The land160 acres, 2,500 ft
Oak savanna in the Sierra foothills outside Grass Valley, divided into five paddocks the herd moves through every few days.
Sierra Nevada foothills · 2,500 ft
Beef raised slow, on high ground.
Grass-fed shares from 160 acres of rotationally grazed pasture outside Grass Valley. No feedlots. No antibiotics. No shortcuts.
2026 season · Reservations open
- $650
- Beef from
- $165
- Deposits from
- 48 hrs
- To confirm
The ranch
Why this beef.
Four things that are true of every share we sell.
- The land
The herdBorn and finished here
A closed Black Angus herd on pasture, our own hay, and alfalfa. Never grain, never a feedlot pen. A full year slower, on purpose.
The workMoved, rested, repeated
The whole method in three words. Do it for years and the land improves instead of wearing out. The beef is the proof.
The cutsDry-aged 21 days
USDA-inspected, fabricated into steaks, roasts, and ground, vacuum packaged and labeled by cut for your freezer.
Beef from Rancho Machete
Four ways to buy.
Questions
Questions, answered.
More questions
From our pasture · to your table
Good beef takes a year. Choosing yours takes a few minutes.
2026 season · Deposits from $165 · Grass Valley, California
THE LAND
One hundred sixty acres, five paddocks, one job.
One hundred sixty acres at 2,500 feet in the Sierra Nevada foothills outside Grass Valley. Dry-summer gold, oak shade, cold nights, five paddocks the herd moves through in rotation. No feedlot has ever stood here, and no antibiotic has ever been needed. The land gets what it needs most: time.
The seasons set the pace. Long rainless summers cure the grass to standing hay; short green winters bring it back. Rotations run fast through spring growth, slow through the cured months, and the herd eats our own baled hay and a ration of alfalfa while the ground rests.
- ELEVATION
- 2,500 ft
- GROUND
- Oak savanna over decomposed granite
- PADDOCKS
- Five, rotated every few days
- HERD
- Black Angus, born and finished here
- FEED
- Pasture, our own hay, and alfalfa
THE HERD
Black Angus, grass to finish.
Calves are born here and stay here. They eat pasture in the growing season, our own cut hay in winter, and alfalfa to supplement. Never grain, never a feedlot pen. It takes a full year longer this way. You can taste the year.
The herd stays closed. No bought-in cattle, no sale barns, no stress. Calves learn the rotation walking beside their mothers, and handling stays quiet and on foot from first day to last.
THE WORK
Moved, rested, repeated.
The whole system fits in three words. The rest is showing up every day.
- i
Move
Every few days the gate opens and the herd walks to fresh grass. Nobody is driven; they know the routine.
- ii
Rest
The grazed paddock rests for weeks. Roots push deeper, grass comes back thicker, the soil holds more water.
- iii
Repeat
Do that for years and the land improves instead of wearing out. The beef is the proof.
THE CUTS
Dry-aged twenty-one days. Fabricated at a USDA-inspected facility. Vacuum packaged and labeled for sale.
Rancho Machete cattle are processed at a USDA-inspected meat processing facility, where the beef is harvested, fabricated into retail cuts, vacuum packaged, and labeled for sale.
WHAT ARRIVES
- STEAKS
- Ribeye, New York strip, sirloin, flank
- ROASTS
- Chuck, brisket, cross-rib
- GROUND
- One-pound packs, roughly a third of the box
- ON REQUEST
- Soup bones, oxtail, organ meats
THE SHARES
Know the estimate before you reserve.
Every estimate uses a 650 lb average hanging weight. The beef purchase and USDA processor charges are shown separately; processor fees pass through at cost with no markup.
Final invoice is based on the actual hanging weight of your animal plus USDA processor fees (passed through at cost). Processor rates are set by the USDA processor and may change before harvest.
QUESTIONS
Asked and answered.
Are butcher fees included in the beef price?
No. The beef purchase price and the USDA processor’s harvest, fabrication, vacuum packaging, and freezing fees are separate. Rancho Machete passes these charges through at actual cost with no markup.
How does a share work?
You reserve a fraction of one animal, an eighth to a whole. After USDA-inspected processing, you collect your cuts vacuum packaged, frozen, and labeled.
How much freezer space do I need?
Rough rule: one cubic foot per 35 lb. An eighth share fits a standard fridge-freezer; a half share wants a small chest freezer.
Pickup or delivery?
Pickup at the ranch in Grass Valley is standard. Delivery within Nevada County can be arranged when we confirm your reservation.
When will my share be ready?
Shares are reserved against the current season's herd. We confirm your processing window, typically 6 to 10 weeks out, when we contact you.
How do I pay?
A deposit holds your share: card, crypto, or precious metals. The estimated balance includes the beef purchase and estimated processor fees, less your deposit. We send instructions after you reserve.
What cuts do I get?
A balanced box across the animal: steaks, roasts, and ground, cut to your spec sheet. A quarter share yields roughly 105 lb take-home.
BEEF FROM RANCHO MACHETE
One ranch. Four ways to buy.
Choose a freezer share, join the recurring-box interest list, request individual cuts, or start a restaurant conversation.
FROM OUR PASTURE · TO YOUR TABLE
Good beef takes a year. Choosing yours takes a few minutes.
Reserve a freezer share now, or explore the smaller boxes and individual cuts coming from the same Rancho Machete herd.
160 ACRESROTATIONAL PASTURE
2,500 FTSIERRA FOOTHILLS
GRASS VALLEYCALIFORNIA
