Like many people who decide to open their own small business, Michael and Robin Smith, of Canton, started up Lenoir’s Creek Beef and Bakery partly out of necessity and partly to make a positive change in their lives.

When the couple had their daughter, Kaitlyn, who is now 2 years old, Robin went from working full-time as a nurse to working part-time so she could spend more time at home. To supplement their income, the Smiths started up a small grass-fed beef business, which has grown from three animals the first year to 10 this year.

“Everybody wants to be healthy and stay away from the hormones and antibiotics,” Michael said of their reasoning behind raising 100 percent grass-fed cattle.

The beef comes from a breed called Devon cattle, which was brought to the area from England in 1849. ...