CALIFORNIA BEEF CATTLE IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION

Tom Bengard Ranches run cattle in 15 different locations throughout California and Southern Oregon.  Due to the mild Mediterranean climate, cattle are wintered on annual rangeland in Red Bluff (14,150 acres), Corning (2,000 acres), Hollister (4,800 acres), 2 locations in Chualar (4,500 acres) and 2 locations in Salinas (6,000 acres) California.  Depending on the ranch location and soil type, annual rangeland stocking rates vary from seven to 14 acres per animal unit for the six month winter season.  Summer feed consists of valley irrigated pasture and mountain meadow irrigated pasture in California at Burney (540 acres), Cottonwood (245 acres), Taylorsville (475 acres), Cresent Mills (1,300 acres), Quincy (640 acres), and Los Banos (300 acres).  Another summer ranch is also located in Fort Klamath (1,900 acres) Oregon. 

Between the mountain meadow and valley irrigated pastures, stocking rates for the six-month summer grazing season average two and a half acres per animal unit.  All hauling of cattle is done by the ranch itself to maximize efficiency and limit exposure by outside cattle.  In the last six years, intensive forage management has increased forage utilization to the point, that even in drought years; no forage/hay nutritional supplement is given.  A complete mineral mix, specifically designed to target deficiencies in the grazing areas, is given on both summer and winter ground (selenium, copper, phosphorus, zinc, etc.).

The ranch is a cow/calf operation that retains weaned calves through yearlings.  The ranch currently runs 1,800 individually identified Angus mother cows in a closed herd with only top Angus breeder bulls being brought in to sire the cows.  Annually, they retain 400 replacement heifers that are bred within a 60-day breeding and subsequent calving season.  Yearlings are marketed in two groups with individual identifications remaining through harvest.  The first group is marketed in the fall at 15 months of age with steers weighing an average of 850 lbs. and heifers weighing 750 lbs.  The second group is held over to the following spring. 

Yearlings are marketed in a natural program through an alliance where meat is sold in high-end retail outlets and restaurants.  Special orders can also be made and shipped direct through online purchasing options.  Ending carcass quality and yield, as well as feedlot data is collected and returned for performance and price incentive evaluation.