Meet the Maddocks

Meet the Maddocks:

Describe your operation. 

The Maddock Ranch, located in Benson County in north-central North Dakota, is family owned and operated and has been for five generations.  Travis, along with his wife, Mistte, and children, James and Lauren, ranch with Travis’ parents, Brian and Vicki, and his two brothers and their wives, Justin and Rachel, and Shane and Lindsay.  The Maddock Ranch includes a commercial breeding herd, a grass-based yearling operation and custom grazing when there is excess grass.   In addition to his ranching operation, Travis also owns and operates Dakota Global Consulting, LLC, advising meat and food companies on regulatory requirements, food safety, and consumer issues.

How do you keep animals safe and healthy?

The Maddocks have a comprehensive vaccination program for their cattle that is overseen by a consulting veterinarian.  Travis also uses his Ph.D. in cattle nutrition to manage diets and animal performance while grazing and during winter feeding periods.  Humane handling standards are part of their operational program, and all who handle livestock are Beef Quality Assurance certified.  They participate in third-party verification programs for Non-Hormone Treated Cattle (NHTC) and humane-handling and sustainability (BeefCares Program) as part of an overall mission to create trust and value in their beef operation.

How do you care for the environment? 

Travis’s dad started practicing holistic resource management practices in the late 1980’s.  Today, the ranch is managed using best grazing and conservation practices to support soil health and encourage wildlife habitats, which also enhances animal and rangeland performance.  Rangeland and paddocks are monitored daily for use and cattle are moved as needed.  On improved pastures, the Maddocks use intensive management to encourage forage development and to control weeds.  Chemicals are only used as a last resort.  They participate in the ND Grazing Lands Coalition as members and mentors, and the ranch is a past recipient of the ND Environmental Stewardship award.  

What message do you hope to pass on to your kids about farming and production agriculture? 

The Maddock family believes the ruminant animal, including beef cattle, is an important part of the global ecosystem and crucial for healthy soils and environments.  Humans evolved eating beef and beef products, and they are an essential part of the human diet.  The Maddock family is proud of what they do, namely caring for the land, caring for the cattle, and providing an amazingly safe source of protein, healthy fats, and vitamins and minerals for consumers.  They continually state that raising and selling beef is hard work, but when done right, is incredibly rewarding.