Oak Ridge Angus Ranch by Cheryl LaFranchi
Our speaker for October 19, 2023, was Cheryl LaFranchi, the manager and operator of Oak Ridge Angus, a sprawling 1,200-acre property located in Knights Valley along Highway 128. Cheryl is a third-generation rancher who currently raises a herd of about 400 head of Agnus cattle on the same ranch that her grandfather started in 1912! Cheryl is a graduate of Fresno State University, with a major in Economics.
Cheryl’s grandfather immigrated to the U.S. in 1888 and purchased the ranch property in 1912. Her father started a Future Farmers of America project in Calistoga with 2 Ayrshire cows in 1938! By 1960 the family had a world renowned herd of prized Ayrshires. After many years of dairy ranching, they concluded that the ranch was not ideal for dairy and in 1975 they decided to sell the dairy cows and start a beef ranch. Their top Ayrshire cow sold at that time was the first cow other than a Holstein to be supreme champion at the World Dairy Expo that year! They initially purchased Angus, Hereford, and short horn cattle but ultimately switched entirely to Angus. The Angus cattle turned out to be highly suited to the Knights Valley environment, and they’ve concentrated on raising and selling Angus beef since that time.
In 2011, Oak Ridge started purchasing a spent brewing ingredient called beer grain as a food source for their cattle. By 2014, they were purchasing 40,000 pounds of beer grain daily for their herd and the herd had grown significantly. At about the same time, Oak Ridge started a project with the Sonoma County Food Bank in which Oak Ridge donates beef to the Food Bank. They also receive donated cattle, often distressed animals from other farmers in the area, raise them to maturity, and donate those animals to the Food Bank. The original donors get a tax break for the donations and the Food Bank gets a much larger animal than they would have gotten had the distressed animal been given directly to the Food Bank. In 2018, Oak Ridge donated 22,000 pounds of ground beef to the food bank! Unfortunately, their initial supplier was Bear Republic, which ultimately went bankrupt, but the practice of using beer grain as feed has continued. They now get a reduced amount of beer grain from Lagunitas and they often by mix almond hulls with the grain to extend it.
Oak Ridge’s business was severely affected by the Kincaid Fire in November 2019. Most of the ranch was destroyed within an hour when the fire, which had been smoldering in the hills for several days, dropped into the valley and burned the barns, the shop, and other structures. The ranch has finally been rebuilt, but it took several years of effort and expense, and they are still in the process of recovery. The ranch now does lots of business with the Sonoma County Meat Company, headquartered on Sebastopol Avenue in Santa Rosa. This is the only retail location to buy Oak Ranch’s beef.
Thank you, Cheryl, for the presentation of the history and operations of such a wonderful business. Best of luck to you and the family while you continue to serve Sonoma County through your many community and business efforts. Well done!
Click HERE to view a limited time recording of Cheryl's presentation.
