Chef Kevin Davis is a man with a mission, and one of those is source wisely so he knows everything he serves you is, not only the highest quality, but is also grown or farmed with ethical practices and with sustainability in mind. He makes a point of getting out to meet the local growers and farmers, and in between time forage for his own food, such as nettles and mushrooms.
Recently he traveled to Royal City, WA, to visit Royal Ranch and find out more about why his beef was getting such rave reviews from his customers. Austin Allred, his sister, Ashlee and cowboy Tyler, took us on a tour of the farm, revealing a story deeply entrenched in family values, sustainability, care for the environment, their stock and their land.
In the following video, Austin explains their carbon and traceability program.
The story begins in 1962 when Wells and Loriol Allred had the opportunity to purchase land in Royal City in a grant program, the GI Bill for veterans, with 6 sons and 1 daughter in tow. There were many trials and hardships working arid soil under harsh conditions – extreme heat to snow and all in between, but they had determination and prevailed. Over 50 years later, the majority of Wells and Loriol’s posterity still live in the basin, four of whom have branched out and are farming individually throughout the basin., farming potatoes, apples, cherries, corn, of hay, beans, peas, asparagus, and more.
Three generations of Allred’s. From right, Wells, his son, Jerry, Austin’s Dad – cherry, potato and more farmer, grandsons Andy, a local farmer, Bryan raises cattle and has an orchard in Royal, Derek who runs a packing shed in Quincy.
In 2006 Well’s son Jerry purchased a dairy operation, Royal Dairy, then in 2016, his son Austin took over the dairy and ptook over Royal Ranch, which works side by side with the existing Allred Farms, buying feed to create milk, meat and manure. In turn, recycling compost and worm castings back to the soil for the next crop. It has always been Royal Ranch’s goal to produce food sustainably so that they can continue the legacy that Wells and Loriol started years ago and for many generations to come.
Austin’s goal was to create a full cycle farm, with rotation crops and grazing land, so they were always feeding the nutrients in the soil, never depleting it. In turn, the process has contributed to the farm becoming carbon neutral. His determination, core ethics and hard work have meant that Royal Ranch has set an example that farms can be an important part of the greenhouse gas solution — in part by preventing the formation of certain greenhouse gases and boosting the capacity of his soil to draw down and sequester atmospheric carbon.
Another exciting aspect of the farm is a water filtration system using worms and their complex digestive systems. Water containing cow manure and urine filter through the beds containing worms, wood chips and rocks, producing filtered water ready to irrigate crops. This has produced the largest dairy wastewater treatment facility in the US and creating worm manure containing nutrition and bacteria to replenish the farming soil.
This video captures the family history, worm farm and a comprehensive picture of Royal Farming Family at work.
And just to make sure Kevin sees the full cattle raising program, he has him assist on a birthing, to enjoy his experience, click here!
And here is how the meat turns up for diners at Canyon River Grill!
First chef cuts the rib eye to portion size:
Next it goes on the grill
And finally, ready to be served to you, on a bed of roasted potatoes, with braised mushrooms, deep fried onion and parsley and finished with a nice rich jus.
