At Kohman Meats, Ranching Is About Family

Kelli and Todd grew up around the corner from each other in Abilene. Their families did business together — Kelli’s family leased some of their farmland to Todd’s family — but that was it. They knew each other, but they weren’t close. It wasn’t until they were grown that the two became a couple. Today, they’re a family with two kids and more than 70 bovine “babies.”

At least, that’s what Todd calls them — “our babies.”

It may sound odd to someone not familiar with ranching, but that’s how Kelli and Todd view their cattle: as extensions of their family. But things weren’t always that way.

Todd is a fourth-generation farmer and his family had always been on the “feeder” side of the business, meaning they bought calves from a breeder and put them out to graze their fields, helping them put on weight before selling them to a finisher. When Todd took over the business, he was more interested in the “cow-calf” side of ranching, meaning he wanted to be at the beginning of the chain: breeding cattle and selling the calves to a feeder.

Kelli and Todd researched different breeds of cattle and evaluated their genetics, physical traits and quality of meat. With a reputation for producing high-quality meat, Black Angus seemed like a great fit for their ranch. Kelli and Todd decided to build a herd. They looked for heifers with wide hips, making them ideal for breeding

One day, Todd was looking at the cows and remarked how good-looking they were.  “I wish I could follow them to see what happens,” he said.

That was the beginning of their next chapter.

Kelli and Todd decided to explore raising their cattle all the way from breeding to finishing. They started by keeping a few calves and raising them to see how it could work. They found people were intrigued by what they were doing. Customers — families like you and me — wanted to know more about where their meat came from and how it was raised. As interest grew, they expanded their operation.

“It’s not very common for people to raise cattle from birth,” Kelli said. “Once we saw that there was a desire for this kind of product and we knew that we could go forward with a legitimate business, we shifted focus.”

For them to maintain control and be profitable, they decided to create their own label. That’s when Kohman Meats was born. Kelli took on the business and marketing side of the operation. She researched licensing requirements, USDA regulations and labeling terminology. The nuances were dizzying. But Kelli has seen it as an opportunity to connect more closely with her customers.

“People want to know where their food comes from,” she said. “We’ve put a lot of stock into educating our customers on what these terms mean and why we do things the way we do them.”

Kelli shared an example about grass feeding. While “grass-fed” has become a popular buzzword, it doesn’t tell the full story. All cattle are grass-fed during the majority of their lives. Some are finished on a grain diet. At Kohman Meats, they introduce corn into the finishing diet, while still allowing cattle access to grassland. Corn helps with marbling, which produces a higher grade of meat.

“Our main focus is the health and wellness of our cattle and in the end, bringing a superior product to customers,” she said. “We take a lot of pride in the fact that we raise our cattle on an appropriate diet for their age and weight to get that delicious flavor.”

They sell packages of different cuts of beef through their Facebook page and are looking into opening a storefront.

In addition to raising cattle, the Kohmans grow soybeans, wheat and corn, plus cover crops like turnips and radishes for the cattle to graze on in winter.

Their operation is a family affair — Kelli and Todd share the load. She runs the business side of things and makes morning rounds to check on the calves, while Todd handles tracking ages, dates, health and technical information on the herd, as well as loading and moving the cattle. 

And their human babies get involved, too.

“They come with us every night out to the pastures,” Kelli said. “It’s all an adventure to them.”

To learn more about Kohman Meats, visit their website or follow them on Facebook.