (Now Regeneration Distilling). To learn more about Laura’s work on the farm, visit Mt. Folly Farm’s website.

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In 1985, Laura Freeman did what no one else had: she founded Laura’s Lean Beef, a national brand that offered lean, antibiotic-free beef raised without growth hormones. Her mission was to provide health-conscious consumers with a high-quality alternative to the fatty, high-cholesterol beef commonly found in supermarkets. Though she has since retired from the beef industry, Laura’s Lean Beef continues to uphold the strict standards she set.

A New Chapter: Laura’s Homestead Alternatives

After selling her beef company, Laura’s journey took a new direction. A severe horseback riding accident left her with chronic pain, and during her recovery, she was introduced to CBD. Initially, she tried an isolate CBD product, which didn’t work. However, after being encouraged to try full spectrum CBD, the results were remarkable—her pain eased, and her body began to heal.

Recognizing the potential of CBD, Laura decided to bring this natural remedy to life through her farm, Mt. Folly. Today, the hemp grown at Mt. Folly is used to create Laura’s Homestead Alternatives Full Spectrum CBD products, available online at

Laura’s Mercantile and in select stores.

A Vision for Sustainability

Laura has always been an agricultural innovator. Even after stepping away from Laura’s Lean Beef, she continues to focus on sustainable farming at Mt. Folly Farm, actively addressing climate change by developing a sustainable climate system. In addition to hemp, the farm cultivates rye and wheat for whiskey and moonshine production, with many of its seasonal harvests featured at Wildcat Willy’s Distillery (now: Regeneration Distilling Co.)

To learn more about Laura’s work at Mt. Folly, visit the farm’s website.