True Farm to Table Producers
Our cattle graze on native pasture and are finished on hay
and grain, without the use of growth hormones,
animal by-products, or antibiotics.
Welcome to LJ Ranch
Alberta Beef Sales – Naturally Raised, Angus Cattle,
located near Cochrane, Alberta – Guaranteed Quality & Purity.
Here at LJ Ranch, we are family-owned and operated, located in the Foothills of the Rockies, west of Calgary, Alberta. Our goal is to provide natural & locally raised Alberta Beef by direct sales to our customers. We have been raising our quality beef near Cochrane, Alberta, a community we have been proud to call our home, for nearly 50 years!
Joy and Lindsay Eklund are grateful to live and work full-time here, with help from their six grown ”kids“, and twelve grandkids.
When it comes time to gather and move the herd, help with working days on the ranch, fencing, harvesting, and a host of other chores, our nearby family and friends are always glad to lend a hand.
The cattle we sell to you are raised from birth by us on our ranch, so we know each animal’s history and can guarantee the quality and purity of our young, Angus Cross cattle.
In addition to being a working cattleman, Lindsay has applied his expert skills in horsemanship and has provided riding lessons, Sensitive Touch Horse Training, custom saddle fitting, and guiding Working Ranch Adventure Rides to folks of all ages and skill levels.
Joy is a Registered Midwife (retired) having founded Cochrane Community Midwives and having practiced for many years. Joy is a rancher’s wife, a proud Mom, and a devoted Grandmother. She feels very fortunate to have been able to provide services to women and their families from her clinic right here at the ranch.
WHY CHOOSE LJ RANCH NATURALLY RAISED BEEF?
These rolling hills with plenty of wide-open space, fresh clean air, and plentiful water, provide some of the best and most scenic ranching and riding country on the continent.
We use traditional and sustainable ranching methods that are in harmony with the environment to raise our LJ natural beef, meaning we only use horses for herding rather than machinery. We take great pride in the health and well-being of our cattle and horses, to whom we provide attentive care and gentle handling. This approach is not only more beneficial to our cattle, but more satisfying to us personally. Our environmentally, and locality-conscious customers, place value on knowing where their food comes from.
As stewards for the environment, we are committed to the protection of the native grasslands, utilizing rotational grazing and ensuring we protect local wildlife and minimize our impact.
ORDERING BEEF
Because of the length of time it takes to raise beef grown naturally, our beef is available for delivery from December to June only, so when ordering, please keep this in mind. Some of our customers order twice per year, and some prefer one order per year. Wrapped as it is, delivered to you (in freezer paper, not plastic), LJ natural beef can be safely stored in the deep freeze for a year or longer.
Choose from the following orders according to your needs:
- ¼ beef = approximately 200 lbs hanging weight = roughly 110 lbs finished weight after trimming and de-boning. This order fills about 3 (legal-sized) boxes and will provide a family of 4 for approximately 6 months.
- ½ beef = approximately 400 lbs hanging wt. = roughly 220 lbs finished weight. This order fills about 6 (legal-sized) boxes and will provide a family of 4 for approximately 1 year.
Some of our customers choose to share an order with family or friends.
The beef we deliver to you is butchered and hand-packed at a local provincially inspected and certified facility. We deliver your customized order of frozen beef directly to your doorstep.
ORDERING FAQ's
We are happy to take your order at any time; however, our beef is ready for delivery from December to June only and is on a first come first serve basis. Our customers usually place their orders approximately 3 months in advance of their preferred delivery time.
For first-time orders, it is helpful if we can speak to you by phone individually to answer your questions and explain our program. We are happy to take orders by email if you have already enjoyed our beef!
When you place your order, we will offer suggestions regarding different options for each cut to suit your individual needs. For example, Prime Rib, Sirloin, and Chuck can be cut into steaks or roasts. You may choose to have the round cut into roasts, steak (Swiss), or ground beef.
Steaks: thickness (the most requested is 1 inch), done by request. We package them as per your requirements – 1 per package, two per package, etc.
Roasts: size, e.g., 3, 4, 5 lbs etc.
Lean Ground beef: Packaged in sizes to your needs. Most people choose 1 or 1 1/2 lb. packages, but we make these to order.
Stewing Beef: the size of packages, or, if you choose, made into ground beef.
Ribs: 3″ or 6″ lengths, or you can choose to have these packaged as ground beef.
Soup Bones: Available in 5 lb bags at no additional charge.
Additional Items: You can request liver, heart, tongue, or oxtail to be included in your order at no additional charge.
Your order will include all cuts including Prime Rib, T Bone, Cross Rib, Sirloin, Chuck, Round, Ground Beef, and Ribs. You can also request 5 lb. bags of Soup Bones at no additional charge.
It is half of a full side including equal proportions of each.
Once you have placed your order for a given month, we will discuss the date and time of delivery.
The market price for beef is variable. Please contact us by email at ljranch7@gmail.com for current prices.
Payment is at the time of delivery of your beef order, by either cheque, cash, or e-transfer. First-time orders will require a deposit.
A quarter of beef will be delivered in 3 to 4 boxes (14”x10”x8” each).
”THINK GLOBAL, SHOP LOCAL“
a motto we support!
We welcome you to come out for a visit, and experience a working cattle ranch for yourself! We have found that the personal relationships we build with our customers make our work much more fulfilling than selling our cattle to feedlots, where they are then sold to packing plants and eventually to retail stores to be purchased by consumers whom we never meet!
We value honesty and integrity in our relationship with customers. Please contact us should you have any questions or concerns about our services or products. We will respond and do our best to ensure that you are satisfied.