Country Natural Beef

What Country Natural Beef does

Country Natural Beef is an Oregon-domiciled rancher-owned cooperative founded in 1986 by Doc and Connie Hatfield, comprising approximately 100 family-ranch members across 9 Western U.S. states managing 6.5 million acres under regenerative ranching practices. The cooperative produces premium natural beef — raised without antibiotics or added growth hormones, on pasture with a 100% vegetarian diet — sold primarily through Whole Foods Market, PCC Community Markets, and Town & Country Markets. Its commercial offering includes the flagship Country Natural Beef brand and the Oregon Country Beef sub-brand, with individual cuts such as New York Strip ("Sweetheart Strip") steaks positioned for special-occasion retail occasions.

The cooperative operates two differentiated programs layered on its core beef business. The Grazewell climate-smart beef program (launched 2022) uses rotational grazing across member ranches to support soil health, carbon sequestration, biodiversity, and water conservation across the cooperative's 6.5 million acres. In March 2026, the cooperative formally adopted RaiseWell Certified, a third-party animal welfare certification administered by Where Food Comes From, Inc., adding full farm-of-origin traceability and stacked compliance with GAP (Global Animal Partnership) Pasture Raised and IMI Global Source and Age Verified standards.

Revenue mechanics are cooperative-style: 100% of profits are returned to rancher-members, with pricing set at retail through partner grocers (not publicly disclosed). The go-to-market motion is channel-partner-led, with community-marketing overlays including in-store sampling events where family ranchers appear in person at retail locations, supplemented by blog content, a recipe library, and organic social (Instagram, Facebook). The cooperative maintains a lean central staff (11–50 employees) led by CEO Tylor Braden, with operations, marketing, and brand communications functions supporting the member-rancher production base.

Name

Country Natural Beef

Legal name

Country Natural Beef, an Oregon Cooperative Corporation

Website

https://countrynaturalbeef.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Country Natural Beef is an Oregon-domiciled rancher-owned cooperative of approximately 100 family ranches across 9 Western U.S. states, producing premium natural and regenerative beef — including the Oregon Country Beef sub-brand and Grazewell climate-smart program — distributed primarily through Whole Foods Market, PCC Community Markets, and Town & Country Markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Premium Natural Beef Production

NAICS

Beef Cattle Ranching and Farming, including Feedlots (11211), Beef Cattle Ranching and Farming (112111), Livestock Merchant Wholesalers (424520)

SIC

Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)

akta.pro primary industry

Beef Cattle Grazing & Pasture-Based Operations (AFAEABAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Beef Wholesale (Primal/Subprimal, Boxed Beef) (AFAIADAA)

Keywords

• Premium natural beef
• Rancher cooperative beef
• Regenerative ranching beef
• Pasture-raised beef products
• Climate-smart beef program

Headquarters

HQ city

Redmond

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Premium Beef Products: The cooperative sells premium beef products through retail channels including Whole Foods Market and regional grocers. All profits go directly back to the rancher-members. The co-op is 100% owned by the rancher-members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Country Natural Beef is a rancher-owned cooperative of approximately 100 family ranches across 9 Western U.S. states that produces and distributes premium natural beef products under the Country Natural Beef and Oregon Country Beef brands. Beef is raised without antibiotics or added growth hormones under regenerative ranching practices (Grazewell program) and distributed through premium grocery retailers such as Whole Foods Market, PCC Community Markets, and Town & Country Markets.

Product overview

Country Natural Beef is a rancher-owned cooperative comprising nearly 100 family ranches across 9 Western U.S. states. The cooperative offers premium beef products under two primary brands: the core Country Natural Beef brand (the cooperative identity) and the Oregon Country Beef sub-brand (a premium product line). Key products include premium cuts like New York Strip steaks (marketed as Sweetheart Strip for special occasions) and ground beef products. The cooperative also operates the Grazewell regenerative ranching program focused on climate-smart beef production, and has adopted the RaiseWell Certified animal welfare certification program. Products are distributed through premium retailers including Whole Foods Market, PCC Community Markets, and Town & Country Markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Grazewell: Climate-smart beef program focused on regenerative ranching practices that improve soil health, water retention, and biodiversity while reducing environmental impact.

