SRF BLOG

Future Forward - How we work to be more sustainable. For Snake River Farms, sustainable practices are more than marketing. They’re a treasured responsibility. Sustainability is a term many companies use as a marketing buzzword, but its true meaning goes well beyond recycling and walking to work. For a business, the core idea of sustainability is to structure their company to fulfill the needs of people today without compromising the needs of future generations. As the world’s population has increased, so has the demand for more sustainable practices. On a practical level, as more homes are built in areas traditionally used for agriculture, there is less land available for food production. As an agricultural company, Agri Beef, the parent company of Snake River Farms, has a special responsibility to create the most sustainable practices possible. Our company is involved in every step of beef production from start to finish, allowing us the unusual opportunity to have a larger total impact on the entire process.   Carbon Footprint One of the simplest ways for companies to decrease their environmental impact is through the purchase of carbon offset credits. A carbon offset credit is a transferable instrument certified to represent reduction of a specific amount of greenhouse gases (GHGs). A company that purchases an offset credit can claim the underlying reduction toward their own GHG  reduction goals.  Carbon offset credits do offer a real value, but a downside is the possibility for a company to purchase them, show a reduction in GHGs, and make no actual changes to their business practices. With an eye to becoming a truly sustainable company, we chose to dig deeper. The first step for Agri Beef and Snake River Farms was conducting a life cycle assessment to understand and measure the actual carbon footprint (the amount of GHGs generated) of our beef production. This includes factors like water usage, waste avenues, and emissions. This investment in time and money established a baseline for each part of our beef production and allows us to measure true progress. Using this baseline, our team has identified and implemented changes to our processes to significantly reduce our company’s total carbon footprint. Our sustainability program includes four core pillars: ranching, feeding, processing, and community. Sustainability programs create better use of natural resources and make our business more efficient. In addition to the environmental benefits, efficiency has a positive economic impact. Altogether, the hard work and cost to develop a more sustainable company makes sense for the long-term health and viability of Snake River Farms and our customers.    Ranching Ranching is the first step of the beef life cycle and is where the Western lifestyle is on full display. Our cattle are born and raised on family owned-and-operated ranches throughout the greater Pacific Northwest. We’ve nurtured relationships with many of these hard-working families for multiple generations. As part of our sustainability program, our company is focused on strengthening the livelihood and economic viability of our partners. Working with well-managed and caring ranches ensures land stewardship by using key programs like rotational grazing and practicing the highest level of animal health and handling.   Sustainability in Action: Producer Grant Program Ranchers, or producers, are the foundation of our success. The Producer Grant Program is a five-year initiative that reimburses ranches for projects related to sustainability, environmental stewardship, animal welfare, and the preservation of the Western lifestyle. Agri Beef is dedicated to supporting our ranching partners and preserving the Western way of life. The Producer Grant Program is a tangible way for us to work together with ranching families to develop sustainability at the local level.    Feeding The first step to produce beautifully marbled beef is sourcing cattle with superior genetics. These cattle have a history of scoring high on the USDA scale. Once secured, we raise them with strict and humane animal welfare practices. Advanced nutrition is critical to our success and to the health of our animals. An example is adding steam-flaked corn to their rations. This is an easily digested food source, which naturally reduces the time it takes to bring cattle to market. The shortened time frame reduces the amount of GHGs produced by our operations. Eating local isn’t just a popular trend for people. Our cattle enjoy the benefits of farm-fresh meals, too. We develop relationships with local farmers to support the regional economy, which in turn minimizes our fuel usage.   Sustainability in Action: Synergy with Local Farms We’re working with local farmers to revisit time-honored techniques and create a comprehensive solution to shared problems. In Washington, we’ve initiated a program where we process the manure organic compost from our feeding operation. Farmers use the fertile, nutrient-rich organic material to replace expensive conventional fertilizers manufactured from petroleum. We work with local farmers to create a win-win scenario that allows them to replace expensive chemicals and provides us with nutritious feed for our cattle.  Farms near us grow beans, a crop susceptible to mold. Chemical fungicides are commonly used to control this problem. Our joint program employs a cover crop called triticale, a hybrid grain of wheat and rye. The grain is planted in alternate rows and naturally controls mold. We purchase the harvested triticale and add it to our cattle rations. This out-of-the-box thinking draws from old-world techniques and is an example of how we create sustainable systems with environmental and economic benefits.   Processing Agri Beef owns and operates its own USDA-approved processing facility in Toppenish, Washington. Food safety is a top priority. To meet our high standards and to sell our beef in international markets where food safety requirements exceed those in the United States, we are Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) certified. GFSI is recognized as the gold standard of food safety audits, and certification exceeds the strict requirements of the USDA.   Our facility requires a large amount of water, so our team has implemented systems to reclaim and reuse water to lower the overall usage and reduce energy requirements. Tallow is a natural beef by-product, and we provide it in multiple food and industrial grades ranging from the same basic ingredient your great-great-grandmother might have created to make soap to technical tallow, a highly refined product that can be used as biofuel to better utilize our resources.   Sustainability in Action: The Biodome Our wastewater system uses an aerobic lagoon with a microbial population that naturally breaks down solid matter. A by-product of this step is the production of methane (a greenhouse gas). Instead of releasing GHGs into the atmosphere, the lagoon is covered with a biodome to capture these emissions. The gas is purified to remove contaminants and water vapor and is pumped to a boiler system to heat water used in our plant.    Community Agri Beef is a large employer in the communities where our businesses are based. We make every effort to be a good employer and a good neighbor by creating safe work environments and offering fair wages and competitive benefits. But our commitment also extends to creating a culture of caring and success. We support local schools and organizations, just like any friendly neighbor would. Agri Beef prioritizes programs that support child and family services, food insecurity, and education (with an emphasis on the agricultural field). Our company is also involved in the beef industry through national organizations.    Sustainability in Action: Beef Counts In 2010, Agri Beef partnered with local ranchers, feeders, industry associations, and food banks to create a program to provide beef to families in need in Idaho and Washington, the states where our business operations are located. Food banks are often in short supply of high-quality protein, and the need for beef has increased in recent years. Our employees volunteer at food banks to sort, box, and distribute products to the community through mobile pantries. We have been a part of contributing over 4.5 million servings of beef and have donated over $1.2 million in cash to the program.  

