Brand Celebrates 40th Year with 40 Barn Paintings

To celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2018, the Certified Angus Beef ® brand is going back to its farming and ranching roots in a big way: by painting its logo on 40 barns in rural communities across the nation.

“There’s no better way to mark this milestone than by celebrating our agricultural heritage – and celebrating with the people who have always been the foundation of our brand,” said Tracey Erickson, the brand’s vice president of marketing. “It’s exciting to embrace a form of marketing that’s all but disappeared over the years, yet one that’s still very appropriate today for our mission to support and sustain Angus farmers’ way of life.

Dotted across the countryside from coast to coast, few symbols represent vintage Americana like a heritage barn. The barn is where farm life is centered from generation to generation and, oftentimes, celebrations held. Each barn has a unique story, much like the Certified Angus Beef ® brand and its family farmers and ranchers.

“We’re looking forward to honoring farmers and ranchers across the nation while engaging their local communities along the way,” Erickson said. “We are honored and humbled to celebrate this anniversary with them.”

About the Certified Angus Beef ® brand

World renowned for its exceptional quality and generous marbling, the Certified Angus Beef ® brand is the original brand of premium beef, created in 1978 and still owned today by family ranchers. With only the best Angus beef making the cut, 10 exacting standards ensure superior taste and tenderness in every bite. For more information, visit CertifiedAngusBeef.com or follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and LinkedIn.

About The Barn Artist

Troy Freeman has, since childhood, loved art. It all started with drawings, and making his own books, and by the time he was in high school, progressed to more involved paintings. School administrators asked him to paint mascots – his school’s and all of its rivals’ – in the gym; once complete, calls from other schools, farmers and businesses requesting their own paintings started to come in.

In college, Troy began illustrating books, and went on his first book publicity tour. Today, he has 15 published titles to his name as a self-managed freelance illustrator. In 2002, he founded a graphics and web design business that provided another avenue to cultivate his creativity and artistic project management.

Staying hands-on creatively is a priority for Troy, who has been painting murals in a variety of settings for more than 10 years. His clients range from residential to schools, amusement parks, businesses, cities and townships. Regardless of project, Troy views each one as an opportunity to use his talents and further his creative calling – as well as his faith, which he credits as the true source of his abilities.

Large-scale painting, such as a barn, brings a unique set of considerations, and is somewhat a niche endeavor. Over the years, Troy has collaborated and learned from paint experts across the country to get insight on working on different styles of “canvas,” such as metal, wood or glass.

In painting barns for the Certified Angus Beef ® brand, Troy looks forward to meeting the farming families and learning more about their unique stories and backgrounds – while celebrating their common goals and values.

Troy makes his home in central Illinois, with his wife, Dr. Billie Jarvis-Freeman, a professor at Lincoln Christian University. They are the proud parents of two “bookend” daughters: a 7-year- old at home, and the eldest, who is serving in the U.S. Navy.