Growers and Grocers

The Sacramento Bee’s Mike Dunne has written a light profile of Bill Niman, whose Niman Ranch brand is a popular choice for consumers who care about quality ingredients and ethical meat production.

The most interesting aspect of Niman Ranch, to my mind, is how they leveraged their reputation in beef to support ethical production in pork and lamb. Farmers throughout the country can take advantage of the Niman Ranch brand, but only if they raise their pigs in accordance with the company’s rigorous standards for ethical production For once, corporate muscle is being used for good.

The article doesn’t mention that Niman Ranch is trying a similar model with veal, though it’s still a pilot effort. For many, veal production is the ultimate in animal cruelty; everyone seems to believe that veal farmers produce the delicate meat by breaking a calf’s knees and keeping it immobile in a tiny box. But veal as a concept is the bovine equivalent to lamb: A cow slaughtered before it’s mature. Some ethical veal producers do exist, as readers of The Art of Eating might remember from an article three years ago. Niman Ranch wants to gather those producers under the roof of their prestigious name and encourage others to join the ranks.

With $60 million in revenue, Niman Ranch has clearly hit upon a business model that works, and it’s good to see how consumers—and competitors—have responded. As more people buy this meat and its high-end competition, it will encourage larger, less ethical producers to change their practices to protect their bottom line. Change might be slow, but you can see it coming.