Dakota Canyon Ranch is owned and operated by Travis and Kendra Paulton, husband and wife team. Together we are raising our six children as the fourth generation on the Paulton family ranch in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

We are passionate about the land, our family legacy, and sharing the ranching way of life with our community.

We believe that happy and healthy cows results in healthy and delicious beef. We are excited to help you get real, delicious, and healthy USA-raised beef into your home.
Happy + Healthy Cows = Healthy + Delicious Beef

Four Generations of Family Working Together

Our children make up the fourth generation of Paulton on our Black Hills cattle ranch.

Together as a family, we devote our days to stewarding the land and the animals of which God has entrusted us.

There is nothing more satisfying than seeing the fruits of our labor come full circle as our pasture land improves, our hay crops grow, and the beef we feed our families provide satisfying, enjoyable, meals for our families.

And now, being able to offer this beef to YOU is like an extension of our family into yours. As you enjoy Dakota Canyon Beef around your family table, we hope you are inspired just a little bit to tap into our ranching way of life.

From our family to yours, WELCOME. We are glad you are here.

Why Dakota Canyon Beef?

We believe in the value of knowing where your food comes from. Know your rancher. Know your food. You know, there are a lot of family ranches out there, doing what we do on the daily —- caring for the land and the livestock, kids at their side, simply for the way of life and the legacy. It’s hard work, it’s noble work, and it’s our LIFE WORK. We tip our hats to those who have gone before, and those walking this journey alongside. Agriculture is truly the foundation of America. We are so thankful for all of the farmers and ranchers, sowing and harvesting, roping and riding, fencing and calving… our work feeds the USA. We are passionate about that.

All of the cattle on our ranch have been home-raised for decades. This means that every single steak — every hamburger — that is on your plate, was first born as a wobbly calf on our ranch’s grassy pastures. And that little calf’s momma was also born and raised on our family ranch, as well. And her momma… and her momma… You get the picture.

We care for those calves and at branding time certain steer calves are selected for our Ranch-to-Table beef program. These calves receive no added hormones or unnecessary antibiotics, and are marked by identifying ear tags and careful record keeping. The calves stay by their mother’s sides all summer on lush forested pastures, then at weaning time in the fall are kept close to home. Fed a carefully curated feed regimen of quality grass hay and distillers products, the weaned calves grow into yearlings, where they spend another year grazing to their hearts’ content. At the end of the second season, steers are brought in close again to be given only the finest feed to finish out for our family and yours.

Our cows are acclimated to our unique landscapes of dryland grasses, rocky canyons, spring water, and Ponderosa Pine covered forests. They are hardy, seasoned, gentle, healthy cows. Generations of Angus cattle have called Dakota Canyon Ranch their home, and that’s pretty special.

We are proud of what we do, and so thankful to be given the opportunity to serve your family in this way. Thank you for trusting us with your family’s beef.

Travis & Kendra Paulton

& the kids