Pride of Product
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148 January 2014 Pride of Product Expansive, family-owned business is unique in approach, steady in success. Story & photos by we could return more money back there were 10,000 cattle on feed. KIM HOLT, field editor to the product. It was financially “One of the unique Fast-forward to today: This feedlot motivated, but it was always a pride covers nearly 800 acres with the of product.” things about this feeding capacity to feed up to 120,000 head The Harris Ranch legacy It’s this pride of product that is at one time. may have begun with cotton and reflected in everything Harris Ranch operation compared “One of the unique things about grain farmed by Jack Harris in the today, from its people to its products. this feeding operation compared 1930s, but today this family-owned to the Midwest is the to the Midwest is the weather,” company, set in California’s western Five divisions of Harris Ranch says Brad Caudill, vice president of San Joaquin Valley, is best known for Five divisions make up the weather. Winters are very, marketing for Harris Ranch Beef its high-quality natural beef, which family-owned and -operated Harris Co. “Winters are very, very mild. retails under the Harris Ranch Beef Ranch, the largest cattle feeder, very mild. We will get 5 We will get 5 to 6 inches of rain on label and brand. beef processor and beef marketer in a good year, but the cattle perform John Harris, Jack’s only son, built California, unique in its integrated to 6 inches of rain on a very well.” up the family’s small cattle business approach to cattle sourcing, feeding Caudill points out, “On the beef in the 1960s and, in doing so, made and processing. good year, but the cattle side of things, we are unique in that the decision to take the beef direct to The feedlot, Harris Ranch we control all aspects of production the consumer. Feeding Co., is one of the largest perform very well.” from where the cattle come from. He explains, “We were looking, cattle-finishing facilities in the — Brad Caudill We have longstanding relationships like any farmer or rancher, how western United States. In 1965, with producers, whether they are in Storied beef “Clovis likes its beef,” assures Rick Lemos, gotten good feedback all around from just including California, Oregon and Nevada. This meat department manager for about every demographic. It’s a company’s flagship natural beef program is Save Mart® Supermarket #98 in Retailers team up local product, and with the quality based on the Angus breed. Clovis, Calif. The high-quality, of the Harris Ranch beef that we’re Harris Ranch Natural Angus Beef is marketed branded beef featured in his with Harris Ranch carrying, we’re developing quite a as grain-fed, and, according to USDA’s definition store’s retail case is Angus, to help customers following.” of natural, is — “minimally processed with no specifically Harris Ranch Natural A following by consumers is artificial ingredients or preservatives.” Harris Angus Beef™. enjoy a natural, welcomed by retailers. Boele explains Ranch’s added safety measures include testing Chris Boele, who oversees that center-of-the-plate foods, namely feed for pesticide residues and testing finished District 7 meat sales for Save locally raised proteins, drive shoppers to stores, beef for antibiotic residues beyond USDA Mart, explains that his district’s eating experience and the remainder of their shopping guidelines. stores have featured the Harris expands from there. Ranch program for more than every time. Harris Ranch Beef Co. Marketing Beef with a story a year. Director Brad Caudill says that 80%- Harris Ranch promotes transparency and “With the 40 to 45 SKUs (stock keeping 85% of Harris Ranch branded beef is sold at prides itself in sharing its story, especially with units) we have for Harris Ranch beef, we’ve retail. “Most of it is here in the West,” he says, meat-department managers who can, in turn, tell January 2014 149 Harris Farms is one of the West’s largest privately owned farms and one of more than 700 family farms in Pride of Product its Central Valley water district. Water shade cloth, adding to cattle comfort and is a big concern for Central Valley feed efficiency. agriculturists, like Harris Farms, Sprinklers are used to reduce dust and which is one of Fresno County’s cool cattle in summer months. They are largest employers. cognizant of how they’re used, especially This past growing season, more than 200 billion gallons of water were this past summer, because of reduced diverted to the ocean — instead of rainfall and mandated water supply cuts to irrigate productive Central Valley in the Central Valley (see inset at right). farmlands — in order to protect the Zeman