Outlaw Valley Ranch – Santa Maria, CA

Alex and Kelsey Karol raise Certified Animal Welfare Approved by A Greener World (AGW), Certified Grassfed by AGW sheep and beef cattle at Outlaw Valley Ranch in Santa Maria, California. Alex and Kelsey are both first generation farmers who gained years of experience working on farms and ranches in preparation for managing their own operation. “Neither one of us grew up farming or ranching, but we both had a passion for the land and working with our hands,” says Alex. “Unhappy with industrial agriculture and the environmental devastation we knew it was causing, we wanted to be more connected to our food.”

Outlaw Valley Ranch, located 12 miles from the Pacific Ocean in San Luis Obispo County, consists of grasslands dotted with oak trees—perfect rangeland for their livestock. Alex and Kelsey raise a flock of Navajo-Churro sheep, which are well-adapted to the area’s climate. “They are incredibly hardy and possess great parasite and disease resistance,” says Kelsey. They handle the heat and cold very well, and they are excellent mothers. Their hardiness and ability to survive and thrive on a variety of forages makes them ideal for our program. At the end of the day, however, what we love most about them is their beautiful multi-colored wool and delicious meat!”

In addition to the flock of Navajo-Churro sheep, Alex and Kelsey also manage a herd of Aberdeen Angus beef cattle on the ranch. The cattle are rotationally managed, grazing one section of pasture before being moved to fresh fields. This type of management allows grass to recover before cows return to graze again; it also keeps the soil properly fertilized and minimizes the build-up of internal parasites, thereby avoiding reliance on chemical treatments.

For Alex and Kelsey, some of the most foundational aspects of their management practices is the great care they put toward animal and land management. “We are grass farmers first. If the soil is healthy, the grass is healthy, the animals are healthy, the birds are healthy, and so are we who eat their meat.”

In addition to being Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW, the flock of sheep and herd of beef cattle at Outlaw Valley Ranch is Certified Grassfed by AGW, the first—and only—food label in the U.S. and Canada that guarantees food products come from animals fed a 100% grass and forage diet, and raised entirely outdoors on pasture or range.

Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW and Grassfed by AGW beef and lamb boxes, along with Navajo-churro wool and sheepskins are available for online order with shipping to Western states or free local delivery. Individual cuts available at local farmers markets. Visit AGW’s online directory for details. For more information, visit outlawvalleyranch.com, follow the herd on Facebook and Instagram or contact Alex and Kelsey Karol at outlawvalleyranch@gmail.com and (805) 720-9036.