Is your meat certified organic?

While we cannot claim to be certified organic, we can – and do- say we are organically minded in our animal husbandry practices. Animals selected for our beef program have never been treated with antibiotics or growth promoting hormones. If an animal becomes ill and requires treatment in the form of antibiotics we will, of course, do what is best for the animal and provide the necessary treatment. However, once an animal is treated we mark them as ineligible for our beef program.

Since our animals that don’t make it into our feed program still make their way to grocery stores, we think it’s important for you to know that meat in grocery stores do not have antibiotics in them. All animals that require antibiotic treatment must go through withdrawal periods, usually somewhere between 0-60 days, before they can be harvested. Meat animals are subject to inspection and can be condemned if antibiotics are detected.

Why aren’t your cattle raised on grass? What do they eat?

We are currently working towards buying land for our cattle to graze as they please, but until then, our cattle live in what is called a “dry lot”, which is a large open corral with shelter available.

Even though they aren’t on pasture just yet, they still have access 24/7 to high quality forages and roughages provided in the form of oat hay and triticale silage, in addition to fresh water and vitamin and mineral supplements to make sure they get a complete balanced diet. This diet has been specially formulated by a bovine nutritionist who is highly skilled in the dietary needs of our cattle!

Are your cattle given hormones

Short answer, No! Animals that make it into our feed program are not given hormone additives to promote growth! They gain weight according to what our feed and their genetics naturally allow for. We only select top quality bulls to complement our herd of mama cows so that our animals have genetics working for them instead of against them!

Now for the long answer; were all about education here! Hormones are naturally present in every living thing; this includes fruits and vegetables! While our beef has never been injected with hormones, hormones are still present in beef. Studies show that there isn’t much difference in the amount of growth hormone found in the steaks of an animal given a hormone implant and a non-implanted animal; 1.9 nanograms compared to 1.7 nanograms, respectively. Everything that grows has a hormone content. Did you know that foods like cabbage and soybeans have high estrogen contents? One pound of soybean oil has 900,000 nanograms of estrogen! That’s roughly 450,000 times more than one pound of beef

What is “Farm to Fork” or Ranch to Fork”?

“Farm to Fork” or “Ranch to Fork” are terms used to convey that the product you are buying is coming directly from your local farmer or rancher. We know there is a huge outpouring of support for local farmers and ranchers and we are so thankful for this! While the food you purchase in grocery stores still supports family owned farmers and ranchers, there are often other sectors involved in getting that food to grocery stores. Farm/Ranch to fork is a way to for you to not only directly support your local farmer or rancher, but also a way for you to build a relationship with them so you can learn more about where your food comes from, how they raise your food and why they do the things they do! Maybe they can even help you find other local farmers and ranchers who can provide you with other goods as well!

How do beef shares work?

When you purchase our beef shares you are purchasing either a quarter, half, or a whole share of beef. This is the most economical way to purchase our beef but it does require a lot of freezer space on your end! If you want to split that share up with friends and family or keep it all for yourself it is totally up to you!

We have included the cut and wrapping fee from the butcher in this fee*. We will have our local butcher contact you to make your order fully customized and walk you through what’s available. For example, if you don’t want a lot of roasts in your order, the butcher can offer you options like turning the roast into ground beef or (depending on the type of roast) turning it into steaks. Then the butcher will work with you on how thick you would like your steaks cut and how you would like your meat wrapped, either in butcher paper or vacuum sealed. Once your beef is ready to pick up, the butcher will call you and then you can pick up whenever you’re able. Because you will be picking up the meat from the butcher yourself, this option is best suited for people who live nearby or are willing to travel to Lemoore Ca where the butcher is located.

If you decide to back out of the sale we can offer a full refund 7+ weeks from the harvest date. Within 6 weeks of the harvest date we can only refund half of your purcase; and 3 weeks before the harvest date we are no longer able to refund your purchase.

*Some cuts require an extra fee – should you request these, additional costs will be need to be covered by you.

Do you have a store front where I can come shop?

While we do plan to one day have a store front, we are currently a 100% ecommerce business.

What happens to your sick animals?

Sick happens! If an animal is sick and requires treatment in the form of antibiotics, we will of course do what is best for the health of the animal. We work closely with our vets when veterinary advice is needed.

That being said, animals that are treated with antibiotics do NOT make it into our feed program. We understand this is an important quality consumers are looking for and we are happy to oblige.

Once the animal recovers from their illness they go about their everyday life.

All treated animals, on any ranch, must go through an antibiotic withdrawal period (ranging from 0-60 days depending on the medication) before the animal can be harvested. Carcasses are evaluated and tested for antibiotic residues and if they come up “hot”, or contaminated, they are condemned and tracking of the animals previous location/owners can take place for repercussions.

How much meat am I getting in my beef shares?

Every animal is unique and as such there will be some variance in quantities between two animals. Generally speaking, a quarter share will provide you with roughly 100-150lbs of beef; Half: 200-250lbs; Whole: 400-450lbs. all of these can be broken down further into roughly 50% ground beef, 20% steaks, and 30% roasts. For reference, we fill our 13cuft chest freezer with a half share and have minimal room left over other frozen goods.

These numbers are just a generalization as not only are animals unique, but also, your share is completely customized to your likeing. This customization takes place between you and the butcher

What happens to your calves?

We are a working cattle ranch that raises cattle both for meat and breeding stock. At weaning time we evaluate all calves and mark them for one of three groups.

Feeder Program : Animals that we deem worthy of our high standard for beef production

Breeding Stock: Animals that are structurally correct with eye appeal and quality genetics destined to be sold to other ranches

Replacement Program: The cream of the crop! These are the very best of the group that we will keep to join our herd as breeding stock to raise their own high quality calves on our ranch. The term replacement is used because they will replace an older animal (either immediately or in the future) who can no longer be kept on our ranch.

Occasionally there are animals that don’t fit into our three groups for various reasons. Examples being ineligible for our feeder program due to antibiotic treatment and/or not quality breeding stock. These animals are consigned to a trusted livestock sale yard where they can enter mainstream beef production sectors.