SAVE THE PLANET

Regenerating, Revolutionizing Ranching!

The Gatlins are Bringing Science, Health, and the Environment Together on the Dinner Table

IF YOU COULD BE A PART OF CHANGING THIS WORLD FOR THE BETTER, WOULDN’T YOU?

Gatlin Ranch in Liberty Hill was founded on the idea that cattle are actually for the climate, not against it. While sisters Meagan and Jo Gatlin grew up learning and working in conventional agriculture, they saw the future for the industry and set themselves on a mission to sustain life, regenerate climate and earth, and create a community of people who are deeply connected to their food. Fortunately, their mission to help the environment and the cattle industry also means good food and great family experiences for the rest of us.

IT’S ABOUT FAMILY

The Gatlin family is now in its third generation of ranchers, having learned traditional ranching from their dad and grandfather, “Pop.” Over the past 30 years, their latest generation has been adapting and evolving operations to incorporate different feeding approaches and regenerative agriculture methods. At the same time, as they worked and managing daily operations, Meagan and Jo gained a thorough understanding of proper care and respect for livestock. Jo says, “We’re not a company, we’re a community; we’ve always joked that Dad ran cows like modern-day hippies—with great love and respect. The Ranch has been such a sacred and special place for Meagan and I growing up and we want to share that with our community.”

IT’S ABOUT HEALTH

The amount of research on grass-fed and finished beef is overwhelming. The main consensus is that grass-fed and finished beef has a more ideal Omega 3 fatty acid to Omega 6 Fatty Acid ratio. This represents a reduction in the amounts of free radicals in our diets, which means greater wellness over time. As well, research shows changing the diet of a cow to grain or corn can increase the acidity in its stomach, which not only causes discomfort for the cow but can also lead to more resistant strains of bacteria that can be harmful to humans who eventually consume the beef.

IT’S ABOUT THE SCIENCE

The Gatlins believe revolutionizing the beef industry is as simple as starting with a network of regenerative farms and ranches across the nation.

Jo explains, “Most people have heard of the 1930s Dust Bowl, the first man-made weather catastrophe the world had ever known. After years of mono-crop farming, feedlots, and other conventional practices had stripped the land of its natural vegetation and root systems—the glue that keeps our soil moist, healthy, and fertile—massive dust storms scraped the mid-West and almost left the middle of the country a desert waste land.”

Over time, farmers and scientists learned when there are healthy, developed root systems, greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are absorbed into root nodes and other microorganisms that live in fertile soil. These are known as ‘carbon sinks’—places where massive amounts of carbon are able to be sequestered out of the atmosphere and back into the soil to be used as nutrients.

Regenerative and Sustainable practices simply acknowledge the lessons of the Dust Bowl and incorporate systems and processes that regenerate the land for better soil health. Among the most popular practices is pasture rotation; i.e., rotating livestock through smaller paddocks over shorter periods of time, which halts overgrazing that can destroy root systems and lead to desertification.

IT’S ABOUT FARMING

Growing up in a legacy business, the sisters’ have always had a strong sense of the short- and long-term effects of conventional agriculture as it supported their family, and how sustainable farming could lead them into the future. “We are passionate about finding solutions in the beef industry that will leave this planet happier and healthier. While people on both sides argue the relative merits of climate culture, Gatlin Ranch is actually doing the work—using cattle to restore land and soil to the point where root systems and soil life can hold massive carbon sinks. This means we are taking what would otherwise be emitted into the atmosphere and placing the carbon back into our soil to be used as food for vegetation.”

Jo says Sustainable Farming is a bit of an umbrella term; “The best way to describe it, is that it is a form of land management that leaves the earth healthier for future generations of our family and yours.”

COMING SOON...

Next Spring, Gatlin Ranch will be launching Farm to Table dinners in one of their expansive pastures. Meagan says, “We believe it will be an experience unlike any other.” Diners can sign up at GatlinRanchCattle@gmail.com

ENJOY GATLIN RANCH BEEF

Gatlin Ranch ships nationwide from GatlinRanch.com Free pick-ups and $5 shipping in Central Texas

IN PERSON...

See Jo and Meagan at the Wolf Ranch Farmers Market on Saturdays and the Santa Rita Farmers Market on Sundays

FAMILY FUN

FREE hayrides the last Sunday of each month 4101 County Road 207 Liberty Hill (512) 584-7787

Updates from "Where Love Resides"

Donation Sparks New Bunkhouse for Living Grace Canine Ranch

Whether caring for senior dogs, effecting change, or educating new generations of pet parents, Rhonda Minardi is on mission to help undervalued canines live their best lives. Her goal was accelerated thanks to a substantial donation from local business and civic leader Jack Garey.

A fellow dog lover, Jack was touched by a story about Rhonda's vision of a 501(c)(3) sanctuary for displaced senior dogs on five acres in Bertram. Living Grace Canine Ranch is a permanent home for dogs labeled “adoption undesirable” or orphaned. All senior dogs are welcomed regardless of breed or challenges, and they find security, comfort, nourishment, unconditional love, and companionship. "It's an admirable thing she's doing, and I wanted to help out," Jack says.

Jack and his son toured Living Grace while Rhonda described her vision of caring for dogs disregarded by society due to old age or illness. "Whether dogs or people, seniors are disregarded as if they have no value any more," Rhonda says. "If dogs can only tell their stories, if we sit down and talk to older people, all they've gone through in their life just to be abandoned . . . It happens every day. That bothers me. Living Grace Canine Ranch is going to do everything we can to make these senior dogs' lives enjoyable."

After experiencing Living Grace, Jack told Rhonda, "Anyone can make a website look good. You are the real deal." Rhonda remembers the tears in his eyes as he said, "I'll help you."

Thanks to his donation, Garey's Big Dog Bunkhouse is expected to open mid-September and house up to 30 large canines. "We didn't expect to be starting on another building this quickly. It's amazing. I'm honored the Lord chose me to do this. He entrusted me with all these little lives because he knows we will do the right thing," she says.

BRIGHT FUTURE

There are 34 residents at Living Grace Canine Ranch, and Rhonda has a heart for each orphan, emotional cripple, or medically needy dog seeking a quality life. "Unlike an animal shelter environment, it takes time to build a trusting relationship between human caregivers and old dogs of need,” she says. “As a nonprofit, we rely on ranch volunteers committed to sharing their love every week."

As a grandmother to three young children, she is excited about a volunteer collaborative children's storybook available in time for Christmas. "Our mission is to save, serve, and elevate senior dog's lives. I'm hoping planting and fostering seeds of compassion at young ages will improve animal cruelty laws in Texas and encourage public awareness for humane animal treatment and conditions,” she says.

LIFE-SAVING MISSION

As a long-term alternative lifestyle solution to reduce traditional animal shelters' financial and space burdens, Living Grace hopes to become a model. "Living Grace Canine Ranch exists because Texas animal shelters euthanize 60 percent of senior dogs, regardless of low-cost treatable health conditions. To end pain and suffering is one thing, but to take a life, simply to save money or because it's most convenient, is morally wrong," Rhonda says.

“We're setting the bar high here.

Think of us as the canine version for your parent's assisted living needs. We're taking it up a notch and inviting traditional animal welfare organizations and government agencies to think broader.”

Living Grace asks for prayers, public financial assistance, and business sponsorships to help unwanted senior canines flourish in their golden years. To donate or volunteer, visit livinggracecanineranch.org.