Country Natural Beef Celebrates 40 Years of Rancher-Led Leadership

Cooperative honors member innovation, legacy, and the next generation of ranchers

Mar. 18, 2026 at 10:23pm

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Country Natural Beef, the nation's largest rancher-owned beef cooperative, gathered members from across the West in Nampa, Idaho for its annual meeting, celebrating 40 years of working together to build a stronger future for family ranches. The cooperative recognized members for their commitment, innovation, and leadership through several awards, including the Innovation Award, Rooted Ranch Award, True North Award, NextGen Award, Lifetime of Leadership Award, and Legacy Award.

Why it matters

Country Natural Beef has demonstrated that values-driven, rancher-led cooperatives can thrive and endure across generations, providing a model for sustainable agriculture and direct-to-market supply chains that prioritize animal welfare, transparency, and community-based leadership.

The details

Founded in 1986 by a small group of ranching families, Country Natural Beef has grown into a cooperative of nearly 100 ranch families across the Western United States. The cooperative recently adopted the RaiseWell Certified animal welfare program, administered by Where Food Comes From, Inc., to provide clearly defined, independently verified animal care standards and traceability to the ranch of origin.

  • Country Natural Beef was founded in 1986.
  • The cooperative held its annual meeting in Nampa, Idaho in 2026.

The players

Country Natural Beef

The nation's largest rancher-owned beef cooperative, founded in 1986 by a small group of ranching families who believed they could bring responsibly raised, high-quality beef directly to market.

Stuart Jensen

Recipient of the Innovation Award for advancing regenerative ranch management through rotational grazing, crop integration, and ongoing experimentation to improve soil and forage health.

Warnock Ranch

Recipient of the Rooted Ranch Award, a founding member ranch that has placed its entire eligible calf crop with the cooperative for 40 years, representing four generations of ranching and co-op leadership.

T. Wright Dickinson

Recipient of the True North Award, honored for more than a decade of steady, member-first leadership, including service on the cooperative's inaugural Board of Directors.

Anna Lickley

Recipient of the NextGen Award, recognized for her leadership within her ranch, community, and industry, while balancing a career with the Idaho State Department of Agriculture and raising a young family.

Lowell and Mary Forman

Founding members of the cooperative, with Mary serving more than 30 years as Chief Financial Officer, recipients of the Lifetime of Leadership Award.

Alec Oliver

Outgoing Membership Director, recipient of the Legacy Award, recognized for 12 years of strengthening relationships with member families before returning full-time to ranching.

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What they’re saying

“Forty years is such an accomplishment in the beef industry, especially with the way the market and consumer preferences have changed over the decades.”

— Lowell Forman, Founding Member, Forman Ranch

What’s next

The cooperative plans to continue strengthening its animal welfare verification through the RaiseWell Certified program, providing clearly defined, independently verified standards and traceability to the ranch of origin.

The takeaway

Country Natural Beef's 40-year history demonstrates the power of rancher-led, values-driven cooperatives to build sustainable supply chains, support family farms and ranches, and meet evolving consumer demands for transparency and responsible production practices.