# The Royle Beef Company’s Growing Legacy

PennsylvaniaLandConservation Reserve ProgramConservation Stewardship Program

November 17, 2023

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The Royle Beef Company has grown significantly through the technical and financial assistance provided by NRCS and, of course, the continuous support that the Miller family provides to each other.

The Royle Beef Company represents the love of a family. Tom Miller and his wife, Phyllis, own and operate their farm with the help of their son-in-law, Randy Wehry, as they all build towards a legacy that will be passed on to future generations. The legacy starts with the name “Royle” as it originates from Tom Miller’s father, Royle Miller. Growing up in a small town, Royle Miller was part owner of Miller’s Bakery. As a child, Tom watched his father sell bread door-to-door and gained the value of hard work and the importance of producing a quality product. These values are evident as you can feel Tom’s gratitude and admiration for his family as he praises each person for the growth of the farm. 

Royle Beef is operated as a “direct to consumer” beef and honeybee farm with 8 head of cattle currently on the property. Randy Wehry raises cattle on his own farm and helps his father-in-law in significant wats. He does all the cattle selection, purchasing, and transporting for processing. Randy advises Tom on feeding and vaccinating as well. Tom explains, “Bottom line, he is my go-to-guy for any questions I have... after NRCS.”
*Tom Miller and his wife Phyllis operate Royle Farm*

When Tom first began his partnership with NRCS, he was mainly focused on grazing assistance. In 2016-17 he got into contact with District Conservationist, Dennis DiOrio, and was approved for an Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) contract. He implemented a grazing plan, and the fields were converted from cropland to pasture. 

Fast forward to 2018-22, and Tom was interested in going above and beyond in producing at Royle Beef Company so applied for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) as he continued to monitor his pastures using the pasture condition scoring tool. He continued his efforts with help from Soil Conservationist, Jaeden Mathais, by keeping up with his grazing records and planting some native trees. By the end of 2022 his contract was up, and Tom began talks about a renewal with CSP. After some discussion, he became interested in overseeding two types of clover, Alsike and Ladino, as he was looking for something that would help both the honeybees and the cattle. 

Currently, Tom is planting trees and shrubs; the  goal is for .2-.3 acres of willows, spice bush, and choke cherry. He is doing body conditioning scoring on his herd and continues with keeping detailed grazing records. On the northwest corner of the farm across a deep creek, he is 

The Civil Rights Advisory Committee members taking a group shot at the Royle Beef Company maintaining warm season grass fields through the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). Two of them are new fields and one is a continuing CREP contract. Tom is always interested in learning more about grazing and is excited for what's to come!

The Civil Rights Advisory Committee were able to visit the Royle Beef Company and get to know Tom and Phyllis as they got a tour and were able to ask questions about the operations that take place on the farm. The committee learned more about Tom as he shared with the group that he is a veteran and served in the air force. Tom built secure communication systems, radar systems, and missile systems, as he put his degree in computer science and master’s degree in systems management to great use! The day gave the committee the opportunity to explore a farm that most had not yet visited, as well as hearing about the man behind the company and all his life experiences that led him to where he is today.

The Royle Beef Company has grown significantly through the technical and financial assistance provided by NRCS and, of course, the continuous support that the Miller family provides to each other. Tom and his family look forward to many more years of success and memories that they can share throughout the generations.