How we got here
We haven’t always been ranchers. Steve worked for Colorado DOT and Kerissa was a newly divorced mom of 3 little kids. When we first met, it was an instant connection. We talked for over 6 hours the first night sharing all of our dreams, hopes, and flaws. Part of those dreams we had in common were living a more sustainable life, raising our food, and being as independent as possible.
Fast forward a few years; we were diving headfirst into learning everything we could about animal husbandry and different ranching and farming styles. We bought our first cows, Scottish Highlands, and were living a life we loved. But, Steve was still working and we had a deep desire for him to be home full-time. In our head dive, we learned about farmers and ranchers who were raising and selling their meat products directly to consumers. We are both entrepreneurs at heart and had a deep desire to make it a lifestyle. Raising meat for our family was quickly broadened into raising it for others who wanted home-grown food but had no capability of doing it themselves.
Since we only had 3 acres of grass ourselves, raising pasture-finished meats wasn’t going to quite work without more land. We leased all the acreage we used for our cattle, rotating them between pastures and properties and raising everything else on our little acreage.
Starting on this venture was selling at Farmer’s Markets, on Facebook, and eventually direct from our ranch. We’ve had retail products, bulk, and even sold to a local store. We raised almost everything you could think of; beef, goat, lamb, pork, chicken, eggs, and even tried rabbits (they are not as easy as they seem!) We soon found what our favorites and non-favorites were.
Family Unity
We both wanted our children to be raised in an environment that included working with their hands and having a shared purpose: developing skillsets and character that are often rare to find these days. Working as a family to raise and care for animals connects us to our children and our children to reality. It provides a life of hard work, freedom, and fun. We homeschool our 6 children and the ranching lifestyle provides an education unmatched anywhere else.
Growth and Progress
It’s now almost 5 years since we took the jump into raising and selling pasture-finished meats. To say we have gained more than we intended would be an understatement! Our operation has had some shifts from how we started: like focusing on a few select products. From here we perfect what we love and will add as we move forward. We have a lot of ideas and dreams and think you should stick around for all of the fun!
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