Certified Humane Raised & Handled

Prather Ranch is a 15,000-acre cattle ranch located in a high mountain valley near Mt. Shasta in Northern California that is raising beef "the way it should be raised," says Jim Rickert, who manages the ranch with his wife Mary.

The Rickerts have been around cattle all of their lives.  Mary developed an affinity for cattle while growing up on a dairy farm and went on to major in dairy science in college.  She has been the driving force behind the humane treatment of animals at Prather Ranch, basing many of her ideas on the philosophies of internationally known animal scientist Temple Grandin.  She has developed the Animal Welfare Policy for the ranch and educates employees on a regular basis about gentle treatment of the animals.

Jim comes from four generations of beef cattle owners.  His family owned a cattle ranch and slaughter facility in California, and he owned his first calf, a present from his grandfather, at the age of 9.  He raised the animal as part of a 4H project and had planned to show it, but he mistakenly overfed the calf and it died.

"That was my first hard lesson about animals.  It taught me the importance of good animal husbandry practices," says Jim.

In the past 13 years, the Rickerts have channeled their combined experience into development of a dry-aged certified organic beef program based on a belief that a low-stress approach to animal handling and a deep understanding of their herd will produce a healthier, more consistent product.

A cornerstone of Prather Ranch's cattle-raising practices is to graze the cattle with protection of the environment in mind.

"Our philosophy is that responsible stewardship of the land is a priority.  By doing so, we are in a win-win-win situation: the animals live in ideal conditions, we use ecologically sound and sustainable methods, and consumers can serve our beef with confidence that it is a pure product," says Jim.

Prather Ranch cattle stay healthy because they live in a low-stress environment and are nourished with spring-fed water and feeds grown on the ranch.  Animals are never administered growth-stimulating hormones or antibiotics and have not been fed proteins derived from animals.

Unlike most cattle operations, which purchase calves from myriad sources, Prather Ranch cattle are a "closed herd" comprised only of those born and raised on the ranch.  Detailed records of genealogy, weight, feed and life history are kept for each animal.

"We take great pride in our ability to create and maintain superior levels of food safety.  To mitigate disease transmission we have maintained a closed herd for decades.  This means that our herd have not been exposed to any outside cattle," says Rickert.

Prather Ranch cattle are processed and hand-cut at the company's plant located on the ranch.  The proximity of the plant to the animals' daily environment means they never have to endure the stress of being transported to a slaughter facility.

"My great grandfather used to visit people's farms and slaughter their cattle by hand.  He believed that having the animals relaxed and comfortable right up to the time of slaughter was not only humane, but produced a better quality product," says Rickert.  "I suppose that has never been proven scientifically, but it's conventional wisdom in my family."

Since 1990, Prather Ranch has implemented strict standardized operating procedures to proactively manage its herd and to prevent any transmission of BSE (mad cow disease) or other diseases to its cattle.

The Rickerts have worked closely with the scientific community to provide documented pure quality and they conduct regular e-coli tests that are not mandated by the USDA.  No detectable levels of e-coli have been found since they opened their plant in 1995.

Jim Rickert commented that this approach is an expensive way to raise beef, "but consumers are willing to pay a little extra for beef that has been raised with respect for the environment and the animals.  We're hoping to show other producers that there is a payoff to doing business this way."

Prather Ranch beef is sold at natural foods stores, specialty meat stores and farmers' markets in Northern California and Southern Oregon, including the Nugget Market in Davis, New Moon Natural Foods in Tahoe City, Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market in San Francisco and San Rafael/Marin Farmer's Market.  It can also be ordered online through the ranch's website: www.pratherranch.com.