Photo taken by Lacy Nicole Photography.
The Nelson Family
Our family owned farm is about ten miles south of Olympia and one of the oldest ranches in the county still owned by the original family. We have dedicated ourselves to providing our customers with the most wholesome, best tasting beef available. We are committed to sustainable farming practices and providing our community with a locally grown, quality product. This has been a tradition in the family for five generations and we hope that you enjoy it too.
Our Practices
We believe in being responsible stewards of the land and using sustainable, humane methods. Our sustainable methods include “rotational grazing” along the lush meadows of the Deschutes River. Therefore, we do “rotational grazing”, which not only allows us to maintain healthy pastures but also allows our cattle to graze on the most nutrient rich part of the grass. Since we are on the banks of the Deschutes River, the yearly flooding of our fields ensures an endless supply of natural minerals and nutrient rich soil. The grass is managed through a combination of grazing and haying. We then feed the cattle the hay during the winter months.
As much as possible, we try to minimize the stress of the animals during harvest. Our animals are always transported with another animal. They are transported by a member of our family, less than 10 miles from our home so there is minimal travel stress. They are delivered to a farm where no more than 15 animals are processed on a given day. All harvests are USDA Inspected.
Additionally, we have work with Natural Resources Conservation Service, a division of the Department of Agriculture, to improve our impact on the environment by voluntarily building fences along the river, updating our irrigation system, and further limiting the animals access to the river by adding several watering troughs. We also updated our drainage in our barns and added a manure storage facility.
