Meet Our Grass-fed Rancher Partners

True to our commitment to support our local communities, we partner with grass-fed producers from across the country including family farms in California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Maine, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Nebraska, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wyoming.

Most grass-fed ranchers are either independent, selling beef from their own property, or they join small, locally focused producer groups. We've sought out partnerships with a variety of regional and local grass-fed ranchers, including many family farms, with the goal of helping bring grass-fed ranching back into the mainstream because of its positive impact on the cattle, the environment and how it supports local communities.

Here's a sampling of the ranchers and rancher producer groups that we partner with:

Hearst Ranch Grass-Fed Beef

San Simeon Ranch, which surrounds the world-famous Hearst Castle, and the 73,000 acre Jack Ranch located sixty miles inland.

Local Seasonal Grass-Fed Beef From Hearst Ranch

Now you can enjoy beef a whole new way: fresh off the ranch. Raised by ranchers who consider themselves both cowboys and grass farmers, pasture-raised cattle live a natural existence as foragers and grazers. This enhances the biodiversity of the native landscape, makes for healthier meat—and results in the authentic flavor of the American West. Just over 600 head of cattle will be harvested from the 150,000 combined acres of the sustainable Hearst Ranch, and this signature seasonalselection will be available at select Southern California Whole Foods Markets this June through August (or until quantities run out).

Available in southern California stores; limited availabiility in AZ and Las Vegas stores.

White Oak Pastures

Bluffton, GA

Established in 1866, White Oak Pastures is comprised of 18 different farms in and around Southwestern Georgia. Fourth-generation cattleman Will Harris raises his cattle according to traditional methods, including grazing the five thousand-plus cattle on 100% Georgia native sweet grasses. With the help of a loan from Whole Foods Market, Will recently built an on-farm processing facility designed for low-stress animal handling while also minimizing the environmental impact. Learn more about Will and White Oak Pastures in this video.

Grass-fed beef from White Oak Pastures is available in our stores in Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia and in Washington, D.C. and Princeton and Marlton, New Jersey.

Rain Crow Ranch

Doniphan, MO

Eighteen years ago veterinarian Patricia Whisnant began raising grass-fed beef on their farm for personal consumption. Today, Rain Crow Ranch includes four ranches in the Southern-Missouri area that raise ten thousand head of Black Angus cattle. All cattle are 100% grass-fed and free-roaming. Dr. Whisnant is passionate about the grassfed agricultural model, which she says is "better for the animals, better for the consumer, better for the land, and better for the family farms." Her husband and six children are all involved in the family business.

Grass-fed beef from Rain Crow Ranch is available in our stores in central Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska and Wisconsin.

Cold Spring Ranch

North New Portland, ME

At its inception in 1880, Cold Spring Ranch operated as a diverse livestock operation in Western Maine. After operating as a dairy from the 1950's until the mid 90's, Gabe Clark started raising grass-fed beef on his 240-acre ranch. Today, Cold Spring encompasses five ranches where Gabe grazes Angus cattle. The cattle roam freely throughout their lives and the ranch places an emphasis on humane animal treatment. Gabe also focuses on supporting his local economy with his all-Maine based company.

Grass-fed beef from Cold Spring Ranch is available in our store in Maine.

Simply Grazin'

Skillman, NJ

Fifteen years ago, Mark and Lynne Faille began to raise grass-fed beef for personal health reasons. Today, Simply Grazin's six ranches sell their beef to local restaurants and Whole Foods Market. The primarily Angus herds roam freely and feed on a diet of clover and timothy hay. Simply Grazin' practices rotational grazing, and the cattle have enough pasture to last them throughout the spring, summer and fall—they receive no grain at all. Organic hay is harvested all summer long and stored for their consumption throughout the long winter months. Ranches are located in New Jersey, New York and Virginia.

Grass-fed beef from Simply Grazin' is available in our stores in Western Connecticut, New York and New Jersey (excluding Marlton and Princeton).

Lasater Grassland Beef

Matheson, CO

With two large ranches, Dale Lasater raises his Beefmaster herd on an all-grass diet. The Beefmaster is a specialized breed of cattle developed by Dale's father, Tom, in 1954. Tom Lasater's life work embodied a new ranching philosophy, one that embraced nature as a partner rather than a force to be overcome. These twelve hundred-plus head of Beefmaster are allowed to roam freely on the Lasater Ranch, which for more than half a century has been a wildlife sanctuary and has won several awards for wildlife preservation.

Grass-fed beef from Lasater Grassland Beef is available in our stores in Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico and Utah.

Baldwin Family Farms

Yanceyville, NC

The herd of fifteen hundred pure bred, lean Charolais cattle at Baldwin Family Farms enjoy grazing the nutrient rich pastures of an 800-acre multi-generational farm in Central North Carolina. Founders, V. Mac and Peggy Baldwin, practice a unique form of winter and summer grazing that allows the cattle to graze year round and produce high-quality, grass-fed, lean beef throughout every season. Mac is also known as a leader in the North Carolina agriculture community, advocating property tax and state tax reductions for local farmers and ranchers.

Grass-fed beef from Baldwin Family Farms is available in our North and South Carolina stores.

Maui Cattle

Kahului, HI

In 2002, Alex Franco and a group of Hawaiian ranchers formed the Maui Cattle Company because they were frustrated with the quality of beef in their local markets. Maui Cattle is an all-Hawaiian operation that raises approximately eleven thousand head of Angus cattle. These cattle roam freely and graze on a diet of tropical grasses supplemented with sugar cane and pineapple.

Grass-fed beef from Maui Cattle is available in our stores in Hawaii.

Grassfed Livestock Alliance

Tarpley, TX

Grassfed Livestock Alliance (GLA) was formed to provide a fair sustainable market for family owned and operated farms and ranches. The GLA is currently comprised of 14 ranches spread through Texas and Oklahoma with a total of approximately 1500 head of English-breed cattle, mostly Angus and Devon. All GLA ranches allow their cattle to roam freely and utilize low stress practices. In addition, the GLA believes in caring for the land as well as focusing on humane treatment of the animals. Learn more about the individual ranching families.

Grass-fed beef from Grassfed Livestock Alliance is available in our stores in Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma.

Eel River

Hydesville, CA

Clint Victorine has dedicated his entire career to raising high-quality beef with animal welfare prominently in focus. His cattle are raised on the clover and rye grass pastures of the beautiful Eel River Valley in Humboldt County, Northern California, where the average temperature is 54 degrees. Eel River encompasses 12 ranches where four thousand head of predominately-Angus cattle freely roam and graze on certified organic pastures.

Organic grass-fed beef from Eel River is available in our Southern California, Arizona and Southern Nevada stores.

Panorama

Vina, CA

Established in 2001, Panorama Organic Grass-Fed Beef cattle are raised by family ranchers in California, Oregon, Montana, Nebraska and Wyoming on USDA Certified Organic pastures of natural grasses, legumes and range forage. The ranchers raise their cattle in low-stress environments and employ land-management practices that promote animal health and protect delicate rangeland ecosystems. Many Panorama ranchers have been nationally recognized for environmental stewardship.

• Organic grass-fed beef from Panorama ranches in Northern California is available in our Northern California stores.
• Organic grass-fed beef from Panorama ranches in Oregon is available in our Oregon and Washington stores.
• Organic grass-fed beef from Panorama ranches in Montana, Nebraska and Wyoming is available in our Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico and Utah stores.

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