Premium Grass-Fed/Finished All Natural 2019 Direct-to-Consumer Purchase Program

The JRL Ranch is a small family owned/operated ranch nestled in the western foothills of the southern Oregon Cascades. The ranch was homesteaded in 1864 and has been a working cattle ranch ever since. Beginning in 1983, the ranch has specialized in pasture raised and finished all natural premium Black Angus beef. The ranch is owned by the Lozano and Larson families and is managed by the Ensley Family, all of whom are passionate about sustainable agriculture that results in nutritious, delicious and sustainably raised . • Our ranch’s water source is spring-fed, eliminating the need for any chemical treatment. • Most soil in the US, including the western slope of the southern Oregon Cascade Mountains, is deficient in many minerals necessary to provide grass that constitutes a completely balanced diet. Our cattle consume an all-inclusive mineral supplement that includes salt, selenium and prebiotics to ensure healthy and fully functioning digestive systems that enable full absorption of all nutrients in their feed. This ensures that the animal is of optimal health which translates to better quality meat. • Our cattle are grass-fed and grass finished. The cattle are butchered in the summertime which takes advantage of the peak nutrients available in summer grasses. The animal’s food source in its final 30-60 days greatly affects the quality and taste of the meat. • At branding/castrating time, our cattle are worked in a “rodear”, which is the traditional working style of the California Vaquero. This involves branding and castrating in the pasture to avoid muddy working corral conditions, which substantially lessens the likelihood of infection or other medical complications. We avoid the use of antibiotics or other medications at all costs. Our market cattle have never been treated with antibiotics. • Our animals are never held in “confined animal feeding areas” (e.g. feed lots) which are typical of the American mainstream beef industry. Confined animal feeding areas result in exposure to high levels of bacteria, viruses and are miserable and unhealthy conditions for animals which translate to reduced nutrient value and meat quality. • Our cattle are Black Angus crosses. These genetics ensure that our animals have strong maternal instincts and are docile (happy animal = happy life = better tasting meat). The Black Angus breed is known for its finely marbled meat, which means that the fat is dispersed evenly against the actual cut of meat. This marbling trait of typically creates a more tender, juicy and flavorful meat when compared to other breeds.

2. Is our beef “Certified Organic”? No. And this is why: • Cattle whose meat will be sold as “certified organic” cannot be wormed or vaccinated. Worms and parasites are extremely common in cattle and are often found in the meat that is consumed. We prefer not to take the chance that our meat will be exposed to parasites, so our cattle are all wormed and vaccinated. Our worming pastes and vaccines are “all natural” and do NOT leave residue in the animal’s meat. Our animals are never given antibiotics (if an animal requires antibiotics, it is removed from the natural beef direct-to-consumer program). • All water that animals are given must be self-contained on the ranch. Our water comes from the Butte Creek watershed (spring fed streams) and is conveyed through coniferous forests via approximately 5 miles of irrigation ditches that we own and maintain.

3. How much consumable meat can I expect? Our cattle are butchered when they are approximately 18 months old and weigh approximately 1,200 pounds. Each 1,200 pound animal will result in an approximately 640 pound “hot carcass” (the hanging weight once the head, hide and internal organs are removed). Once cooled/hung for approximately 21 days, the 640 pound carcass will shrink. Once de-boned and trimmed, there will be approximately 480 pounds of meat for wrapping and freezing. Excess bones can be used for stock or can be given to dogs.

4. What cuts of meat and what quantities will I receive? From a hanging carcass (of approximately 640 pounds), a general rule of thumb: 25% of the meat (fat, bones, etc.) is waste (but can be used for beef stock, bone broth, dog bones, etc.), 25% is ground beef, 25% is and 25% is roasts. All meat is cut and wrapped to individual specification (thickness, types of cuts, number of steaks per package, etc.). Please note that depending on the cuts of meat you choose, these percentages will vary (some people like more steaks and less roasts and some folks consume much more ground beef than steaks – this is the beauty of custom cut and wrap – you specify exactly what you want).

The following table provides an approximate quantity of meat that will result from a whole, half or quarter cow.

Meat Type Pounds of Meat Whole Half Quarter Ground Beef 160 lbs 80 lbs 40 lbs Steaks 160 lbs 80 lbs 40 lbs Roasts 160 lbs 80 lbs 40 lbs Total Consumable Meat 480 lbs 240 lbs 120 lbs Excess bones/fat (not shipped unless 160 lbs 80 lbs 40 lbs customer requests to receive) Total Meat Subject to Cut/Wrap Fee 640 lbs 320 lbs 160 lbs Notes:

• All numbers are approximate due to the variability of each animal; • Waste includes bones and fat and can be utilized for dog bones or can be used for making other consumable foods such as bone broth or beef stock; • Regardless of whether you elect to receive the 25% of the carcass that is bones/fat, the cut/wrap fee is applied to the full poundage, because of the time and effort it takes to remove the byproduct from the other cuts. • Our uses all parts of a cow – any part of the animal not shipped to the end customer will be used for other purposes (e.g., hide for leather, bones and hooves for gelatin base, fat for supplement to wild , etc.).

