Local beef: From hoof to home

It’s free of hormones, antibiotics and animal byproducts – and it’s raised in New Mexico, for New Mexicans. In fact, Kate and Jim Maynard, owners of Maynard Cattle Co., said their cattle never leave the state. “From conception to kitchen, our operation is all about New Mexico,” Kate Maynard said, holding up a large frozen steak and pointing to the label. “People love the beef – its age, flavor, texture and smell. There’s nothing artificial about it – it’s beautiful.” The Maynards began ranching in New Mexico more than 10 years ago, out of love for the land and the desire to become self-sustainable. They raise their herd on native rangelands nested between Mountainair, N.M., and the Pueblo of Grand Quivira. “We are very strong advocates of agriculture, conserving soils and maintaining genetics that are suitable for our environment,” Kate Maynard said. The family distributes its New Mexico ranch-raised beef in several stores from Ruidoso, N.M., to Silver City, N.M., in addition to providing homedelivery and accepting custom orders in the southern part of the state. “Albuquerque and anything above I-40 is not our market,” Jim Maynard said. They lease the services of other ranchers in southern and central New Mexico, who raise a red and black Angus Hereford mix to the Maynards’ specifications. The family sells steers in quarters, sides and wholes. “Our cows are smaller, but meaty,” Jim Maynard said. “They work better in this type of landscape. Less is more, anyway. Our beef is simple – raised the way your grandparents’ probably raised beef. Its healthier and better for the land.” Rather than being shipped off to an out-of-state slaughterhouse as many commercial beef producers do, the Maynards keep it local by sending off their harvest to a butcher north of Roswell, N.M...LasCrucesBulletin