our story
In 1970, Richard Ziehnert purchased the dairy farm neighboring his childhood home in Elk, WA. At the time, he and Darlene had two kids under 3 years old and 50 cows with no ear tags and names only the previous farmer knew.
Decades and much blood, sweat and tears later, we are a fully functioning robotic dairy milking 220 cows. We also farm over a thousand acres of alfalfa and barley.
Richard and Darlene’s second child, Lori, has been a full time farmer and full time mom since the early 90’s. She and Travis had 4 kids of their own, all of whom live nearby and put in lots of time on the farm. Ashley and Garrett are committed to being part of the operation long term. Lori, being a big picture thinker, knew years ago we would have to diversify the farm to support any kids who wanted to join.
We had the space, feed and knowledge that it takes to finish out beef. So here we are – turning out some beautiful beef for our neighbors and friends.
The calves are fed fresh milk from the farm twice a day. Once they’re weaned, they’re fed a total mixed ration (TMR), which is formulated by our nutritionist. Our TMR includes alfalfa haylage and barley grown and harvested by our family, as well as ingredients like canola, corn, and brewers grain from Pacific Northwest Producers.
We work with Wyatt at Wear’s Custom Cuts in Deer Park, WA, to deliver perfectly aged, expertly cut Angus beef. And take our word for it – he knows how to make custom cutting a fine art.
We know the importance of getting high quality red meat in front of your family. We also know how important it is to support local producers who can tell you exactly what’s in your food. We appreciate each of you who supports family farming. It’s more than a job, it’s our life and we want to share as much of it as we can with you. What better way to do that than sticking some steak on your plate and burger between your buns?