also points out that, through endangered Delta smelt, which is listed as a threatened species under federal and state the years, Temple Grandin has been Endangered Species acts. It allowed farmers to only use 20% of their water allotment, causing involved in different capacities in some fields to go unplanted. William Bourdeau, executive vice both Harris’ feeding and processing president of Harris Farms, says the operations. He recalls that Grandin was Delta smelt affects lives. very complimentary of the cleanliness of “It’s a human crisis,” he the feedyard and the feedmill, too, which emphasizes, “if people who can Zeman oversees with great pride. grow safe food, and are very good The pens in this feedyard are routinely at it, can’t do their jobs, and others can’t afford to feed their families.” scraped and manure is composted on-site. More than 250 products are grown in “We generate $2.5-$3 million California, with the San Joaquin Valley in manure sales per year through one of our nation’s most productive composting some 150,000 tons,” Zeman food-producing areas. says. The compost is tested and sold certified-organic and pathogen-free. It’s Above: The Angus Partnership for Quality (PQ) put back onto fields owned by Harris Expansive, family-owned business is unique in approach, steady in success. program accounts for about 15%-20% of the Farms and other neighboring farmers. cattle in this feedyard, which prefers to bring in Zeman also explains that Harris has its seven-weight yearlings that will gain from 3.0 lb. own trucking fleet, allowing it control of to 3.5 lb. per day and finish at 1,150-1,200 lb. its commodities, including liquids. Cattle at Harris are fed a balanced diet, which our Angus Partnership for Quality (PQ) features corn shipped in every other week program or they are ranchers whom from the Midwest on 110-car grain trains we have been doing business with for and, afterward, is steam-flaked in a Harris generations.” milling facility and trucked to the feedlot. Harris Ranch Feeding places major With 100,000 head of cattle on feed, emphasis on humane and ethical he says Harris will go through 1,300 treatment of animals — heightened by tons of feed each day on their slick-bunk its location next to I-5. The feedlot was program. Cattle also receive vitamin E, actually in place before this freeway — and Harris was one of the leaders in its considered the “lifeline of the state” testing and adoption. — was built, connecting southern, Vitamin E helps extend beef shelf life central and northern population centers, at retail anywhere from 12 to 24 hours, including traffic from Los Angeles to San Caudill says, which is a long period of Francisco. time to that sector. Because of its cost, Ken Zeman, mill superintendent for he says that Harris is actually one of the Harris Feeding Co., explains they’ve been few remaining feedlots supplementing working to implement shade over the past Harris Ranch Beef Co.’s owner John Harris (center) is pictured with Brad Caudill (left), vice president four years. About 80% of pens are under (Continued on page 150) of marketing, and William Bordeau, executive vice president of Harris Farms. the Harris Ranch story with confidence to consumers. Boele, Lemos and Randy Banuelos, meat manager The clean and bright for Save Mart Supermarket #87 in Clovis, have all “Butcher Block” at Save Mart #98 in Clovis, Calif., toured Harris Ranch from gate to plate, discovering helps Meat Department this beef company’s story firsthand. Manager Rick Lemos “Harris Ranch is pretty impressive,” Banuelos says. interact with clientele. “We know how these customers He recalls the passion the “feed guy” has for his job like their meat cut,” he at the feedlot and noted that he even visited with pen says. Lemos, who’s been riders. cutting meat 38 years, 25 of those with Save Mart, “They are doing everything I can see to make it says, “If customers are humane and comfortable for the animals out there,” going to buy out of the Banuelos says. “They’re trying to do their best to stay butcher block, they want good-quality steaks on the cutting edge.” to grill,” as they grill He says the time spent at Harris Ranch “definitely year-round in Clovis. His helps” him share the story behind the beef in his specialty is 1½-inch thick- cut ribeyes, a favorite he meatcase. “I am more informed about telling the especially appreciates customers from farm to plate,” Banuelos remarks. for flavor. (Continued on page 152) 150 January 2014 Pride of Product (from page 149) vitamin E to extend beef shelf life. Harris Ranch Beef Co., the processing States and pioneered the development This feedyard also sets itself apart with and marketing arm of the beef division, of fully cooked beef entrées in the 1990s.