A Family Affair- the people who bring SRF to your table share what's on theirs.  Why do we spend weeks spooning masa into corn husks, baking more sugar cookies than the entire U.S. Army could eat, or cracking dozens of eggs into vats of eggnog? Why go to so much trouble for a meal that will last 12 or 15 minutes, at most? Because it's tradition. Your mom did it. So did her mom, and her mom before her, and her mom before her, stretching back all the way to some distant past we've only seen in black-and-white pictures. Or maybe before that, even. Who knows! It’s a tradition. And tradition is the glue that binds families together. This year, we asked our Snake River Farms family members about their must-do holiday routines. And you know what? We discovered all traditions celebrate the same thing: the simple joy of being together.   Lydia Rangel | Sales Brand Manager, Agri Beef | Boise, Idaho What's Bigger in Your House: Christmas or Christmas Eve? Christmas Eve is what we celebrate the most in my family. It’s a celebration that the Baby Jesus is going to be born, so in most Mexican households, the 24th is big! I’m first-generation Mexican and my family is Catholic, so a lot of our traditions came from my mom and dad’s culture.    Do You Have Any Family Traditions? We put a nativity scene together and assign godparents for the Baby Jesus. From the 24th to the 6th of January, the godparents are responsible for dressing the baby — a little handmade suit or sometimes little shoes and gloves. It sounds weird or strange to people, but normal to us.    What's Your Must-Have Christmas Food? We make both pork and beef tamales on Christmas Eve. We use Snake River Farms Kurobuta pork shoulders for the tamales. It’s a lot of work, but it’s fun because everybody is doing it. You spend time around the kitchen table, giving each other crap and listening to loud music, because that’s just what we do.     Nate Duyn | Fabrication Manager, True West Beef | Jerome, Idaho Why Do You Love Christmas? I met my wife in high school, and her family owns a Christmas tree farm in Oregon. So, Christmas trees were a big part of our lives then and now. These days my wife and I still pick out our own tree. We go big. There are no fake trees in our world.    What Holiday Tradition Do You Look Forward To? Every year since I was a kid, my Aunt Joan has given me an ornament shaped like a Ford or Chevy truck with a tiny Christmas tree on it. I still decorate my tree with them. They’re my prized possessions. If the house was burning down, I would try to grab the trucks.    What's on the Table for Christmas Dinner? We have to have prime rib and ham cooked on the Traeger. I use our Double R Ranch Prime Rib. It has that really good flavor that I was used to growing up — I can’t say enough good things about it. We season it with salt, pepper, garlic, and a little mace. It’s a seasoning my grandfather made, actually, and sold for many years. It’s a staple for us.    Jacinta Abonda | Human Resources Manager, Washington Beef | Toppenish, Washington How Do You Get Ready for the Holidays? You can tell it’s Christmas in my house because it’s decorated with a lot of cheer. We grew up doing the traditional Noche Buena dinner. That is the Christmas Eve dinner, and we eat tamales and atole, which is like a big custard, and just be with family and friends.     How are You Keeping Your Family's Traditions Alive? We lost mom last year. I want to keep those recipes and traditions with my daughters so that when they’re growing up, they know where they came from. They spent a lot of time with their grandma and were very close to her, so there will be times when they say, “Mom, that’s not how grandma did it!” Yes, they’re correcting me, but they’re making sure that we keep the traditions going by ensuring we’re keeping the recipes like grandma used to do. It makes me proud.   How Do You Make Tamales? The tamales are made with pork shoulder, and there are so many different recipes. My mom would never measure, so it would be a pinch of this, a little bit of that, and a lot of that. I want to believe that I was able to get her secret and make the tamales the way that she would make them.     JW Wood | General Manager, Boise Valley Feeders | Caldwell, Idaho What Were the Holidays Like When You Were Growing Up? I grew up on a ranch in Hawaii, so a lot of our holiday foods were surf-and-turf with Asian-Hawaiian-influenced meals. Growing up on a ranch meant we had prime rib for Christmas, but we might also have sashimi-style ahi. And then we’d have pipi kaula, which is like a Hawaiian version of beef jerky. It’s a very common appetizer you can buy at the store, but it would be really special when someone would make it.     Who is in Charge of the Prime Rib? My dad and I team up for the prime rib, and we always refine some things. We usually debrief over a Scotch, so I’m not certain we always recall the debrief from year to year. But the one thing that never changes is the salt. It has to be Hawaiian coarse salt.   Do You Have Any Traditions You'd Like to Pass On? I have two kids, and by the time we get to Christmas, I’ll have three. I’ve been reflecting a lot on what I’ll be doing for our traditions. When we were growing up, Christmas trees were very expensive because they had to be shipped from the mainland. My dad would always grumble about getting one. But we’d decorate it with two themes: cowboy-style ornaments and Japanese-style ones that looked like sushi rolls. My mom likes to give us Asian culture ornaments, so we’ll keep both family traditions going with our kids.    Robert & Beth Rebholtz | President & CEO, Agri Beef | Boise, Idaho How Do You Celebrate the Holidays? We tell our family that our house is their house. We usually have everyone over during the holidays — our kids, our grandkids, our siblings and their families. Our big celebration is on Christmas Eve, so that’s when we get together and go to Mass and then have a big dinner and gift exchange.      And Beef is Definitely on The Table, Right? Yes! We actually have two centerpieces — usually a Gold Grade prime rib and rack of pork. We keep the seasoning very simple and grill or roast in the oven. Wherever we can find space, really. We keep the sides easy, too. Maybe some fresh green beans with salt and pepper and Parmesan, or baked fingerling potatoes with garlic. But everyone chips in! We get a lot of help with desserts and appetizers; our daughters and extended family get creative and bring an assortment of both.    Your Kids Are Grown and Out of the House. Has That Changed the Way You Look at the Holidays? We always wanted our own children to stay close and have strong relationships with each other, and it’s very rewarding to see that they want that for themselves, too. They like to be together and spend time with each other during the holidays. And we’re really enjoying our grandkids! We love having a full house.      

