REAL MEAT.
REAL PEOPLE.
A FAMILY RANCH.
A COOLER FULL OF BEEF.
THAT’S WHERE WE STARTED.
We didn’t start with a polished brand or a business plan. We started with a tent, a table, a cooler full of beef and a belief that families deserve to know where their meat comes from.
We’ve grown a lot since then. But behind every box is still our family, raising cattle and working together here in Montana.
A TENT. A TABLE.
AND A COOLER.
Back then, we were hauling kids to farmers markets, answering questions with a baby on one hip and figuring things out as we went. We didn’t have it all together. But we had good beef raised with care and a whole lot of heart behind it.
We wanted families to be able to ask us questions and know the people raising their meat. So that’s what we did, one conversation and one cooler at a time.
What started with a tent grew into an old horse trailer turned mobile meat shop. We hit more markets and eventually opened our storefront in Sheridan, Montana. Then came shipping orders. Then the 5L Meat Club.
A lot has changed since those first markets. Why we do it hasn’t.
WHY
“5L”?
5L represents a family of five L’s: Lawrence, Lillian, Larry, Linda and Lenny Mehlhoff. They came from a long line of farmers and ranchers. The name carries that family with it.
In the next generation, those five L’s became seven. Larry married Lisa Stands in Paradise Valley in 1983. Together they have five L children: Laramie, Larisa, Landon, Larinda and Logan.
Most of them still have a vital part in the ranch, from haying and irrigating to working cattle and the meat we offer. The family has grown. The name has stayed.
NINE GENERATIONS.
PLENTY OF
HARD WORK.
Ranching runs deep in our family. For more than 40 years, we’ve worked on the genetics in our Red Angus herd, raising beef that’s consistent and full of flavor.
We raise our cattle ourselves. We know their bloodlines, and we care about the beef that ends up on your family’s table.
There’s a lot of history behind that herd. It began well before there was a meat shop.
OUR RED ANGUS ROOTS
After raising registered Shorthorns and commercial cattle in North Dakota, the family purchased a few registered Red Angus.
The family moved to Paradise Valley, south of Livingston, Montana, and purchased the Centurion Cattle Co. Red Angus herd from Nebraska.
After graduating from high school that same year, Larry bought Red Angus females and started his own herd.
When Lawrence had to sell out, Larry purchased some of his cattle. He grew the herd through a breeding program using artificial insemination and by retaining most of the heifer calves.
IT TAKES A FAMILY
TO FEED A FAMILY.
Behind every box of meat is an entire family working together to make it happen. Parents, kids, siblings and grandkids.
My dad, my two brothers, my sister, my husband and I all have a hand in this. Whether it’s feeding cows, hauling hay, keeping up with orders or chasing kids between chores, there’s always something that needs doing.
Some days are a little chaotic. We wouldn’t have it any other way.
WE’RE A FAMILY.
NOT A CORPORATION.
We’ve kept our feet planted in the same Montana soil. We’ve learned a lot along the way. Some of it came easy. A lot of it didn’t.
There were orders that didn’t go as planned and moments we questioned if it was all worth it. Then we see a family’s stocked freezer or hear how much they loved the burgers, and we’re reminded why we started.
All our beef is dry-aged 14–21 days. We want the flavor to speak for itself, whether you’re cooking a steak for a special night or using our burger for a weeknight dinner.
WE RAISE IT.
YOU COOK IT.
That’s the 5L Meat Shop. Real meat from the family behind it. Whether you stop by the shop or order a box for your freezer, we’re glad you’re here.
We want you to have meat you’re excited to cook and proud to put on the table. Thanks for letting our family help feed yours.