Hi, my name is Ashley and I work for my family’s cow- calf operation.
I was raised in rural Nevada and love every aspect that the western life has to offer. There’s not much more that I love than a view of miles of sage on the back of a horse trailing cows.
It all began with an idea.
During my time city-living while in college, I realized there was a vast number of people who were unaware of how their food made its way to their table. Along with that they had many misconceptions of what ranchers do to care for cattle. Thus the idea of creating a beef direct business began to brew in my head.
That’s all it was for awhile, just a dream stored safely in my brain. When the world shut down and so many were worried about food security, I knew I had to see my plan to fruition.
I want people to know their rancher, know how their food is raised, and have faith in us that we are providing them food that is good for both them and the environment.
About the Cattle
Over 75% of Nevada is public land, which means we, as a state, have a lot of open spaces for everyone to enjoy! My family is fortunate enough to have a few leases that allow (permit) us to raise our cattle on these public lands. Our cattle spend 7 months of the year grazing natural forage (grasses and shrubs) in the Pinenut Mountain Range. During the summer, they head to the Sweetwater Mountain Range, but no matter where they roam, they are receiving the best of care and living their best cow life!
About the Beef
My family has a cow-calf operation. What that means is we have a herd of cows, every year they raise a calf, when the calf is old enough we wean and sell them. We keep a few heifers to continually add into our herd, and the whole cycle repeats itself.
This is where Big Dipper Beef comes in.
After the calves have been weaned and are at the yearling stage, I purchase them from my family to enter into my beef program. They will spend a few more months on pasture before they start receiving grain added into the diet. Grain insures the animal is gaining a proper amount of weight and converting that into muscle. This is what gives Big Dipper beef superior marbling and flavor you won’t find in the grocery store!
