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A Ranch Built on Tradition

On the day of May 20, 2013—a day etched into the memories of central Oklahomans who survived the large and extremely powerful EF5 tornado that ravaged Moore and adjacent areas—Kirk Sizer moved to Oklahoma and committed, through marriage, to carry on a legacy that can be traced back to the 1950s.

Kirk and his wife, the former Renisa Whitehead, were actually married on the ranch, under a big pecan tree.

Kirk’s wife, Renisa, is the granddaughter of Carl W. Hardesty, who moved his family to Norman in the 1950s to work for the railroad. Carl also started up a successful cattle ranch here, off Indian Hills Road, and it’s that legacy Kirk and Renisa, and Renisa’s mother, Sandra Reneau, are working to keep alive, despite all three holding full-time “day” jobs. Kirk works for a company that buys and renovates homes, then leases them out; Renisa works from home as an IT learning specialist; and Sandra is a counselor. Kirk notes that, especially in winter, when the grass goes dormant and the cows require continual feeding, it feels as if they’re working two full-time jobs.

The family is raising grass-fed cattle, and they currently have two bulls, a registered Angus and a registered Hereford, and nine registered Angus cows, as well as some commercial cows. It now being spring, they also currently have a number of calves.

Unlike many large commercial enterprises, the family allow their cattle to roam the pastureland and eat grass in-season, as opposed to being confined to large feedlots, where they are rapidly fattened with grain-based feeds that are usually made from a base of soy or corn, and also may be given antibiotics and/or growth hormones to maximize growth.

“We raise beef for quality. Just as we are what we eat, so are cattle,” Kirk says, noting that grass-fed beef contains less fat, which translates into fewer calories. He also believes beef from cows that were allowed to graze has a better texture. But one of the major reasons many people prefer grass-fed beef pertains to its health benefits. Grass-fed beef, Kirk explains, can have as much as five times more Omega 3s than that from their nongrass-fed counterparts. Additionally, a quick internet search revealed that grass-fed beef contains much less monounsaturated fat than grain-fed beef and about twice as much conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). CLA is a fatty acid associated with some health benefits.

Most of the beef produced by the family goes to feed the family; between them, the Sizers have six children and one grandchild. They sell just enough to help maintain the farm and feed and care for the cows.

Kirk says the family finds fulfillment in maintaining the ranch and living out the dream that was started during the decade of the poodle skirt, drive-through restaurants and drive-in movies. He also wants readers to know that local, farm-raised grass fed beef is not only healthy, but a great investment for your family and your grocery budget.

“Purchasing a whole or half of a beef not only helps the local producer; it helps the local economy, the butcher, the feed store and the veterinarian … they all benefit from your purchase, and you get a superior product, a healthier product than you can ever purchase from the grocery store.”

As a bonus, he noted, the consumer is going to pay the same price per pound for steaks as they do for hamburger meat, which is especially helpful when looking to fill the freezer with enough beef to last the year.

Kirk Sizer can be contacted at klsizer61@gmail.com.

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