You can’t always be with your entire family for the holidays. But with friends, home is wherever you’re together. Over the past few years, so many of us have had to change, rearrange, and cancel our holiday plans. But there has been a silver lining: The rise of Friendsgiving. Yes, Friendsgiving often lacks the comfort of family tradition — but it makes up for it in a freewheeling “Let’s try it!” spirit. 

5 Steps to Holiday Prime Rib Nothing beats a tender, juicy, perfectly cooked prime rib for your big holiday gathering. Prime rib is surprisingly easy to prepare, especially if you follow the simple steps from our friends at ThermoWorks, the maker of our favorite thermometer - the Thermapen ONE. A perfect prime rib should be evenly cooked throughout — without an unsightly, overcooked gray band — and have a delicious, meaty sear. To get it right, ThermoWorks has the tools and thermal know-how you need to get it done.       1. Thaw First, fully thaw your prime rib; proper thawing ensures both a quality roast and food safety. Set your roast on a plate in the refrigerator and let it thaw in its packaging for 3 to 4 days. Verify the roast is fully thawed by checking its internal temperature with a thermometer like the Thermapen ONE. Make sure you don't see any temperatures below 32°F.       2. Preparation Trim off the excess fat and any loose bits. Then, generously season all sides of the roast with kosher salt and black pepper to let the beefy flavor of your Wagyu shine through. A full 2 to 3 tablespoons of each should do for a five-pound prime rib.      3. Roast  Start by cooking your roast at a gentle 250°F. This lower, slower cook will slowly bring up the meat's internal temperature without overcooking the outside. You can use a leave-in probe thermometer like ChefAlarm to track the internal temperature. For medium rare, set the high-temp alarm for 120°F.      4. Rest & Sear When the desired temp is reached, remove the roast from the oven and rest for 15 to 20 minutes on the countertop. The internal temp will rise about 5°F as it rests and continues to cook. While the meat is resting, heat a cast iron pan over medium-high heat until it is at least 400°F. For the best sear, with the least internal cooking, rotate the roast frequently— every 60 seconds or so. This rotisserie-like heating will result in a delicious sear while minimizing the gray band.    5. Slice & Serve Lastly, carve and serve, either unadorned or with au jus or horseradish. Your guests will marvel at the rich mahogany crust and the marbled, edge-to-edge pink interior. Eating together is an integral part of any celebration, and a perfectly cooked roast is one of the most celebratory meals you can make.      Are you a Visual Learner? View our Short Video "Prime Rib Tips and Tricks."       

Meet Southside Market and Barbeque  Meet our partners, Bryan and Rachel Bracewell, the third-generation proprietors of Southside Market and Barbeque. Southside provides the expertise to produce our line of fully cooked American Wagyu smoked brisket, Kurobuta pork steaks, and beef and pork sausages. These products are the delicious result of combining our quality beef and pork with Southside’s 140 years of experience.  Learn about Southside’s deep history that started in Texas back in 1882. If you find yourself in Elgin, Texas, be sure to stop at Southside Market and Barbeque for some of the best BBQ in the state. Not sure of the address?  Just follow the aroma of brisket smoking over post oak to their location on Highway 290. Southside Market and Barbeque is the oldest BBQ joint in Texas. That’s quite a claim, considering the history of barbecue in the state. The title has been vetted by the publication, Texas Monthly, the official guide to barbecue throughout The Lone Star State. Southside’s history, and BBQ experience, goes back 140 years. Today there are four Southside restaurants that continue serving world class barbecue.   