OUR STORY
1st Generation Family Owned & Operated Beef Opperation
'In a world full of Angus, raise a Galloway.'
It seems that everything we do has to be a little bit different from the standard normal, cattle ranching included...
About Walking Oar Galloways
On the Occidental Ranch, a lot of thought goes into every decision we make. You don’t have to look any further than our name and brand for that to be evident. Occidental is Latin for “of the west”. You can’t get much farther west geographically, and the western lifestyle is alive and well here in the high desert we call home. Additionally, the most profuse tree in the area is the Western Juniper (Occidental Juniperus). Occidental Ranch also abbreviates to the same letters as the state we are located (OR), and the paternal last names of the generations that brought us to this point are Olney and Rogers. OR is easily pronounced Oar, and if you put legs on an oar, it has the shape of both an O and an R. So, if you find yourself up a creek without a canoe, Walking Oar.
In walking our own path, we discovered Galloway Cattle. Galloway are the oldest recorded domesticated cattle. Galloway are also a genetic contributor to two of the most widely known breeds of beef cattle in America. The Angus breed was developed primarily through the breeding of Galloways with Shorthorns, and Polled (hornless) Herefords were developed from breeding Galloways into Hereford lines.
Galloways have the unique characteristic of being double-coated, with their longer winter coat shedding out each summer, which makes them well suited to the warm summers and cold winters of the high desert. This double coat also means that Galloways have no need for a subcutaneous fat layer. With no need to build this extra fat layer, Galloways require less feed, and their meat has been found to be up to 60% lower in cholesterol compared to commercial beef cattle, making them a healthier and more sustainable option.
Pasture Born, Raised, & Harvested
Rotated through pastures of Oregon grasses, irrigated through the summer, and under big blue high desert skies, our cattle are an integral part of our regenerative agriculture practices. Hay fed through the winter, with access to minerals year-round and plenty of cool water and shade through the summer. Being born, raised, and harvested on the same land before being processed by a local butcher, we experience every day how a low stress life leads to better meat quality and overall happy cattle.
Meet The Cows
Just as you want to know where your meat comes from, it's also fun to get to know some of the cows that produce the steers you're eating. Let's meet the cows...
White Galloway
Lucy
Our first Galloway, she is shy and quiet, but a great mom on the occasions when she remembers she has a calf.
Black Galloway
NYX
One half of the two-bestie duo, NYX is a bit stand offish and wary of most everyone and everything (maybe she listens to too many Butchering podcasts).
Black Galloway
Asteria
The other half of the two-bestie duo, Asteria is most often the one standing right behind NYX, waiting for her to tell her what to do.
Shorthorn/Hereford
Bubbles
Though not a Galloway, Bubbles was our first cow, the foundation for our Occidental Ranch's commercial herd, and is our herd's leader. In case you can't tell from her expression, she doesn't take any beef.