Top Grass Cattle Co. leads the way with sustainable, ethical, grass-fed cattle.

Top Grass Cattle Co. ethically raises grass-fed cattle on the prairies just outside of Drumheller. The cows eat grass that is native to the area, and their cattle have plenty of space to roam freely under the bright blue sky. For Calvin Raessler, CEO and founder of Top Grass, launching this company was deeply personal.

"I wanted my life to have meaning and fulfillment," says Raessler. "I loved my ranch, loved working with my animals, and wanted to provide a product and/or service that was good for my family, friends, customers and future generations. We are raising our animals with the best care and respect that helps manage our land and environment to produce more grass that sequesters more carbon and provides our customers with a tasty, nutritional dense food for their families."

He continues, "At Top Grass Cattle Co. we are committed to the health and welfare of our animals, the sustainability of our land, and providing an enjoyable eating experience our customers."

In his early days of ranching, the cattle had a more typical setup, but Raessler was keen to change that as he and his family started looking at life and the business in a more holistic way.

"We realized the impact our methods had on the welfare of our animals, the sustainability of our land, and the impact to other people," he says.

Now Top Grass is an inspiration to ranches everywhere as it proves that animals can be raised ethically, responsibility, and sustainably while still being profitable and affordable to consumers.

Raessler smiles, "I am grateful for our beautiful ranch, the respect we have for our animals, and for the people that value what we do. People vote with their dollars and we appreciate their choice to choose our Top Grass products."

Despite the many recent changes to Calgary's economy, Top Grass stays focused on its values and on providing tasty nutritional grass-fed and grass-finished beef that is raised on free range pastures without the use of hormones or antibiotics.

He finds the entrepreneurial spirit of Calgary inspiring.

"The people of Calgary are not complacent with the status quo and are willing to take chances and try something new. They are early adopters and are on the cutting edge. Even though we raise beef similar to the old days, we are always looking for ways to deliver it to our customers in the safest and most convenient way without compromising our values."

It is this love of the community that has Top Grass giving back by working with non profit organizations such as Operation Grassland, Cows and Fish, Ducks Unlimited, REAP (Respect Earth and all People), and the local food bank, among others.

Raessler wanted to live a more purpose-filled life and is thrilled that he is able to achieve this with Top Grass Cattle Co.

"We do several product samplings for consumers with our retailers," he says. "Being able to share what we do, how we do it, why we do it, and to see our customers enjoying our products is fantastic. We are able to connect with our customers, hear their stories, their reasons for wanting our product or sometimes reasons why not. We are always learning and looking to improve what we do, so their feedback is vital. Many Calgarians are looking to make informed food choices that benefit their health, their family's health, the environment and life experience. It is the best feeling in the world to know they are choosing our products to make their life better."

Learn more about Top Grass at topgrass.ca, and use your grass-fed beef in one of Raessler's favourite recipes: traditional braised beef stew.