From left, Sam Widener, Will Edwards, Ben Edwards, Chris Widener, Kelsey Widener and Cindy Widener pose in front of the new Certified Angus Beef logo that was painted onto their barn as part of a national marketing campaign. The Widener family has owned Wincrest Angus since 1984. PHOTO BY DAVE ONGIE
Freeman was in town last week to paint the Certified Angus Beef logo on the side of a barn on the property of Wincrest Angus, a farm that traces its history back to the turn of the 20th Century. Part of an original land grant that stretched from the base of Indian Ridge to Boones Creek, the farm has been in operation since the early 1900s, and Angus cattle have been raised on the property since 1951.
Sam and Betty Widener bought the property in 1984 and have continued to raise Angus cattle on the property, which was previously known as Wayland Crouch Farm, with the help of their daughter Kim and their son Chris. The Wideners currently have approximately 75 head of cattle on the farm.
Late last year, Wincrest Angus was selected as one of 40 farms in 40 communities across the nation to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Certified Angus Beef brand, which was established by a group of ranchers in 1978. Freeman painted the logo onto the largest barn on the property, making it visible from Carroll Creek Road.
Not a lot has changed since the Widener’s farm was established over a century ago, but the big barn bearing the logo is an exception. Back in 1967, the barn sat where Carroll Creek Bridge crosses over Interstate 26. To make room for the new highway, the barn was moved to its present location across Carroll Creek Road.
With the logo in place between a pair of murals patterned after quilts created by the Widener family ancestors, the barn will stand as a reminder of the farm’s rich history for years to come.
