The Niman Ranch Story

History:
Niman Ranch started in the early 1970s on an eleven acre ranch in a small coastal town, just north of San Francisco. The animals were raised using traditional, humane husbandry methods and given wholesome all-natural feeds. Before long, Niman Ranch beef became a favorite in local grocery stores and at San Francisco Bay Area restaurants.

In 1995, Niman Ranch added pork to its offering when Paul Willis, of Thornton Iowa was working to revitalize sustainable hog farming methods in the Midwest. Paul's commitment to raise hogs in a humane, old-fashioned way matched Niman Ranch's own principles. Niman Ranch now offered beef, pork and lamb - as rancher Jeannie McCormack had been raising lamb for Niman Ranch since 1992.

Paul Willis on his free range hog farm - click here to take the tour!

Today, the Niman Ranch network has grown to include over 650 independent American farmers and ranchers. Whether they raise hogs, beef or lamb, they all share Niman Ranch's dedication to strict protocols and the belief that all-natural, humane and sustainable methods produce great flavor.

- Humanely Raised by the Largest Network of U.S. Family Farmers and Ranchers

- Never Given Antibiotics or Added Hormones - Ever

- Fed Only the Finest All Vegetarian Feeds

Going Beyond Natural:
We go beyond the USDA definition of natural (minimally processed - no artificial ingredients) because we believe it also means the animals have been raised humanely, without antibiotics or added hormones and fed an all natural vegetarian diet.  At Niman Ranch, “naturally raised” isn’t a trend. Naturally raised has been our business and our passion for over 30 years. Our mission has remained steadfast: to raise livestock traditionally, humanely, and sustainably to deliver the finest tasting meat in the world.

Breeds:
The finest tasting meat in the world starts with the finest breeds. To obtain the quality of marbling and tenderness that Niman Ranch pork has become famous for, we suggest our farmers raise a genetic cross of Durok, Berkshire and Chester White hogs. All of the cattle in the Niman Ranch program are from Angus breeds.

Feeds:
You care about what you and your family eat.  That’s why we care about what our animals eat too --and maybe more importantly what they don’t. All our livestock our fed all vegetarian feeds. They are never given added hormones, antibiotics or animal by-products - ever.

Animal Care:
We know that an animal’s quality of life impacts the quality of the meat we eat.  We have the strictest rules for how our livestock is raised. Our hogs spend their time out of doors and in deeply bedded pens, with continual access to fresh water and protection from the elements. Our cattle and lamb are raised on pasture and then finished on high quality feeds on lots where they are provided with plenty of space and access to water and feed.

Third Party Verification:
Niman Ranch is proud to have set the industry standard, for sustainable and humane practices. We are excited about our recent work with animal handling expert and renowned author Dr. Temple Grandin to further improve our program.