Willow Creek Ranch – Home of Carbon Neutral, Sustainably Raised Proteins!

What is Carbon Neutral Proteins*?

A key component of what is driving climate change is the overabundance of carbon in the earth’s atmosphere. One way to help improve the environment is to reduce carbon production or increase carbon sequestration. At Willow Creek Ranch, we do both. Our 100% rotationally grazed herd does nearly all the work that tractors would do in a large-scale conventional cattle operation. The cows harvest their own food, spread their own manure, and cut the grass all at the same time. No tilling of fields, spreading of fertilizers, spraying of pesticides/herbicides or seeding is required in our operation.  This literally saves tons of carbon being released into the atmosphere. In fact, because we only have grasses, forbs and other green friends in our fields and pastures, we actually sequester more carbon back into the soil through the natural life cycle of perennial plants.

In 2019, we took things one step further and installed a 25KW solar array on the south facing roof of our barn. Our electric bills used to run $500-600 a month to run the farm and all our electric appliances. Today, we get a check back from the electrical company at the end of each year because we generate more power than we consume. That means the net carbon footprint of the farm operation is zero. Producing 100,000 lbs. of beef annually, with no net carbon production is an excellent way to serve our fellow humans and the planet.

Backing up our solar system in the winter is an outdoor wood boiler that heats hot water that is then piped to our buildings and provides a natural hot water supply without an internal gas or electric water heater. We fuel the wood stove with 100% renewable energy, downed trees and branches from our pastures and fence lines.     

Carbon Neutral Proteins* Calculations

Below is the Carbon balance of farmland at Willow Creek Ranch as cited by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Campbell-Bascom Professor of Grassland Ecology, Randall D. Jackson. (Negative) values indicate CO2 sink; positive values indicate CO2 source to the atmosphere. Click here to see documentation.

*Land operations at Willow Creek Ranch, based on the land acreages for southern hardwood forest, grazed grassland pasture, and hayed grassland; taken on net, represent a drawdown of atmospheric carbon dioxide.

Contact us today to learn more about our carbon-neutral approach to raising healthy proteins!