About Cross Creek Ranch
Cross Creek Ranch Premium Meats sells Full Blood and American Wagyu beef raised on our family's cattle ranch near Hesperus, Colorado, and ships it frozen to homes across the continental United States.
A family ranch in southwest Colorado
The ranch covers 2,800 acres about ten miles west of Durango, on the southern slopes of the La Plata Mountains, more than 8,000 feet above sea level. Our family has raised cattle on this land since the late 1800s, and the Cross Creek cattle brand was registered with the State of Colorado on June 27, 1899, making it one of the earliest recorded brands in the state.
The land has a long history of its own. The ranch's northern boundary meets a stretch of the Old Spanish Trail, and it borders the site of Old Fort Lewis, a U.S. Army post from the 1880s. You can read more in Cross Creek Ranch: A Site of Historical Enterprise and History of Cross Creek Ranch.
The Wagyu we raise
We raise two kinds of Wagyu cattle.
Our Full Blood Wagyu is 100% Japanese Black (Kuroge Washu), with bloodlines that trace back to Japan. We track the genetics of every animal in the herd, starting with our foundation sires and dams. Those genetics are what give Wagyu its marbling, with fat running through the muscle instead of sitting around it. More on that in Wagyu Genetics.
Our American Wagyu is a cross between our Wagyu and Angus cattle. It has rich marbling with a beef flavor that will feel familiar to anyone who loves a good steak, at a lower price than Full Blood. If you're deciding between the two, this comparison walks through the differences.
How our cattle are raised
Our cattle spend part of the year grazing on the ranch, with room to roam, clean mountain air and snow-fed water. They're finished on grain grown on our family's fields in New Mexico, and they're raised without added hormones or antibiotics. Wagyu takes longer to raise than commodity beef, and we don't rush it.
We grow alfalfa for the herd using organic farming practices, without chemical pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers. The ranch also runs solar power and electric vehicles, and we buy carbon credits to offset its emissions.
From our ranch to your door
Our beef is cut at our family's own USDA processing plant in Cortez, Colorado, then frozen and shipped. We ship to the continental United States from Monday through Wednesday, and orders arrive two days later in an insulated box. Orders of $200 or more ship free. The full details are in our shipping policy.
The whole path, from pasture to packing, is described on our Ranch to Plate page.
Talk to us
We sell online only. The ranch isn't open to the public, and we don't offer pickup. If you have a question about a cut or an order, call us at 800-979-8322, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mountain time, or send a message through our contact page.