Bentonville ranch earns grass-fed, animal welfare certifications

Bentonville-based Hanna Family Ranch recently received third-party certifications for its treatment of livestock and for its grass-fed sheep.

A Greener World, which certifies farms in North America, gave the ranch the Animal Welfare Approved and Certified Grassfed certifications.

Woman-owned Hanna Family Ranch is run by Waltina Hanna. Her husband, Will Hanna, is the ranch foreman. They raise Katahdin sheep and Berkshire and Large Black hogs, livestock breeds that are suited to “pasture-based management and known for their high-quality meat,” according to a news release.

The Animal Welfare Approved certification “lets consumers know animals are raised outdoors on pasture or range in accordance with the highest animal welfare standards in the U.S. and Canada, using sustainable agriculture methods on an independent family farm,” the release shows. The Certified Grassfed certification is an additional accreditation along with the Animal Welfare Approved farms.

“We’re providing a healthy product for our customers while simultaneously offering an excellent quality of life for the animal,” Will Hanna said. “It’s so important to us that our pigs and sheep get to live how they were intended to live, outdoors on pasture and range.”

Hanna Family Ranch supplies it certified grass-fed lamb and animal welfare-approved pork to several restaurants in Arkansas, including the DoubleTree Suites by Hilton in Bentonville.

Chef Caleb Barker of Bistro 301 at the DoubleTree praised the working relationship with the Hanna Family Ranch. “As a chef, it is important to know where your food comes from,” Barker said. “By working with Hanna Family Ranch, I am able to see the animals in their natural state and am assured of their high quality — not to mention offering our guests a true local flavor.”