Rafter W Ranch

Let me introduce you to the Wheeler family, and yes, you guessed it, that’s where the “W” comes from in Rafter W Ranch.

Instead of trying to tell you “Who We Are” and dazzle you with our certifications from the American Grassfed Association, or Audubon, or even impress you with terms like Grass Fed, Pasture Raised, or Non-GMO, we’d rather tell you “Why We Are”.

It’s  actually pretty simple.  We know that you care about what your family eats, well, so do we.  We exist so that your family can eat the same delicious, healthy food, that we eat.

Grass-Finished

Our cattle are raised 100% on grass for their entire lives. We move them to new pastures daily … sometimes twice a day. This way they have access to the freshest, most lush forage, and provide the rich fertilizer our pastures need to thrive.

Our cows are never fed grain of any kind! Just ask American Grassfed, which audits our ranch every 15 months.

Pasture Raised

There’s just something about watching chickens on pasture. They’re natural hunters and foragers, eating grass, snagging insects and scratching for earthworms. But there’s another reason we insist our chickens have complete access to pasture; they are our sanitation crew.

You see, chickens love to follow behind cows, just as wild birds followed the buffalo across the Great Plains. They have a symbiotic relationship, cleaning up behind the cows by scratching through cow dung.

What the chickens are doing is hunting for fly larvae, which gives them the protein they crave. Ignore those “vegetarian diet” claims you see on egg boxes, because chickens are not vegetarians, as every cricket and earthworm knows.

As they hunt for larvae they are also spreading the manure, incorporating it into the soil. This not only hastens the breakdown of the fertilizer, but also allows the cows to more fully graze the pasture when they return. You see, cows won’t graze near one of their own fertilizer spots (this is to avoid parasites). So the chickens fix it where it’s gone by the time they return and they’re free to graze the entire paddock!

Everyone wins! The soil is enriched, the cows are happy, the chickens live a great life outdoors and you get the most nutritious eggs and chicken imaginable!

No Animal By-Products

No Artificial Hormones, Steroids, Drugs or Antibiotics

Non-GMO, Soy-Free & No Corn!

Dry-Aged

We dry age our beef for 28-30 days because aging refrigerated meat that long allows enzymes naturally present in the meat to break down the muscle tissue, resulting in improved texture and flavor.

When we dry age our organic grass-fed beef, the whole carcass is held fresh and is exposed to the air so that dehydration can further concentrate the meat’s flavor.

Of course, this process is costly because the meat loses weight from dehydration the longer it is aged, but ultimately results in a more tender, flavorful product.

And, let’s be honest…when you buy dry aged beef you’re not paying for excess water, which you would be if you bought beef that wasn’t dry aged.