1882: This 5th Generation Ranch is Selling Direct
Founded in 1882, Mannix Family Beef has been operating their family ranch for 5 generations in the Blackfoot Valley of Montana.
While the hit-series Yellowstone has exposed many Americans to the beauty of Montana ranches, Mannix Family Beef is not a fictional Hollywood show. This real-life family ranch has employed multiple generations of Mannix family members who manage 1250+ head of cattle on 50,000+ acres.
Recently, Barn2Door had an opportunity to speak with Logan Mannix, one of the owner operators of Mannix Family Beef, about the growth and success of their family ranch.
Regenerative Practices
Since the ranch was initially established in 1882, the Mannix family has viewed themselves as “caretakers” of the land in their stewardship. Committed to regenerative practices, Mannix Family Beef has made ongoing investments to evolve their practices to foster the health of soil, streams, grass, timber and wildlife (including predators), while managing their herds. The ranch has a long history of conservation and stewardship that has been passed down through several generations.
Ranching is a Business
Owning and operating a ranch for more than 150+ years is not an easy task - especially as a family-owned business in a commodity market. Instead of sitting back and reacting to market fluctuations, Mannix family members have proactively sought to evolve their business over the years.
Logan Mannix credits his elders for their wisdom and willingness to seek outside counsel from Ranching for Profit (which offers educational courses and resources for ranchers). Analyzing their ranch business, the Mannix family has progressively moved to smaller, heartier animals that are rotationally grazed and grass finished. Additionally, they diversified avenues to market to increase their margins.
Shifting Direct-to-Market
Like many ranches, Mannix Family Beef grew its operations as a cow-calf and stocker business. For decades it was the mainstay of the family business. However, as competition and operating costs increased, margins eroded in these classic distribution models. When selling out-of-state through major aggregators, Mannix Family Beef found they were losing money.
We were losing money selling through aggregators, especially if you look at the opportunity cost of what we could have sold those animals direct-to-market. It just wasn't paying to sell through those programs.
- Farmer Logan
About 15 years ago, the ranch began seeking to build its own Brand and a local customer base by selling direct-to-market. Like many Farms and Ranches, they began selling whole animals to friends and families, then expanded into sales at local markets and restaurants.
Accelerating Growth (and Profits)
In recent years, Mannix Family Beef has invested in eCommerce routes to market (web, mobile, email and social media), to access more customers and increase orders. By offering convenient fulfillment options, including pick-ups and direct delivery, Mannix Family Beef has accelerated their growth.
Buyers love the easy and simplicity of ordering online, then receiving their product on the doorstep. The ranch has grown from selling 20 head to more than 150 head of cattle direct-to-market in 2022. Mannix Family Beef is aiming to surpass 200 head of cattle in 2023.
The ability to build their own Brand, build a loyal customer base and earn a premium-price for their Quality products has significantly improved their profit margins.
Partnering Improves Outcomes
As a legacy ranch in Montana, Mannix Family Beef has taken its role seriously when it comes to wildlife conservation and land stewardship. Logan shared that the ranch has invested in trout stream restoration, fish ladders, and worked closely with the Department of Fish and Game to protect habitat for wolves and grizzlies.
Partnering with local environmental groups has increased trust and transparency, which has paid dividends with ecologically-conscious consumers. These partnerships, too, enable Mannix Family Beef to convey its values to their customers and increase market awareness. It has been a win-win for the ranch.
Saving Time
Shifting their direct-to-market business online has enabled Mannix Family Ranch to continue growing their business, increase margins and save time. In the past twelve months, 9 out of 10 American Adults have made an online purchase - it’s not rocket science.
“Moving our customers online is the single biggest reason we are saving time. It is simple to resolve every question for a Buyer anytime online.”
To power its eCommerce experience, Mannix Family Beef chose Barn2Door because of the capabilities built for farmers. Sell by weight, pre-order deposits, subscriptions, pick-up and delivery functions are a must-have for Pastured Proteins. Additionally, Logan Mannix has appreciated working with an account manager, the available design services and technical support that provide ongoing assistance.
Simplify Packaging
While selling a whole animal (quarter / half / whole) is valuable for some customers, it can be time consuming for Buyers who are unfamiliar with cut sheets. More importantly, whole animals require the Buyer to own a chest freezer (less than 3% of Americans own a chest freezer).
Read: Tactics that 3 Farms Implemented to Grow to $100k in 1 Year
Mannix Family Beef elected to debut “Bundle Boxes” which has significantly expanded its customer base, while enabling them to move all their products. A 25-pound Bundle Box is their most popular box sold in a number of formats, including: Grilling, Slow Cooking, the Classic and Butcher’s Cuts.
Building Consistent Revenues
Operating a large Montana ranch is a privilege and honor for Mannix Family Beef. However, their location is more than 90 minutes from the closest town, which makes it difficult to rely upon On-Farm pick-up for customer orders.
While going to markets proved successful in building initial Brand awareness for Mannix Family Beef in local communities, less than 1% of Americans regularly attend a market. Moving their fulfillment options to more convenient Pick-up locations along a delivery route has attracted 100’s of new Buyers.
A once-a-month delivery route has enabled Mannix Family Beef to concentrate their fulfillment efforts, while improving convenience for Buyers. Aligning their processing dates, too, ensures that Mannix Family Beef is moving more products efficiently and minimizing the footprint of their freezers. Streamlining their operations has increased revenues, while reducing costs.
“We basically looked at all the major populations within a few hours drive of us and tried to set up a loop with pick up locations in each major place.”
Today, Mannix serves 1000’s of Buyers every month. Mannix Family Beef has built a successful direct-to-market business by providing convenient ongoing access to their Products for Buyers, while building consistent recurring revenues for their ranching business.
Listen to Logan Mannix in his Own Words
Watch this 5-minute video, if you’re curious to learn why successful Farms run on Barn2Door.