162-year-old California ranch is shutting down its meat operation

Rancho Llano Seco, the historic Chico, California, beef and pork farm that counts Chez Panisse and Zazie among its customers, is getting out of the meat business. Llano Seco Meats, the 162-year-old ranch’s meat brand, will shut down in October, as first reported by Eater. The company broke the news to its customers on Instagram on Monday, calling it an “extremely tough decision.” 

“Ultimately, it was an economic decision for the company and family,” Charlie Thieriot, the CEO of Llano Seco Meats, told SFGATE. “… Essentially, the cost of feed doubled due to the war in Ukraine and the drought in California, and other costs like plastics, fuel and labor all went up.”

The ranch has been in Thieriot’s family for six generations — his ancestor, San Francisco banker and diplomat John Parrott, purchased it in 1861, according to the company’s website (it was first established in 1844 as a Spanish-era land grant ranch). Today, Rancho Llano Seco produces walnuts, almonds, heirloom beans and ancient grains, in addition to raising cattle and pigs.

In 2008, though the ranch had raised pigs for years, it became a confinement-free, sustainable pork operation, after management heard chef friends talk about wanting higher-quality pork produced in California. 

“We really gave it all and invested tens of millions of dollars over the years,” Thieriot said. “… Ultimately, it didn’t continue, but I feel like it worked really well for over a decade.”

Llano Seco Meats is sold at around 100 restaurants and retailers across California, Nevada and Arizona, account director James Salyer estimated.

Customers will be able to submit online orders until Oct. 3, and Llano Seco Meats’ final farmers market days will be Sept. 20 and Oct.14. The company will be auctioning off its pigs online between Sept. 15 and Sept. 19. 

Since announcing the news, Thieriot said the company has received tons of messages of support from customers, as well as concern about where they’re going to obtain quality pork going forward. People are also stocking up, including Thieriot himself. 

“Our online orders, we can’t even keep up with them right now,” he said. “… I’m sad, but it was just a wonderful time doing this.”