OUR BEEF AND THE FAMILY THAT LIVES UNDER THE ROCK

ABOUT BIG ROCK RANCH

Livia, Raina, Clancy, & Nathaniel Potter

ABOUT THE POTTERS

Nathaniel aptly named the abandoned horse property Big Rock Ranch driving down the driveway to see it for the very first time. That was in November of 2016. Little did we know then that we would be closing on it December 6th and beginning a new year, with a very different life as we drove back and forth to demo and renovate the house and barn ourselves through record snowstorms and blistering summer heat. Immediately we were putting holes in walls and purusing Craigslist for our first livestock. February of 2017, we purchased our first two heifers, short horn beef and Holstein crosses, that were halter trained and loved bread.

We have always loved cows. Those two ladies, Granger and Brie, were the start of something unimaginable for us! Our intention was never to be beef producers. The natural beauty of the rocks and the privacy captivated our souls… those two heifers captured our hearts.

In 2019, Raina was the first “heifer to calve” followed by Brie and Granger. That was the beginning. Raina has extensively researched, read, and experimented with rotational grazing benefits as her autoimmune diagnosis in 2016 set their personal lives in a new direction, one towards intentionally living and eating to honor ourselves, the food that nourishes us, and our home—the land. It has become a natural progression to share what we skillfully and intentionally raise for ourselves with others who really care about themselves, the animals, and our earth.

Nathaniel grew up in Monterey CA, visiting his uncles cattle ranch, Deschutes River Ranch, in the summers. Raina grew up right in Terrebonne/Redmond OR riding her horses on her family’s hay and cattle operation. BIG ROCK RANCH is a cumulation of their love for cattle, horses, the land, and nourishing themselves and their kids.

WHAT SETS OUR BEEF APART?

  • High quality rotational grazing of diverse irrigated forage for 6+ months of the year.

  • Locally grown high/horse quality grass hay fed free-choice all winter.

  • Advanced mineral program to create our healthy, resilient cow herd which, of course, makes incredibly nutrient-dense beef.

  • Targeted desert grazing to manage fire danger, diversify cow’s diet, and open range movement through terrain keeping cows active and healthy.

  • Dry-Aged for 14 days which allows key enzymes to break down, making our meat tender and digestible.

  • NO barley, corn, silage, chaff, grains, or other formulated finishing products.

  • Minimal vaccines. We leverage only the vaccines that will keep our herd safe from local threats.

  • LOVE. We know each cow, their calves, and we call them all by name. The beef you buy is from a cow we cared for.

Your Beef will come from ONE cow and will have an information card with their picture and name so you can practice gratitude and know exactly where your nourishing meal came from.

  • WHAT OUR COWS EAT

    Central Oregon is an extreme climate, the summers are often hot and dry while the winters are cold with drastic temperatures and inclement weather. Spring and Fall are long transitions between the hot and cold and often the source of the annual average of 10 inches of rain and 14 inches of snow we hope to get each year.

    We depend on mountain snow run-off from the Cascade Mountain Range that is 30 minutes from our ranch. Our cows graze lush irrigated pastures from April/May to October/November. We are always watching our pastures closely, rotating the cows through and providing rest as necessary.

    When the pastures have done their job for the year and slow down in the late fall, our cows come to a dry lot where they have open access to the highest quality hay produced down the road. Many ranchers feed a set amount 1-2 times a day or have their cows foraging dormant fields unless snow covers them. We let pastures rest and provide open access to hay that was cut at top nutritional value. Our cows and calves eat all they need, all winter which fluctuates greatly depending on the temperature, rate of calf growth, and gestation for cows; we let the cows eat what they need when they need it.

  • MINERAL BUFFET

    Many of us supplement with minerals because we know they are the spark plugs that make our body function optimally! Cows are the same.

    We ensure our cows have open access to key minerals like magnesium and selenium in a loose form. Many ranches throw out salt blocks with these minerals or molasses and seed oil containing blocks to try and entice the cows to lick and try to consume it with their bottom teeth. Feeding loose mineral ensures cows and calves can get as little or as much as they want in a timely manner.

  • DRY-AGED BEEF

    Our beef is slaughtered and hung as a whole carcass for 14 days in an open air cooler room. This is industry standard in small, local butcheries.

    14 days is the magic number, enzymes break down making the meat tender but also more digestible. After this hanging period, the beef loses more moisture content but digestibility does not improve.

    Our meat is wrapped by hand right here in central Oregon, requiring no machines to seal and still keeps for years in the freezer.

    The paper wrapping can be repurposed for lighting fires, packaging paper, or under kid activities!