Niman Ranch’s All Natural premium meats aren’t from just one ranch. They are a community of more than 720 small independent family farms and ranches located in 28 states – primarily in the Midwest, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, in states with an abundance of grain to limit their carbon footprint.
Niman Ranch Beef was the core of the business when Bill Niman started his program back in 1969. Today, it has grown in volume and stature and is privy to menus in the best U.S. restaurants and stores. The pasture raised, no antibiotic or hormone, true Angus beef program utilizes only Angus genetics that are 100 percent bred, born, raised and harvested in the U.S. Niman Ranch’s beef program is fully traceable from birth to box.
Niman Ranch cattle graze on a combination of grains and grasses which are locally appropriate to their geographic location and finished with carefully selected grains to round out the flavor to produce beef that is consistently rich, tender, and well-marbeled. The beef is graded USDA Choice or Prime – the highest rankings for tenderness, juiciness and flavor.
Niman Ranch’s Vice President of Beef, John Tarpoff is our guest. He’s also known in restaurant circles as “The Steak Whisperer.” Tarpoff got started in the cattle business through the influence of his family’s packing business and ranch in the Midwest.
After receiving his degree in biology from the University of Missouri – Columbia, Tarpoff began raising his own cattle focusing on genetics and nutrition. His decision to closely maintain statistics on each animal eventually resulted in the establishment of specific practices for raising Angus breeds to grade Prime.
With this expertise, Tarpoff created Niman Ranch’s cattle raising protocols in conjunction with Temple Grandin. PhD (Colorado State University’s noted livestock welfare expert.) He continues to work with a network of dedicated ranchers and farmers to raise Certified Humane cattle that are recognized as the finest quality product in the industry.
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