Gardiner Genetics Fuel Farm-to-Table Enterprises

Beef producers use superior cattle to sell premium beef.

By Paige Nelson

Editor’s Note: This article is Part I of a two-part series focusing on long time Gardiner Angus Ranch customers and cooperators successfully launching farm-to-table business ventures in 2021. We are grateful for their friendships, loyalty to GAR genetics and trust in a breeding system requiring discipline to consistently achieve high quality beef.

Farm-to-table has been trending upward for years. But for some reason, to the mainstream rancher, it seemed too elusive to be true.

Thanks in part to pandemic-induced supply chain disruptions and an overall desire from the consumer to source their food directly, what started as a slim slice of the consumer pie chart — those willing to put their money where

Today, beef producers with a premium product and a transparent story triumph. Meet four families successfully selling beef from the ranch.

Genetics

Anyone can sell backyard-raised beef to an unsuspecting customer once.

Acquiring return customers takes effort in all the right places. It starts with an elusive element — marbling. Thanks to the Gardiner Angus Ranch (GAR) commitment, marbling is maybe the one element that is guaranteed.

John and Joanie Grimes, owners of Maplecrest Farms, located near Hillsboro, Ohio, have been using Gardiner genetics since 1998. Today, they are a seedstock cooperator herd for GAR in addition to hosting their own successful Angus female sale in the fall.

Joanie’s family works hard to put together the best combination of carcass, genotype and phenotype in their cattle. She says the Gardiner genetics spectrum allows her to do just that.

As recently as five years ago, Shawn Sagrera from southern

Louisiana, began purchasing his first GAR bulls. He was introduced to Gardiner genetics through Dr. John Mazoch, Bueche, La.

“I knew Mazoch (a 35-year customer of GAR) was feeding cattle and getting 40% Prime and 60% Choice.” Sagrera wanted in.

From the start, his cow herd was a 50% Brahman crossbred base, and at the time, his load lots were only achieving 5% Prime.

Using Gardiner bulls ranking in the top 1% of the breed for marbling and Gardiner females in the top 3% for marbling, he’s achieving 30% Prime and increasing.