Running M Ranch

All Natural Black Angus Beef

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: How much Running M Ranch beef should I order?
Answer: A typical family (2-4 people) that eats a moderate amount of Beef (3-4 times per week) will generally consume ½ to ¾ of a beef per year.

Question: How much freezer space will I need?
Answer: The rule of thumb is 1 cc ft of freezer space will hold about 30 - 45 lbs of meat. Therefore, to hold a whole beef one should have approximately 15 - 20 cc/ft of freezer space. A typical upright or chest freezer should be adequate, but please be sure to check.

Question: How much is shipping to my home?
Answer: Shipping rates are constantly changing. We use a number of different carriers to make sure you get your beef at the most reasonable rate. All we need is your address and zip code to get a quote. Just call us at (719) 485-BEEF or email us at runningmranch@socolo.net and we will get you a quote.

Question: Is the Running M Ranch beef “Certified Organic Beef”?
Answer: We strongly support organic farming principles and follow most organic farm/ranch practices; however we are not “Certified Organic”. We have three issues that cause us to deviate from using “Certified Organic”.

First, the term “Certified Organic” is trademarked and in order to use the term legally we must pay a pretty hefty royalty. This is unfortunate in that small family owed farms and ranches are most often financially unable to use the term to describe their product.
Second, on farms and ranches that are “Certified Organic” antibiotics are generally forbidden to be on the farm or ranch. While we do not use antibiotics in any of the beef we market, we insist on having the very best medical care available for our cattle. If necessary, we will use antibiotics to treat an animal. When the animal is well it is removed from the herd.
Finally, for our beef to be “Certified Organic”, all the feed that we give our livestock is required to be “Certified Organic”. There is currently a shortage of “Certified Organic” grain in this country, making feeding only “Certified Organic” feeds particularly difficult. We believe a better use of those limited grains would be direct human consumption. However, the grain we buy is purchased directly from neighboring farmers that we know share our belief in environmental stewardship and follow the same principles but are also unable to afford the cost of “Certification”.

Question: What is the difference between your beef and “Grass Fed Beef”?
Answer: The typical “Grass Fed Beef” is left on pasture exclusively until slaughtered and eat only grass that can be grazed. While our cattle are predominantly on pasture there are two main differences.
-First, depending on the time of the year the nutritional content of the native forage can vary. This requires the conscientious animal steward to supplement the native forage for optimal performance. Failure to supplement the native grass based forage can result in a major nutritional deficiency in “Grass Fed” cattle.
-Second, “Grass Fed Beef” lacks the finishing process that adds tenderness and marbling to the meat. Typically people selling “Grass Fed Beef” will promote the leanness and “unique” flavor. Generally, the “Grass Fed Beef” will be leaner, but will also be much tougher. Further, the fat that is present often has a yellowish/green tint and has an undesirable flavor. The most often used comparison of “Grass Fed Beef” is to compare it to wild game meat such as deer and elk. If you prefer a well marbled and tender cut of beef then you will thoroughly enjoy Running M Ranch all natural Black Angus beef.

Question: What is “Free Range Beef”?
Answer: This is an unusual term used to define cattle, but it is starting to be used more often. Typically, in other industries such as chicken or pork it means raised in a minimum amount of space and not in a cage. I have never seen cattle raised in a cage so the definition is a little hard to pin down. From what I have been able to find out it means that the cattle are raised with a minimum of 200 sq. ft. per animal. Our cattle are almost exclusively on pasture with hundreds of acres to roam. So according to the adobe definition they are “Free Range”.

Question: Does Running M Ranch sell other all natural products?
Answer: Yes. While beef production is our primary focus, we also raise a limited amount of pork. We take the very same care in raising pork as we do our beef. Please click Ordering for price information.