5. How is pricing determined? Meat prices fluctuate and are influenced by supply and demand, environmental factors that affect the availability and quality of feed and international trade policies. Our goal is to offer beef equal to or better in quality and taste to premium beef purchased at specialty markets (Whole Foods, New Seasons Market, Andronico’s, Lazy Acres, Jimbo’s, etc.) but that is less- expensive than specialty market prices. By cutting out the “middlemen” in the supply chain (auction yard, , transportation by each party, commercial meat packers, etc.) we are able to ensure a higher quality product for a lower price.

By way of comparison, the following grass-fed organic/natural meat prices were available at West Coast specialty markets in July 2019:

Cut Price Per Pound Lazy Acres Jimbo’s Seaside New Seasons Andronico’s Market Market* Market Market Market Rib Eye $18.99 $17.99 $23.99 $16.99 $18.99 New York $18.99 $15.99 $23.99 $16.99 $17.99 Ground Beef (85/15) $ 8.99 $ 9.99 $ 9.99 $ 8.99 $ 6.99 Note: * = all grass-fed beef from this specialty market is sourced from Australia based on retailer preference.

Please contact us directly (text, email, website inquiry, for current pricing of quarter, half and whole shares of beef.

7. What constitutes “cut and wrap”? Cutting entails the refined skill of cutting the carcass into the different cuts of meat per the end consumer’s specifications. The butcher must “cut” the entire carcass – deboning, cutting out excess fat, cutting steaks, etc. The butcher “wraps” only the meat, steaks or excess bones/fat that the end consumer wishes to consume. Because the entire carcass must be cut in some manner, the cut and wrap per pound fee applies to the entire hanging carcass.

8. How do I pay for my beef? USDA regulations require that all meat that is commercially purchased be processed in a USDA-inspected meat packing facility. Because a direct-to-consumer program such as ours doesn’t have access to a USDA-inspected facility (typically reserved for the large industrial-scale commercial meat packing industry), we utilize a local, reputable butcher shop close to our ranch. Southern Oregon Fine specializes in servicing local ranchers and wild game hunters and focuses on optimal carcass hang times and custom meat cutting. For these reasons, the process of purchasing beef from our ranch takes two steps: 1) Purchase the live animal directly from the JRL Ranch (this is Payment #1 – via check, venmo or Zelle). The customer is then utilizing the service of Southern Oregon Fine Meats to cut/wrap their own animal. 2) A payment for custom cut/wrap is made directly to Southern Oregon Fine Meats (Payment #2 – via check or credit card).

9. Will my meat be hung/cut/wrapped in a USDA-inspected facility? No. Custom butcher shop operations are not subject to USDA meat packing inspection requirements. Because Southern Oregon Fine Meats’ customers are consuming their own animals, USDA meat inspection regulations do not apply and are not available. However, rest assured, hundreds of animals a year are butchered and cut/wrapped by Southern Oregon Fine Meats; meat processed in their facility is perfectly safe for consumption. Our families have consumed meat cut/wrapped in this facility for many many years.

10. Why does JRL Ranch partner with Southern Oregon Fine Meats? Robert and Alisa Holland bring 35 combined years of custom, premium cut and wrap experience to complete our direct-to-consumer program. Southern Oregon Fine Meats hangs beef for at least 21 days which allows it to naturally tenderize (as opposed to a common practice of using needle machines to more quickly tenderize). Southern Oregon Fine Meats does not inject hung meat with water or additives, which is also a common practice of many butcher shops. The Hollands believe these natural methods of tenderizing and curing meat - while may take a little longer and require more refined butchering techniques - result in optimal flavor and nutrition.

11. How will I get my meat? Once cut and wrapped per your specifications, Southern Oregon Fine Meats and JRL Ranch will ship your meat via UPS. All boxes of meat will be approximately 50 lbs and will be packed with dry ice to ensure that the meat remains frozen (please see www.dryiceinfo.com for information about safe handling and ventilation of packages containing dry ice). Once meat is delivered, it should be unpacked from the box and placed in the freezer immediately to avoid any thawing. Shipping costs to customers in Washington, Oregon and California are paid for by JRL Ranch. Shipping surplus charges may apply to customers located in other states. At this time, JRL Ranch can not ship our products internationally.

12. How much freezer space will I need to store my beef? One cubic foot of freezer space is needed for every 40 pounds of cut/wrapped beef.

13. How long can I safely store my meat in a freezer? Beef that is frozen should be eaten within approximately one year to enjoy optimal flavor and nutrition. Beef stored longer than one year is not harmful to consume, but prolonged periods of storage lead to freezer burn, ripped/broken packages, etc. which affect the flavor and quality of the cooked meat.

14. What if I don’t want or can’t store this much meat? If you don’t have enough freezer space or would like to have a smaller share than ¼ of an animal, consider splitting your meat purchase with a friend or neighbor.

15. Who can I call to ask Questions? Please feel free to call Sarah Lozano Larson (760.685.0723), Ryan Larson (858.212.4398), Mike Ensley (541.589.3613) or Kelli Ensley (541.495.2401) with any questions.