Products and services

• Country Natural Beef The flagship rancher-owned beef brand and cooperative identity of nearly 100 family ranches across 9 Western U.S. states, distributing premium natural beef raised without antibiotics or added growth hormones to retail grocers.
• Oregon Country Beef A premium sub-brand within the Country Natural Beef family offering beef from healthy cattle raised without antibiotics, added growth hormones, or growth promotants, finished on a non-GMO, 100% vegetarian ration.
• Grazewell A climate-smart beef program based on regenerative ranching practices that rotate cattle across pastures to let grass and soil recover, sequester carbon, support diverse plants, and promote healthy wildlife and water conservation.
• New York Strip Steaks (Sweetheart Strip) Premium beef cut marketed as Sweetheart Strip steaks positioned as a special occasion product sold at Whole Foods Market and other premium retailers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Cattle raised without antibiotics or added growth hormones
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Where Food Comes From, Inc.coreTechnology or Integration · 19 March 2026Where Food Comes From Inc. (WFCF) is a third-party food verification company that administers the RaiseWell Certified for Beef program adopted by Country Natural Beef. The certification sets strict animal welfare standards requiring no antibiotics or added growth hormones, with full traceability back to the farm of origin across the supply chain. WFCF plans to extend this certification to poultry, egg, dairy, and pork products.
• Whole Foods MarketcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 19 March 2026Whole Foods Market has adopted the RaiseWell Certified for Beef certification program from Where Food Comes From, which is administered through Country Natural Beef. This positions the certification to meet evolving expectations for premium natural retailers and foodservice operators seeking higher animal welfare standards.
• PCC Community MarketscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPCC Community Markets is a Pacific Northwest regional grocer partnership where family ranchers from Country Natural Beef conduct in-store sampling events to serve samples of beef products and educate consumers about production methods. PCC also features exclusive holiday deals on Country Natural Beef products.
• Town & Country MarketscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTown & Country Markets is a Pacific Northwest regional grocer partnership similar to PCC, featuring Country Natural Beef products and hosting in-store events where family ranchers interact directly with consumers.
• Ronald McDonald House CharitiesminorOthersCountry Natural Beef family ranchers donate premium ground beef and volunteer time to prepare and share meals at Ronald McDonald Houses across the Northwest during the holiday season, providing wholesome food to families staying at the House.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Niman Ranch: Premium natural and Certified Humane meat brand sourcing from a network of independent U.S. family farmers and ranchers; sells pork, beef, and lamb into Whole Foods, natural foods distributors, and foodservice. Directly comparable to Country Natural Beef on premium positioning, third-party welfare certifications, and a network-of-family-farmers sourcing model.
• Meyer Natural Foods: Producer of natural and organic beef (and other proteins) for retail and foodservice, with a network of family ranchers and ranches supplying all-natural, no-hormone, no-antibiotic products. Highly comparable premium natural-beef supply-chain model.
• Laura's Lean Beef: Lean, all-natural beef brand with no added hormones or antibiotics, sold through retail and foodservice. Overlaps with Country Natural Beef on natural-beef positioning and mainstream natural-grocer distribution.
• Strauss Brands: Producer of 100% grass-fed and pasture-raised beef, veal, and lamb sold through natural and specialty retail and foodservice. Comparable regenerative pasture-raised positioning, third-party certifications, and Whole Foods-aligned distribution parallel Country Natural Beef's model.
• Thousand Hills Cattle Company: Lifetime grazed, 100% grass-fed beef brand sold through natural grocers, co-ops, and DTC. Comparable regenerative/grass-fed positioning, retailer channel mix, and small-network-of-rancher sourcing model.

Emerging players

• US Wellness Meats (Grassland Beef): Direct-to-consumer and wholesale supplier of grass-fed beef and other pasture-raised proteins with a strong regenerative/regenerative-agriculture narrative. Comparable on regenerative practices and traceability, but relies more on DTC and small-format distribution.
• True Story Foods: Certified Humane, no-antibiotic, regenerative-friendly meat brand (beef, pork, chicken) selling into natural grocery and DTC. Comparable on third-party welfare certification and regenerative positioning targeting the same premium consumer.

Broad incumbents

• Vital Farms: Public pasture-raised egg company expanding into butter and other ethical-sourcing protein categories; operates a small-network-of-family-farm sourcing model with strong third-party certifications and Whole Foods-aligned distribution. Comparable pasture-raised, small-farmer-network model, though anchored in eggs rather than beef.
• Organic Valley: Large farmer-owned organic cooperative producing dairy, beef, and other proteins sold nationally through natural and conventional retail. Comparable cooperative ownership model, member-grower structure, and mission-driven premium natural positioning, though across broader protein categories.
• Applegate Farms: Large-scale natural and organic meat brand (beef, pork, poultry) owned by Hormel, distributed nationally across conventional and natural retail. Comparable no-antibiotic, regenerative, and animal-welfare credentials, but with far broader scale, capital, and category breadth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/countrynaturalbeef
• Instagraminstagram.com/countrynaturalbeef
• Xx.com/cnbeef

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Country Natural Beef