Southside - The Beginning The history of Southside dates to 1882 where it was started by William Moon, who raised and processed cattle. Moon sold his beef from a horse-drawn wagon he guided door to door to the homes in Elgin. Refrigeration wasn’t available, so any leftover beef was lost to spoilage. Moon solved this problem by making and smoking sausage with the beef he couldn’t sell. In 1886, Moon opened a brick and mortar butcher shop in town with Smoked Sausage and BBQ selling in the back of the store. Local legend says Moon’s smoked beef sausages quickly developed a following that stretched beyond Elgin.   The Next Chapter William Moon sold Southside to Lee Wilson in 1908 and Wilson continued the tradition of a butcher shop with a space in the back to sell cooked sausages and barbecue. There were multiple owners during the coming years, but one constant was Bud Frazier, who worked at Southside from 1895 to 1971. As the keeper of the flame, Frazier witnessed the changes of owners. He told stories of the business changing hands over late-night card games.   The Business Expands In 1991, the Bracewell’s purchased the old Security National Bank building on Hwy 290 in Elgin and moved from the original Central Avenue location. Ernest Sr. and his son, Billy, remodeled the new location to include a pit room, kitchen, meat market and meat plant. In July of 1992, the new Southside Market and Barbeque began making sausage and opened the restaurant. The basic meat-by-the-pound menu was expanded to include beans, potato salad and baby back ribs.   Bryan and Rachel - Next Up Southside continued to produce quality meats and barbecue throughout the 1990’s with many of the Bracewell family taking part in its success. In 2010, it was time to pass the torch. Bryan Bracewell and his wife, Rachel, officially purchased Southside Market and Barbeque from Bryan’s grandparents, Ernest and Adrene. Under their leadership, the family business continued to expand and there are now four total markets and restaurant locations in Texas. They can be found in the cities of Elgin, Bastrop, Austin and Hutto.   The SRF Connection The barbecue community is big in size, but closeknit when it comes to all the folks in the business. Through mutual contacts, Bryan reached out to Snake River Farms with an idea. Southside was making a fully cooked, smoked beef brisket for folks who loved barbecue but didn’t have the time, experience or desire to smoke their own. There was an opportunity to do the same with SRF American Wagyu beef. Snake River Farms has strong ties to competitive BBQ teams, where our briskets take home top honors every season. The reputation of SRF American Wagyu briskets carries over to experienced backyard pitmasters, but many of our great customers don’t have the equipment to do a brisket at home. The possibilities seemed tremendous.   A Fully Cooked Brisket? As Bryan says, “Some folks will bristle at a pre-cooked brisket. They're proud of how they smoke them at home. But there are folks who don’t have a smoker and they would love to serve authentic Central Texas barbecue.”  The SRF smoked brisket is prepared exactly the same way as the product Bryan and Rachel serve at Southside. “We use the same process, in fact the exact same BBQ pit that’s all wood fired with post oak wood. There’s no gas assist, just wood,” says Bryan, “The cook is in the 12 to 14 hour range at 210°F to 225°F . There’s no corner cutting, or any fancy ingredients used. A simple rub of salt and pepper is all that’s added to our American Wagyu.  The final product is pretty amazing. The flavor of smoke melds with the richness of our briskets.  “No surprise here,” says Bryan, “it’s just high quality beef, simple dry rub, real post oak wood, and time”. Here are SRF, we’re excited to work with Southside Market and Barbeque. All the products are quick frozen and arrive in our SRF black boxes ready to go. Just thaw, heat and serve.    

