Summer! My childhood memories of the sunny, hot months are entwined with water and barbequing. Playing in the backyard in the sprinkler and watching my mom grill barbeque chicken was delightful. This summer will have its own set of joys; pool time at the Aquatics Center and barbeque with Ranch Hand! For the last year and a half, the Co-op has sold Jamie Callison’s, owner of Ranch Hand, products. You can find his varieties of barbeque sauces (Original and Zesty) and seasonings (Everything, Espresso, Sweet Chilly, and BBQ) in Grocery and near the Meat Department.

After many years of family prodding and encouragement, Jamie finally decided to make and sell his creations commercially. About two years ago, the company started to take form and he worked with a WSU marketing student for six months on a feasibility study and marketing campaign. Their work resulted in two Northwest-focused brands: “Ranch Hand” and “Rival Rubs.” He teamed up with local beef businesses like Eaton Natural Beef to promote Ranch Hand. Including the Co-op, he sells Ranch Hand products to about 50 NW stores. Rival Rubs is for collegiate kitchens, which includes eight universities in Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.

Jamie is a full-time chef at WSU. When he’s not at the University, which depending on the season, can be up to 80-90 hours a week, he works on his business. In May, he accompanied 15 WSU Hospitality Business Management majors to Florence, Italy, to start their eight-week program to learn to pair food and wine. Jamie explained that a real strength of the immersion is that students work in Italian restaurants and live in apartment buildings with Italian families. Through tours including farmers’ markets and businesses, the students gain first-hand experience the passion local producers have for their products, including cheese and wine.

With his background as a chef, he has a passion for using the finest ingredients in his products — ones that create a balance of flavor and “enhance the taste of food rather than take away.” Unlike mainstream barbeque sauces, whose main ingredients are high fructose corn syrup and water, his first ingredient is tomatoes. He explained that because corn syrup has no flavor, he doesn’t use it. He prefers molasses and honey. Jamie wants his customers to experience the flavor of his products and taste the distinction. He added that there’s a “difference between smoky ketchup and barbeque sauce.” From my first taste of his Original BBQ Sauce, I most certainly agree.

In addition to flavorful ingredients, he aims to keep them domestic and as local as possible. Although most peeled garlic sold in the U.S. is produced in China, his products contain garlic from Northwest producers. His honey is also domestic — the 200 gallons he uses comes from California, but he hopes to find a local producer. He’s also working toward having local restaurants utilize his products. Presently, South Fork in Pullman uses his sauces and seasonings. His goal is to make business decisions that are sustainable — ones that have the least environmental impact are also typically the most fiscally responsible.

To run the company, he has the assistance of his wife of 20 years, Tonya, who is an accountant by trade. She handles the books and day-to-day details of the company, along with design work and labeling. They also have two sales people who work on commission. He explained that the strengths and challenges he has with his business go hand-in-hand. Starting the company in a down economy, they work diligently to increase and maintain their customer base. This past winter at 5 a.m., he laughed with Tonya while loading their vehicle with samples for a trip to Seattle. It was early and cold, but he said, “This is starting a business. I have to get out there.” Jamie appreciates his interactions with new and current clients. He said, “It sounds strange, but I feel good that we’re struggling. We make a great product that we can stand by. If we can start a company in tough times, then we will survive anything.”

Johna is excited to celebrate her “Golden Birthday” in July! She was born to bask in the sun, splash in water and gobble barbeque.