I have been asked some specific questions about the meat that is sold in my department. While I do have some knowledge of the product and the companies who sell it to me, I decided to get a better working knowledge of some of the products and producers. To this end, I made a trip to Oregon to visit some of these producers, one being Anderson Ranch, our grass-fed lamb source, and Country Natural Beef, one of our beef suppliers.  (Here is the article about Anderson Ranch).

I visited the Triangle Ranches in Heppner, Oregon. Mark and Tami Rietmann invited me to come and to tour the place. It was nice to see the source of the beef in my case. I saw one of the herds that will eventually come to your and my tables. I also learned some the history surrounding this ranching family.

Tami’s great-grandfather, Anson Wright, and his wife, Ida Jane, homesteaded this place in 1881. They have had a lease for Federal forest lands since the late 1800s. The picture is of the homestead circa 1884.

Mark and Tami run the Triangle Ranches with her brother, Brad Anderson. Mark and Tami’s two daughters also come and to help during the drives and over the Christmas and summer breaks. Both Shelley and Shanna attend college at Pacific University in Forest Grove. Shelley is engaged to a University of Idaho graduate, Adam MCabe.

The cattle are raised on various pastures throughout the year and free-ranged on the federally leased land south of the ranch in the summer when the weather permits. This means that there is a roundup and two-day trek up the valley and through the stock routes to the summer grounds, something which at this time in my life doesn’t sound all that fun. After two days riding a horse, I am not sure I would be able to walk.

These cattle are grass-fed most of the year until the last part, when the Rietmanns are slotted to deliver cattle for processing. The cattle are delivered to Boardman, to the Country Natural lot. Yes, it is a feedlot, but in name only. The cattle are stored there and fed alfalfa, potatoes and silage in 33 percent each quantities, on average for 80 days. This gives Country Natural a central point for shipping to the processor at Toppenish, Washington, AB Foods. Compare this to the 180 days and the corn and wheat diet for the standard cow in the U.S., and you can see the difference.

The goal is to have each yearling reach 1,100 lbs for a standard prior to processing. Each ranch in the Country Natural Beef co-op is responsible for delivering cattle at a certain time of the year; this way CNB can provide us with a continuous supply throughout the year. There are guidelines every ranch must follow, those being no growth hormones, antibiotics or the like.

Mark and Tami are wonderful people who I learned from and laughed with. While looking out their dining room window into the pasture where all the first-year heifers were with their new calves, I remembered what it is like to be on a ranch. Mark stays up long hours when its calving season comes around. This is the view out of the dining room.

This is also the same view I had when Tami fed us a wonderful pot of chili. Thank you, Mark and Tami, for a good tour and a great day. These are the people who grow your beef.