The Niman Ranch Story
Niman Ranch started in the early 1970s, when Bill Niman began raising livestock on eleven acres in a small coastal town, just north of San Francisco. He raised his animals using traditional, humane husbandry methods and wholesome natural feeds. Before long, Bill began selling his beef to local grocery stores and to restaurants where chefs were asking to put the flavorful beef on their menus.
Bill recalls those days as "moving toward a future that looks more like the past"-a time when flavor and quality came first and farmers and ranchers were proud stewards of their animals and their land. The business grew steadily as word got around-and soon distribution spread throughout California and beyond.
A chef serving Niman Ranch beef introduced Bill to her cousin, Jeanne McCormack, a lamb farmer in California who raised lamb in the same way Bill raised cattle. Realizing they shared similar commitments and passions, Jeanne joined to become Niman Ranch's first lamb farmer in 1992.
In 1995, Jeanne introduced Bill to her friend, Paul Willis, owner of Willis Free Range Pig Farm in Iowa. Paul wanted 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. As demand for all-natural meats spread, Paul's deliciously tender, well-marbled pork found a ready market among chefs and food lovers.
Today, the Niman Ranch network has grown to include over 600 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.
All of us at Niman Ranch are committed to fulfilling the vision upon which the company was founded - to bring the finest tasting meat possible to customers while practicing the highest standards of animal husbandry and environmental stewardship. Whether you shop at our online store, buy our products at your local grocer, or enjoy them at your favorite restaurant, thank you for choosing Niman Ranch. It is your support that makes this vision a reality.