After you’ve just enjoyed the brisket you spent hours preparing, the first question that comes to mind is, “What are we going to do with the leftovers?”. Luckily, leftover brisket is versatile and can be used for a multitude of delicious meals. At Snake River Farms, one of our favorites is brisket tacos. They are easy to prepare and can be made to match your favorite style. Leftover brisket chili is a hearty meal that is sure to please a crowd. You also can’t go wrong with a classic leftover brisket sandwich. 

Fridge? Water? Microwave? Learn about the preferred method of thawing an SRF steak to provide the best experience possible.

When it comes to meat and fresh vs frozen debate, it's important to understand how modern methods have closed the gap. Fresh? Frozen? Which is better? Discover the differences of fresh vs frozen meat and the effect each option has on quality.

Learn about lesser known steaks that are incredibly delicious and how the quality of American Wagyu beef elevates them to a new level.

What's the difference between a pork shoulder and a pork collar? A pork shoulder is exactly as described - the shoulder of the hog. The collar is part of the larger shoulder and is cut from the portion that runs from the neck to the tip of the loin. Technically it is called a “center cut boneless pork butt”. Learn more about the background of the pork shoulder and the collar as we break down the details below.

Pulled pork is one of the easiest things to make at home. Learn about the simple steps to turn a Kurobuta pork collar into a generous portion of amazing pulled pork.

The first step to successfully smoking meat is selecting the smoker that best suits your needs. Anyone who’s done a little smoker shopping knows there are many choices available to produce that classic smokey goodness. 

Brisket trimmings are incredibly versatile and can be used for so many things. While many toss their trimmings aside, we suggest saving them and using them in recipes.

