Harris Ranch

Description

History

Founded by Jack Harris in 1937, the Harris Ranch Beef Company (now operated by Jack Harris' son John) was originally a cotton and grain operation. In the 1970s the ranch opened a burger stand near Interstate 5.

The farm also operates an inn and restaurant, raises fruit and vegetable crops, and breeds thoroughbred horses. Overall, the operation has more than 400 employees. Approximately 14000 acre are devoted to garlic, broccoli, pomegranates, and tomatoes, among 35 types of fruits and vegetables.

During the war on terror, volunteers from the San Joaquin Valley, especially Bakersfield, supplied with beef from Harris Ranch, have volunteered to serve steaks to service-members who are OCONUS, that is, outside of the contiguous United States continent.

In January 2012, an arsonist destroyed fourteen cattle trucks on the ranch. The Animal Liberation Front claimed responsibility.

Marketing and distribution

At over 800 acre and with a population of over 100,000 cattle, and hundreds harvested daily, the ranch is the largest on the West Coast. It is also among the largest (when including density) in the United States. A vertically integrated operation, it owns a fleet of trucks that take cattle from several ranches with which it deals, and does its own finishing, slaughtering, and packaging.

The ranch supplies the hamburger meat for the In-N-Out Burger chain, and also distributes beef and prepared meals through grocery stores and restaurants nationwide.

Harris Ranch was one of the first to build a brand around itself as a specialty niche product, and is credited as a forerunner of companies like Niman Ranch and Dakota Beef.

Restaurant and inn

The restaurant was targeted to local farmers when it opened in 1977, but later became popular as a halfway stop on the busy highway connecting San Francisco and Los Angeles. A 153-room luxury inn was added in 1987. Later, 18 superchargers were added. Then, in 2021 an expansion of 80 more V3 superchargers was planned for 2022, making it the world's largest supercharger location.

Public reception

The ranch is known to travelers for the "ripe, tangy odor of cow manure", described alternately as a "horrible stench" and "a good, honest, American smell". This smell inspired food writer Michael Pollan to conduct the research on factory farming that led to his sustainability book, The Omnivore's Dilemma. The owner of Harris Ranch, in turn, threatened to withhold a $500,000 donation to California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo if it sponsored a speech there by Pollan. In reference to the large number of cattle processed at its facilities, some critics have nicknamed the ranch "Cowschwitz", comparing the slaughtering of cattle to the slaughtering of Jews during the Holocaust at the Auschwitz concentration camp. Animal behavior expert Temple Grandin described the nickname as a matter of public misperception, saying that the company "does a great job" of keeping its animals.

Gallery

HarrisRanchInn.jpg|Harris Ranch Inn Cows on ranch.jpg|For most travelers, the feedlot is the most recognizable view (and smell) of Harris Ranch from Interstate 5.

References

References

1. Munoz, Olivia. (October 4, 2010). "Harris Ranch markets farm-to-fork". San Jose Mercury-News.
2. Kazanjian, Gary. (April 15, 2019). "Harris Ranch, buyer quiet on details but stress family-owned roots in wake of sale".
3. Reynolds, Christopher. (February 16, 2017). "Gnaw beef (or charge your Tesla) at Harris Ranch in Coalinga". Los Angeles Times.
4. "About Us: Our History". Harris Ranch.
5. Ordway, Cary. "Stop at Harris Ranch like visiting destination resort". California Weekend Getaways.
6. Hardisty, Dianne. (July 3, 2010). "A call to serve ... meat". TBC Media.
7. Lee, Henry K.. (January 10, 2012). "Animal-rights arson at Harris Ranch?". San Francisco Chronicle.
8. Marble, Steve. (January 10, 2012). "Animal rights activists take credit for blaze at cattle ranch". [[Los Angeles Times]].
9. Clark, Krissy. (December 22, 2007). "Coming Home to a Smell". Weekend America.
10. Schwartz, Ariel. (February 24, 2010). "Earl Cox's Tesla Charging Station Makes Electric Roadtrip From L.A. to S.F. a Reality". Fast Company.
11. Hian, Howard. (May 1, 2018). "A surprising discovery: Harris Ranch". Military Press.
12. Maybury, John. (February 7, 2012). "Wandering and Wondering". Pacifica Tribune.
13. Fehrenbacher, Katie. (August 7, 2013). "Record sales, upbeat Q2 earnings for electric car maker Tesla". Gigaom.
14. (December 19, 2014). "Battery Swap Pilot Program". Tesla Motors.
15. Simon Alvarez. (April 6, 2021). "Tesla's new giant Supercharger with 100 stalls confirmed for Harris Ranch". Teslarati.
16. Black, Jane. (December 7, 2009). "Think you're dining 'green'? Menus won't always tell you". The Washington Post.
17. Spano, Susan. (October 8, 2006). "Eat well, sleep deeply off I-5, at Harris Ranch". Los Angeles Times.
18. Enzinna, Wes. (November 2010). "Big Meat vs. Michael Pollan". Mother Jones.
19. Estabrook, Barry. (December 28, 2011). "Feedlots vs. Pastures: Two Very Different Ways to Fatten Beef Cattle". The Atlantic.
20. (October 16, 2009). "Sacred cows at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo". Los Angeles Times.
21. Mitchell, Larry. (February 19, 2012). "Temple Grandin: Ag must make progress known". Chico Enterprise Record.