Distinctly Montana Magazine

42 D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A M A G A Z I N E • W I N T E R 2 0 2 3 - 2 4 A MID MONTANA'S VAST LANDSCAPES, WHERE THE TOWERING CRAZY MOUNTAINS CAST THEIR SHAD- OWS, THERE'S A PLACE CALLED TANGEN DRAW, A RANCH AIMING TO REDEFINE THE PHRASE "KNOW YOUR RANCHER." It all started with a desire for food source connection—not just to where our food comes from, but to the deep-rooted tales of its growth, its journey, and its impact both to the land and to our own health. When we bite into a juicy steak, do we pause to consider the pasture it grazed upon, the care with which it was raised, the harmonious footprint it left on Mother Earth, and how nutritious the meat actually is? These were the press- ing questions that churned in the minds of the Conver family as they established Tangen Draw in 2019. The family's aspirations were clear: to raise cattle in Montana, where they could live and work in nature, and to do so in a way that results in the best tasting, most nutrient-dense meat possi- ble. "We realized that in order to produce a great tasting prod- uct that's not just good for us but also good for the environment, we needed to think beyond just the animals and work to help nature recreate a healthy natural system that gives back more than what is taken," says Nick Conver. Stirred by this vision of contributing to a revitalized food system, they ventured into re- generative agriculture, where the very essence of their ranching isn't just about producing unique, quality meat for consumers (and for Tangen Draw, that's 100% grass-fed and -finished, dry- aged beef and bison); it's doing so in a way that binds the land, the animals, the humans, and the ecosystem in a cohesive, sym- biotic dance. Inspired by the late 19th century ranching heritage of their an- cestors, the family—who, at the time, were self-proclaimed "new- bie ranchers"—threw themselves into researching, learning, and doing, all in an earnest effort to produce exceptional meat in a way that would reinvigorate the terrains they cherish and support a food model the planet can actually sustain. This holistic view manifested in their regenerative ranching approach, which the family describes as "methodical and complex." Indeed, the pursuit of regenerative ranching is a dedicated one. Spanning several thousand square acres across prairies, creeks, hills, and valleys, Tangen Draw's cattle and bison are grazed with precision, always under the watchful eye of the ranch team, who traverse the land traditionally by horseback. "We graze our animals deliberately across our ranch, which allows them to consume a diverse range of grasses, contribut- by HANA-LEE SEDGWICK

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