What are Brisket Burnt Ends?  Burnt ends. The name itself doesn’t sound appetizing, but to anyone who has had the pleasure of biting into one of these beautiful brisket bites, it conjures up visions of a savory, rich BBQ delicacy. Learn more about burnt ends, and more importantly, how to make them yourself in the article below.    Brisket Burnt Ends While there is much debate as to where brisket burnt ends originated, there is no denying they are perfect, pillowy bites of brisket heaven. Rumored to have found their beginnings in Kansas City, one would be hard-pressed to find a barbecue joint in KC that doesn’t have burnt ends on the menu. What is a burnt end? Well, that is less debatable. Burnt ends are the extremely flavorful bite-sized pieces cut from the point/deckle of a smoked brisket. Considered a delicacy to BBQ connoisseurs, they often considered the perfect brisket bite. Burnt ends can be cut from a brisket point, that has been separated from the flat prior to smoking, or can be removed after smoking a whole brisket by cubing the point when fully cooked. Due to the higher internal fat (marbling) of a brisket point, it often takes longer to cook and render out that delicious marbling. Allowing the point to cook a little further not only breaks down the internal fats, but it also adds a layer of “bark” or char to the point, hence the name “burnt” ends. Traditional burnt ends must have an ample amount of bark on at least one side, hence the term “burnt.” They can be served with or without sauce and are incredibly versatile when planning a menu. From sandwiches and nachos, to baked beans and chili, there are many recipes burnt ends make even better. For the purists, there is nothing wrong with cubing the point immediately upon cooking and sneaking that very first bite before anyone else shows up. If you’ve never tried them, you are most definitely missing out, and we are here to help with a brisket burnt ends recipe. Follow the steps below to make your very own Brisket Burnt Ends. You’ll be impressing your friends and family in no time, that is if you decide to share!   Smoke the Brisket Follow our HOW TO SMOKE A BRISKET video for our step-by-step process on how to smoke a backyard brisket with 15-Time World Champion Pitmaster Darren Warth.    Remove the Point Once the brisket has rested, remove the point from the flat. Remove any excess fat that is left between the point and flat.   Cube the Point With a sharp slicing knife, cut the point into bite-sized cubes.   Non-Sauced Burnt Ends If you don’t want to add sauce, add a bit more seasoning to the burnt ends. Toss and serve.   Sauced Burnt Ends After the point has been cut into bite-sized cubes, add a bit more seasoning, toss with sauce to cover all sides, and serve. If you need a brisket burnt ends rub recipe, combine equal parts salt and pepper for a simple, flavorful mix. You can also use SRF Brisket Rub for a fast, delicious solution.   Sticky Sauced Burnt Ends After the point has been cut into bite-sized cubes and seasoning and sauce have been added, place burnt ends in a sheet pan covered in foil and return to smoker at 250°F. Cook for an additional 30 to 60 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. When sauce is set to desired level of tackiness, remove from the smoker, stir and serve.  

New York Strips are a classic steakhouse cut and a steak that carries a premium price. A great way to economically source a pile of these premium steaks is to purchase a full striploin and cut it into New York strips yourself. Here’s a simple guide to cutting strip steaks from a whole striploin. No special equipment is required, and it’s an enjoyable way to actively participate in creating the steaks you serve.

Nothing says summer like a batch of hamburgers sizzling on the grill. These backyard bash staples are easy to make — and even easier to level up with these simple tips.

