Photo courtesy Whole Foods

Gary and Lauren Nitschke’s Circle N Ranch is 3,100 acres of gently rolling hills and forest. A creek wanders through it from north to south and wildlife abounds. The core of Circle N Ranch has been in Gary Nitschkes family for more than 50 years, and the family has added to it as land became available. Today, Circle N Ranch’s cattle roam the ranch on pasture and Gary and Lauren sell their beef under the private label “Nitschke Natural Beef-All Pasture All the Time.”

The Nitschke’s take pride in creating a natural, low-stress environment for their cattle, making sure the cattle are handled carefully and with respect. All calves are born and raised on the ranch with their herd-mates and there is always a plentiful supply of healthy pastures. Being Animal Welfare Approved aligns with their vision, says Lauren. “We appreciate the standards because we want to treat our animals correctly and this is a way to assure our customers we do just that. The seal is also meaningful to them because it’’s a great endorsement of our way of doing business.”