Up your summer grill game with Royal Ranch

“I've never lost a taste test.”

That’s the kind of statement that immediately sets your mouth watering — wanting to sink your teeth into a steak to see for yourself. 

Austin Allred, the founder and owner of Royal Ranch, is confident, and rightly so. He backs it up with a generational connection to the land and innovative, boundary-pushing science, bringing the highest-quality beef to your plate.

Austin’s grandparents, Wells and Loriol Allred, started Royal Family Farms back in 1962 growing row crops like beans, alfalfa, and beets in the Columbia Basin. Eventually, that expanded to potatoes, apples, and cherries, across thousands of acres. That lifestyle was passed to their son Jerry Allred and his wife Chriss Niessner — Austin’s parents. Today, he carries on their legacy — and sets an example for his own children — with each and every early morning and hard day of work.

A lot has changed in agriculture over 63 years though, and when Austin started his cattle operation, he did so with sustainability in mind, looking for ways to incorporate the family’s fruit and vegetable operations, plus Royal Dairy, into a regenerative, closed loop.

“It really comes down to reducing dependency on outside resources,” he said. “Being able to grow food using God's natural systems, without buying synthetic fertilizers.” That means feeding the herd a diverse diet, focusing not only on their well-being (which, in turn, creates nutrient-dense and better-tasting meat) but also increasing the health of the soil through their manure. 

Vermiculture, the cultivation of worms to produce compost, takes that practice one step further. “A worm eats one positive microbe and turns it into four or five,” Allred said. “We're also filtering hundreds of thousands of gallons of wastewater a day through five acres of worm beds.” That biodynamic aerobic system removes about 90% of the nitrogen, 70% of the phosphorus, and about half of the potassium, cutting down on pollution while lowering greenhouse gas emissions. 

“There's that element of knowing that from top to bottom, all the way through the supply chain, you have complete holistic stewardship,” he said. Transparency starts before the cow is even conceived. “With the typical beef rancher, they're going to focus their genetics on just growing fast, to turn around and sell in six months,” he said. Royal Ranch instead prioritizes traits that emphasize beef with better marbling, appetizing texture, and of course, superior flavor. 

At the other end of the cow’s life, they are processed locally at Royal Pack, giving the farm full control of the offal. “We want the blood. We want the carcasses. We want the bones,” Allred said.
”Every component is valuable, and if we're not eating it, then the plants need to eat it.” More localized transportation reduces the carbon footprint, maintains the animals’ comfort, and preserves the freshness of the meat.

You may already be familiar with Royal Ranch’s products if you’ve eaten at a Seattle Kraken game, as the ranch is an official partner of Climate Pledge Arena. The Restaurant & Terrace Bar at Salish Lodge includes the New York strip steak, filet mignon, and bone-in ribeye on its new menu. It’s also a mainstay at Anthony’s Restaurants. “We source all of our ingredients with intention and hold ourselves to the highest standards,” explained Executive Chef Pat Donahue. “Royal Ranch exemplifies those same values, delivering consistent, top-quality beef through their sustainable practices. As a fellow family-owned company, they’re a natural partner for us.”

In early April, Royal Ranch opened a new restaurant, market, and butcher shop in Vantage called The Ranch by Royal Family Farming, serving burgers, fries, and milkshakes. Everything on the menu is under $10. 

With barbecuing weather just around the corner, you can find Royal’s meats in Oregon’s Market of Choice, the company’s largest retail partner. Gift boxes and a la carte options from prime rib and filet mignon to ribeye and chuck roast are available online. 

Can’t decide on a cut? Take a tip from the expert. “I'm a really big fan of the Mexican carne asada. You know, the thin sliced beef that you can cook up super easily,” Allred said. “You don't have to cook it for long, so you don't hurt the beef. It's usually a lot cheaper too.”