What are the first images that pop into your head when you think of Austin?
For natives and newcomers alike, longhorns, cowboy boots, and Stetsons are among the first images that come to mind. These symbols may not be adequate representations of all things Austin today (perhaps we should add bicycles, tight black jeans, and plaid shirts?) but they do have their place in Austin’s history as part of a ranching community.
The image that I have of ranch life is a romanticized one, but one that I probably share with anyone who has ever watched a western. Now that I live only minutes away from ranches that stretch across the horizon, I wanted to take the opportunity to learn more about this Texas industry and how it is continuing to evolve.
On a sunny February morning, I sat down for tea with Wild Type Ranch owner, Sara Faivre-Davis. I found myself talking to a well educated, hard working rancher who manages the impossible task of holding to her ideals without compromising the reality of her business or her family. Sara can talk about genetics, technology, and economics just as easily as she can talk about the importance of mindfulness, compassion, and respect for life. It is almost intimidating to talk to Sara about her work, but it is inspiring as well.
Just five years ago, Sara Faivre-Davis was running an agriculture-biotech company in Austin. Successful but sleepless, Sara awoke at 3 AM to find herself questioning her dream of opening a ranch with philanthropic aims for children. “I realized I was a pretty big hypocrite if I waited until we had the money and did that for somebody else’s kids and didn’t do it for my own”. Five years later, the ranch is three hundred and thirty three acres with fifty female cows and harvesting one beef animal a week, with most of the females and about ten percent of the males being raised as reproductive animals.
Even amid the recent economic turmoil, the ranch has been successful and has even seen its profits growing. Smart business moves like lowering prices on value cuts like ground beef and stew meat, as well as stepping up advertising and online communication have helped the business. Sara also credits movies like “Food, Inc” and the general trend of locavoirism for their recent success.
More important than any trend, it is the quality of their product that is bringing Wild Type’s customers back again and again. The ranch specializes in both Red and Black Angus (the two are genetically identical save for hair color, who knew?) that is grass fed, supplemented with feed only when necessary and to provide good marbling. Organic? Not a chance. Sara refuses to compromise her cattle’s health: “If an animal is sick I’m going to give it medicine”, she says without question. “We do what’s best for our animals. We do what’s best for our family. We do what’s best for the quality of our product”.
The way Sara speaks about her animals is intriguing; words like “harvest” appear where “slaughter” is common and “process” has become acceptable. It’s not a gimmick; it’s just how Wild Type Ranch operates. “We name all of our animals […] every animal on our place is raised for a purpose”. Even Sara’s sons take part in the tastings conducted before a harvest is put on the market; the lessons learned around this dinner table are about respect as much as they are about flavor.
So what about flavor? What does our rancher recommend? For something tried and true, a rib eye on the grill. For something versatile, anything with ground beef, because grass fed ground beef is like nothing you've tried before. Finally, for something really special, beef carpaccio (photo coming soon).
Ranching today is not as it was in my head, but I don’t find that disappointing. If anything, I am glad to know that this industry is still alive, growing, changing, and that cowboy boots and hats will always be required.
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