Rancho Llano Seco

Rancho Llano Seco  was incorporated in 1861 and has a rich history of balancing agriculture, livestock husbandry and conservation. The Rancho is one of the last Mexican land grant properties that remains intact. It is a reminder of a lost era when Californian, American, Mexican, and Spanish history intersected. 

Llano Seco means dry plain in Spanish, and comes from the dry land wheat fields that have been an historical source of pride for the Rancho's farmers since its inception. 

Joining forces with conservation groups, we work to restore native grasslands, wetlands, oak savannas and riparian forests in order to preserve and grow the diversity of animal and plant existence on the ranch. Our livestock represents an evolution in our relationship with the land that echoes the past and is a sustainable plan for the future.   

We produce responsible, humanely raised pork and beef products from animals we raise “from farrow to fork,” engaging in every step of the process until it reaches your table. We believe strongly in maintaining the highest health standards possible for our animals. Our Duroc/Yorkshire/Landrace hogs are fed GMO-free, vegetarian grains, 80% of which we grow ourselves. Our pigs are raised in deep-bedded hoop barns with continual access to large open-air pastures with plenty of sunshine and a great view of the California Buttes. We slaughter in a small abbatoir nearby and process at our own facility in Chico. Our animals are never fed antibiotics or growth hormones, and are never confined.  Our cattle spend their lives on our gently rolling pasture and are finished on a highly nutritious blend of locally grown grains developed specifically for our herds by an animal nutritionist. Our beef has the flavor complexity of grass-fed with the tenderness and marbling of grain-fed meat. The animals play a critical role in our conservation efforts and are managed in partnership with US Fish & Wildlife. We graze our cattle in rotation on native grasslands that are under conservation easement in order to promote growth of a healthy biodiversity in the fields, with our cows eradicating non-native invasive weeds as part of their feeding. Our beef has all the benefits of a grass-fed product, with delectably complex flavor, and is ribboned with fat for a supple texture.

Llano Seco Meats is the culmination of our mission to provide a variety of products while caring for the people, the animals and the land.