The Great Expanse  SRF’s cattle are born and bred on ranches like Northern Nevada’s massive IL Ranch — and tended to by folks like Sam Mori. Photographer Robert Jacob Lerma talks life, love and land with one of our longest-standing producers.   The Great Expanse The world seems to be moving faster and faster, but life doesn’t hurry in rural Northern Nevada. And neither does Sam Mori, a third-generation rancher and cattleman who makes his home outside Tuscarora, a tiny outpost about an hour’s drive northwest of Elko. It’s a peaceful drive up to the ranch. Homesteads are tucked here and there, with neighbors often miles apart from each other. Not much has changed over the years, and the folks who call these parts of the country home wouldn’t have it any other way. Cell phone signals are sparse. There are no supermarkets. Driving out here? You better have enough gas to get back. I didn’t see a gas station the whole way up, or many of life’s other conveniences, for that matter. Come to think of it, I saw none. Just thousands of cattle, roaming the vast IL Ranch’s 1.6 million acres (about twice the area of Rhode Island).   Born to be a Cowboy It takes a tough-as-nails person to live here. Even tougher to raise cattle in some of the most remote backcountry in America. But according to Sam, he’s been ranching “since I could walk.” I believe him. I’d guess he probably saddled up with his dad, Nelo Mori, even before that. Sam was born into the life. His father, who is still alive and well at 98, grew up in Fornovolasco, a town in the province of Lucca, Italy. Nelo’s family operated a restaurant and hotel there, but in 1938, when Nelo was 14, he and his father departed to Ellis Island. They eventually settled in Fallon, Nevada. “I have no idea how they ended up in Nevada,” Sam says. “My dad always wanted to be a cowboy and a cattleman, though.” The family cut wood for the mining operations around Fallon. Over the next few years, the family farmed row crops, branched out to alfalfa and corn, and built a feed lot for cattle. Buying their own cattle was the natural next step. When it was time to move the cattle from the ranch to Eureka, Nevada — a distance of more than 150 miles — Sam’s family did it the hard way. “Back then (in the 1940s), there were no trucks,” Sam explains. “So, when they went out to these ranches, they drove the cattle on horseback back to Fallon. He never put one of them on a truck or a trailer. That’s a long way from Eureka.” Funny thing, with as much technology as we have these days, much of the operation is still done the same way. We still drive cattle around the ranch on horseback. Fix fence, too,” Sam says. Some people go their whole lives not knowing what they want to do. Not Sam. Aside from four years at the University of Nevada-Reno, where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in farm and ranch management with a minor in accounting in 1977, Sam has spent his whole life in the lands of Northern Nevada, raising and tending cattle. “I never had a backup plan,” he says. “I don’t know what I would’ve done if I didn’t raise cattle. I never really thought about that, to be honest.”   Neighbors and Friends Sam met Robert Rebholtz Sr., the founder and visionary behind Agri Beef and Snake River Farms, around 1990. “Bob,” as Sam calls him, had cattle adjacent to his ranch. It was the beginning of a long relationship with Agri Beef, which continues to this day. “He was a good man,” Sam says. “Bob was an example of the American dream. He had a vision. A vision for himself. A vision for his family. A vision for his company. It’s very rare where you find someone who has a dream and is able to piece it all together and connect the dots. But he was intelligent and brave. He had a lot of guts.” After Bob’s untimely passing in 1997, his son, Robert Rebholtz Jr., took over the reins of the company. “You wonder if those kids (of Bob Sr.) were ready?” Sam remembers. “It was quite a scary thing for us as producers.” The uncertainty, as is common during transitional periods in any industry, gave pause to the relationship. “A boy became a man real quick,” Sam recalls. “And that’s hard. Bob prepared him. His father instilled values in his family first, and they, in turn, instilled these values in their family of companies. There’s a very high regard for the relationship and the respect they have for their customers and their customers’ needs. And in return, that develops trust from the company to their producers to their customers. It’s very impressive, and we appreciate what they’ve done for us as producers.” The relationship Sam maintains with Agri Beef is as strong as ever. It all begins and ends with trust and integrity, much like any important relationship in life. “Agri Beef has the latest technology with some of the oldest values. And that’s the difference. They still maintain personal relationships with all their customers,” Sam says.   An Extension of Family Sam’s primary operation revolves around backgrounding cattle, which is a beef production system that keeps cattle on pasture from the time calves are weaned until they are transitioned to a feedlot. “We have a purebred herd,” Sam says. “Basically, a seedstock center out in our place in Lovelock (Nevada).” This is where Sam develops his bulls and replacement heifers to create his herd. Sam operates multiple ranches across the region, each with a specific purpose. “As far as what’s here (Mori Ranch and parts of IL), we run a cow/calf operation,” he says. “We put out some yearlings, but that’s a flexible option according to the feed.” Being on the ranch with Sam, you can’t help but marvel at the beauty of the landscape. It’s the middle of nowhere in the middle of nowhere. Some places surprise you. This place surprised me. It’s peaceful and easy to understand why Sam values this place. He sees and spends more time with cattle than people. They’re important to him, too. “I probably take better care of them than I do myself,” Sam says. “We all do, actually.” It’s easy to detect the sincerity in his voice. It’s almost like the cows he raises are an extension of his family. They might as well be.   It's Not Work You’d never know by looking at his face, but Sam’s been ranching for 43 years, married for 44. He’s a family man who loves what he does. He’s in bed by 7 p.m. and up at 3 a.m., every day. “If you love what you do, it’s not work,” Sam says. When asked about the last time he took a vacation, Sam quickly quips, “Don’t ask that in front of my wife. I can’t tell you the last time. It’s been a while.” He’s 65 now and may not move as fast as he used to, but then again, this is cattle country. Sam moves at the speed of cattle. He estimates he’s raised thousands of them — at least 40,000, probably more. If you look at his genes and proclivity for work, Sam likely has tens more thousands of cattle to raise. And that’s just how he’d like it. “I’ll do this until I can’t do it anymore,” he says. We should all be so lucky.    

