What makes Prather Ranch beef so unique
Prather Ranch is a model for sustainable and humane agricultural practices that prioritize the well-being of the land, livestock, and workers. Their closed herd system allows for incredible traceability of their sustainably-raised beef, which is a unique feature of their operation. They follow strict protocols to meet USDA requirements and welcome audits from various organizations that promote sustainable and humane agriculture.
Livestock
At Prather Ranch, all calves are born on open ranges and allowed to experience natural animal behaviors. The ranch employs a sophisticated computer program to track each animal and document any vaccinations. They average 2,100 head of cattle on their ranch locations annually, with a harvest average of about 800 – 1,000 animals each year. The cattle graze in mountainous areas during the summer months and are moved to the northern Sacramento Valley for winter grazing. This practice ensures that the cattle are not exposed to harsh winter conditions while enjoying much cooler weather in the summer. Prather Ranch places great importance on the “Certified Humane” label, which guarantees low-stress cattle handling and open pastures for grazing.
Feed
Prather Ranch’s animals are born and raised on mostly organic pastures. The cattle are finished on a diet of chopped forage, barley, and rice bran. The ranch never feeds corn to its cattle.
Land
Prather Ranch operates on approximately 28,000 acres of land in four north-state counties. Over 50% of the land they use is encumbered by conservation easements, which preserves and maintains working ranches. This allows the ranch to make management decisions with a long-term focus, knowing that these properties will always be operated as grazing land for cattle.
Abattoir
The most unique feature of the Prather Ranch meat business is its on-site abattoir and meat processing facility, which only processes Prather Ranch cattle. The facility is USDA federally inspected and follows all USDA rules and regulations. The packinghouse operates under its unique food safety HACCP plan supervised by the USDA and other outside inspectors. The facility is built to hospital standards, and the sanitation practices the ranch follows make the process ultra-clean and safe for food safety.
Prather Ranch beef is sustainably-raised, pasture-raised, free-range, antibiotic-free, hormone-free, certified humane, and local. They practice regenerative agriculture and follow ranch-to-table practices. Their heritage breed cattle are raised on a California cattle ranch that prioritizes the well-being of the land, livestock, and workers. Prather Ranch’s primary goal is to produce a superior-tasting product that meets the highest food safety standards.