D2 Meats offers 15-day dry-aged beef, considers farmers’ market a blessing

The husband and wife duo of Daniel and Danielle Hayden have operated under the tagline “Dani Squared” or “D2” with friends and family since the beginning of their relationship. While his family started Hayden Farms in the ‘80s, they decided to use D2 for their latest business venture: selling 15-day dry-aged beef directly from their farm on the county’s east side.

The operation offers various cuts, from standard ground beef and roasts to several cuts of steak and chorizo. D2 always attends the Saturday farmers’ market, but they also offer on-farm pick-up, porch delivery for orders over $50, and nationwide shipping.

“The farm—Hayden Farms—has always sold freezer beef (whole, halves, quarter of a steer), but Daniel and I have dreamed about offering individual cuts of beef direct from our farm, direct to consumer,” Danielle said. “Mid-2020, an opportunity arose for us to acquire a walk-in freezer, so we took that as our sign to make the leap into retail beef.”

Danielle added that the Owensboro Regional Farmers’ Market has played a pivotal role in shaping their business.

“We’ve loved getting to know the other vendors,” she said. “We’re out there each week with a toddler and an infant, and other vendors have offered us fans to help our kids stay cool or tie downs and shade siding for our tents. The extra help as we navigate our first year at the market has been very appreciated. It’s such a close-knit, family-style community, and it has been a lot of fun to submerse ourselves into it.”

The couple was initially reluctant to attend the market because they knew there were already multiple beef vendors.

“We’ve found the community is, for lack of better words, hungry for local beef, and there is more than enough business for all of us to thrive,” she said.

She attributed D2’s success to the ongoing support from the local community. Daniel is a Daviess County native, and Danielle moved here a little over a decade ago. She said she continues to be impressed with the area’s relentless support of small businesses.

“One thing that has stuck out to me since I moved here 10 years ago is how supportive this community is for anything, especially events and small businesses.

People from here may not fully grasp how rare and wonderful that is. It still never ceases to amaze me how this community shows up and rallies hard for each other. That level of support is unmeasurable for those of us running small businesses.

Originally published in Owensboro Times
Sponsored by Independence Bank
John Kirkpatrick
July 6, 2024