A Feast for the Eyes - Our Favorite Cookbooks Who couldn’t use a little inspiration? These cookbooks provide it, page after colorful page. Here at SRF, we see a lot of cookbooks (and we mean a lot of cookbooks), but these are the cream of the crop. Whether you buy them for yourself or for your favorite home cook, they’re sure to become kitchen staples.   For the Aspiring Pitmaster  Cool Smoke: The Art of Great Barbecue | Tuffy Stone   Six-time World Champion Tuffy Stone is known as “The Professor” because of his encyclopedic knowledge of smoke, wood, fire and meat. His book explains in clear detailed language how to use a smoker and create world-class barbecue in your own backyard.   For Those in Pursuit of Sublime Steak  Franklin Steak: Dry-Aged. Live-Fired. Pure Beef.  | Aaron Franklin and Jordan Mackay  Aaron Franklin won a James Beard award for his barbecue expertise and focuses his culinary prowess on steak. Co-written with spirit and food writer Jordan Mackay, this book is packed with info about beef, grilling, side dishes and everything needed to achieve steak perfection.    For Those New to the Kitchen   How to Cook: Building Blocks and 100 Simple Recipes for a Lifetime of Meals | Hugh Acheson    When the James Beard Award-winning author and chef Hugh Acheson’s daughter was headed to college, he wanted to equip her with the knowledge to cook simple and delicious meals. His project evolved and this book is the result. Perfect for those just learning their way around a stove, but equally valuable for seasoned home chefs.   For the Food Explorer  Field Notes for Food Adventure: Recipes and Stories from the Woods to the Oceans | Brad Leone   Bon Appetit’s resident funny guy is no joke in the kitchen. Famous for his YouTube videos, Brad brings his humor and insight to the written page. Join him as he hits the road in the Northeast in search of new tastes and techniques. It’s a heck of a ride.    For the Haute Cuisine Lover  Ad Hoc at Home | Thomas Keller Keller is a longtime SRF supporter and created the extraordinary 3-starred restaurant, The French Laundry. He focused the kitchen of Ad Hoc on the American comfort foods of his childhood. This book showcases over 200 recipes from Ad Hoc that highlights his culinary expertise with simpler fare.   For the Buddy who Just Got a Smoker   The Four Fundamentals of Smoking: Pit Master Secrets to Making Incredible BBQ at Home | Chris Sussman   Chris is a Snake River Farm's influencer and uses his vast experience to take the mystery out of barbecue by breaking down the process into simple, actionable steps. Never smoked a brisket? A complete tutorial guides you through the entire process from trimming to wrapping to slicing.    For the Social Media Chef   Half Baked Harvest Cookbook: Recipes from my Barn in the Mountains | Tieghan Gerard   Like four million other followers, we discovered Tieghan Gerard on Instagram. Her easy-to-follow but deliciously complex recipes are all here. You find a bit of everything, ranging from crockpot classics to weekend-worthy meals. Ideal for busy folks and cooks who are still learning.   For the Process Fanatic  The Food Lab | J. Kenji Lopez-Alt   This book is an extension of Lopez-Alt’s column on Serious Eats, and it really is serious — there are no calls to carefree improvisation here. But science lovers will thrill at the detailed explanations and instructions that churn out impeccable results time after time.    For the Can-Do Home Chef  The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook | Deb Perelman   Perelman’s award-winning blog smittenkitchen.com has launched a thousand imitators, and this cookbook proves why. Her recipes are somehow both easy to make and wildly impressive for both weeknight meals and get-togethers with friends.   For the Trivia Master   Food IQ: 100 Questions, Answers, and Recipes to Raise Your Cooking Smarts | Daniel Holzman and Matt   Ever wonder why restaurant food just tastes better? Holzman and Rodbard decode the tips and tricks that separate the amateurs from the masters…all replicable at home. In addition to the culinary Q&A, the book includes delicious recipes that utilize the techniques identified and explained.