Why We're Not Certified Organic

Because we are located in the Permian Basin area of West Texas it would be impossible as a practical matter to certify any of our ranches as organic. The reason being is that we have an ever-present drought and the oil field requires a variety of chemicals to treat and process their products. There is little we, as ranchers, can do to limit the oil company’s use of chemicals.

One of the management practices that our family has adopted over many years of ranching here in West Texas is to have the flexibility to move cattle between ranches during periods of drought. If we were to certify organic, we would have to restrict activities on many sections of ranchland located in several counties.

Another challenge of ranching in the desert is the presence of several species of plants that are toxic to livestock. In order to control these plants, many of which are not native to this area, we are required to utilize herbicides. Organic would take away that option and cause us to lose cattle to these toxic plants.

Our cattle have access to all of the fresh air, nutritious grasses, clean water, and the finest mineral supplements that they care to eat. When we work our livestock, we take care not to cause undue stress to them. It is our best interest to have contented cattle, because if they are stressed, they don’t gain weight.

Benefits of Spanish Cattle

Longhorn and Corriente cattle were introduced to the New World from Spain over five centuries ago. After the Civil War, the men who fought came home to Texas to find Longhorns thriving in the brush and thickets. Many ranches began with a “long” rope and a “hot” branding iron. These Longhorn cattle received the name “Texas Longhorn” when they were driven up the trail from Texas to the Kansas railhead.

Because of their heritage, Spanish cattle are an environmentally friendly breed adapted to the desert. They are able to travel long distances to search for water and grass, and don’t require supplemental feeding. Their natural resistance to diseases of all types means that Spanish cattle require no antibiotics in their life cycle.

Most of the grain that is fed to Longhorn cattle goes directly into producing muscle not fat. In fact, a study by Clemson University revealed that Longhorn / Corriente beef is lower in total fat and saturated fatty acids than Angus and Hereford beef. Numerous other studies have shown Longhorn beef to be lower in cholesterol than mainstream beef. This results in a leaner, lower fat meat for today’s health conscious consumer. This is good news for people who need to limit their fat intake, but still want to include red meat in their diet.