Welcome! I’m so happy you’re here!

You’re probably also here because you want to nourish your family with the highest-quality meat, actually connect with your rancher, and understand where your food comes from. You understand the importance of investing in the regenerative mission.

1898 Ranch is a family-owned ranch in Estelline, SD, just a few minutes off of I-29. Rusty & Amber Brandsrud, along with their 6 children, raise angus cattle and khatadin sheep.

We understand the struggles of living a busy life while still trying to eat healthy food and live a healthy lifestyle. Whether you are a busy parent with sports most evenings or you are one single person overcoming health struggles, the meat raised on 1898 Ranch will be sure to satisfy your needs. Did you know we provide recipes and ideas on how to save time cooking while not sacrificing any flavor?!

189 Ranch focuses on living with nature by managing the livestock based on how the grasses grow. By using multiple species and rotating the animals around on paddocks, the soil health is constantly being improved for future generations, which just happens to produce the best tasting meat around.

Our goals are to:

• raise animals and plants ethically while having a low input.
• improve soil health every year.
• sell our meat directly to consumers, therefore reducing costs and ensuring the costumer knows exactly what they are paying for.
• work with other ranchers and farmers to source as much food locally to our customers as we can.
• work with other ranchers and farmers on improving soil health on their land.

At 1898 Ranch, we are dedicated to regenerative ranching practices. What does this mean exactly?

To “regenerate” means to bring back to life, or more simply put, “to heal”. And, our mission is exactly this.

• We make holistic decisions, knowing that our decisions affect the land, ecosystems, animals (both wild and domestic), families, communities, customers, and future generations.
• We practice natural animal husbandry. This means that we calve with the grass later in the spring when the weather is cooperative to the animals starting their lives.
• We care about wildlife, working with them instead of against them.
• We practice low-stress livestock handling and keep our livestock happy, moving them in a natural way.
• We practice rotational grazing which grazes pastures at appropriate intervals for land and pasture improvement. This builds topsoil in watersheds and grasses which naturally out-compete noxious weeds.

When we prioritize the seasonality of the grasses and the animal grazing on the perennial grasses, we can actually harvest animals with a way higher nutrient density that’s also way better tasting and juicier. So when the animals are working in union with the earth, this actually directly benefits you, in bringing you the best meat, and it’s why prioritizing and buying into the season matters!

FAQs

What are your animals fed?

The animals raised on 1898 Ranch are grazed on pasture grass in the months that the grazing allows it. During winter, the livestock are fed a quality hay. We also provide nutrient tubs to give them the additional vitamins & minerals they need. We don’t feed any corn or grains.

We know that health is contagious. The best way to get quality health starts by feeding the meat quality products. The animals also receive free choice minerals.

Please be aware that our grass finished beef does have a long waiting list as the time to produce them takes quite a bit to finish. If you would like to get on it now, please email [email protected]

Are you certified organic?

No, we aren’t USDA certified organic, but we are organically minded and raise our animals with organic standards. This means we don’t feed antibiotics or use added growth hormones or steroids. While we do use a lot of organic practices, from time to time, we understand the need to use conventional products. This is done rarely, as we first try holistic practices to fix any issues that may arise. If for some reason an animal needs conventional medicine or product, that meat will not be sold to our customers.