About Our Ranch
Summit Creek Ranch is made up of 690 acres in Hayfork Valley, which we primarily use for our grass-fed beef business…but we still managed to plant a few acres of vineyards (hey, red wine and beef is an easy match up!). We also have over a thousand acres of leased land on which we graze our cattle. Along with our land at Summit Creek Ranch, these vast tracts of open grasslands are what support our 100% grass-fed beef.
Hayfork Valley History—Our ranch used to be one of the largest hay ranches in the region, but it was gold that brought people to this area. Gold was first discovered in Trinity County in July 1848, just a few months after the Sutter’s Mill discovery. A gravel bar on the Trinity River produced $80,000 in gold in six weeks, and made Trinity County one of the main destinations of the California Gold Rush.
By the early 1860s, the increased population had led to Hayfork becoming a prosperous settlement whose farms, according to Trinity County Historical Annals, “were producing sufficient quantities of grain, potatoes, beans, butter, eggs, and livestock to furnish the rest of the Trinity County population”. During this time, Hayfork boasted two grocery stores, one hardware store, two hotels, two blacksmith shops, one drug store, one feed store, three saloons, and two dance halls. In the early 1900s, men began staking timber claims on the old growth forestlands surrounding the town. However, the first mill did not open in the area until 1925, owing to the difficulty of getting lumber out of Hayfork and over the mountains to Weaverville, the county seat.
Contact Us
PO Box 996, Hayfork, CA 96041
Toll Free: 855-863-2776
Info@summitcreekbeef.com
Staff Directory
Mike Sumner, Owner, x 700
Ryen Rourke, Ranch Foreman, x 704
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