Raising Beef - Jake Pannbacker
Jake is a 5th generation farmer and rancher in Washington, Kansas. He has served as both a board member of the Kansas Beef Council and as a committee member of domestic marketing on the Cattlemen's Beef Board.
About Jake Pannbacker
While ranching may be in his blood, it was never really in his plans. Jake Pannbacker studied to become an elementary school teacher.
"The thing I really enjoyed about teaching is seeing your students grow in your classroom. I was able to look in their eyes when they finally learned something that had been challenging for them. It was the best feeling."
However, as so often happens, the call of home and family brought him back to the farm. With his dad, a licensed veterinarian, and his trusty ranch dog Hawk by his side, Jake grows crops and cares for roughly 150 head of cattle on his north central Kansas farmstead.
What Is the History of the Pannbacker Farm?
"I am the 5th generation to live along Mill Creek. My grandparents moved to this spot in 1946. My grandfather decided to retire in 1980, so my dad took over the ranch. I joined him a few years ago."
How the Pannbacker Farm Is Unique
"When the ranch started, this ground was primarily used to grow steers on grass. Seventy years later we still grow steers on the grassland we manage, but one big change is we now have the opportunity to take care of the cattle during their entire time on our land, from start to finish. That means we breed our cows, raise the calves, care for them at the feedyard and sell them to become a delicious meal for families across the country. Every ranch will do things differently, but this is what works for us and our land."
Who Does Jake Work With on the Ranch?
"My dad and I work together most days. Working alongside my dad is actually something I never thought about growing up. I have really started to treasure working alongside him over the last 6 years since I moved back to the farm. My dog Hawk is also usually with me. He is a Black Lab and Weimaraner mix. He is definitely not your typical ranch dog, but he loves to ride along with me on the UTV or in the truck when checking pastures."
What Does a Typical Day on the Ranch Look Like?
"The great thing about ranching is every day is different. There will always be new challenges and some new learning experiences along the way. However, there are some things that routinely happen. Every morning I go check on the cows in the pasture to make sure they are healthy. Most times this involves Hawk and me riding through pastures to get a good close look at every cow and calf. After that I head over to our feedyard to check on those cattle. They need fresh food in their bunk and plenty of fresh, clean water. I take my scrub brush with me, empty out the waterer and scrub each trough in every pen to make sure they have clean water to drink." Daily ranch tasks also include fence maintenance across miles of pastureland and delivering mineral blocks to cattle on pasture. Cattle require a mineral supplement even while grazing, and Jake makes sure every pen and pasture is stocked consistently.
How Does the Pannbacker Ranch Approach
Sustainability?
"Sustainability is incredibly important to our ranch. When it comes to sustainability, it is not as much of a destination as it is a continuous process of improvement. Every year we want to get better, and I think we have. We have worked incredibly hard to improve the quality of grass for the cattle and provide a great habitat for wildlife. In the last decade we have focused on improving how we burn our pastures. We leave a patch of grass every year so the quail and other species have a habitat. Before we did this, you could go years without seeing a large number of birds like quail. We have seen a drastic improvement in their numbers."
The sustainability story on the Pannbacker farm goes beyond pasture management. The ranch operates a closed-loop system that connects its cropland and feedyard. "We grow crops and forage, so almost everything the cattle eat at the feedyard is grown on our land. Since we own a small feedyard, we have a great source of high-quality organic fertilizer. We capture this fertilizer and use it on our row crops. From there we harvest those row crops and feed the grain to the cattle. It is a complete circle and really helps us be efficient. With the exception of the mineral and the distillers grains that we feed at the feedyard, everything the cattle eat comes from our farm." On average, corn accounts for only about 7 percent of a beef animal's total diet. Cattle spend the vast majority of their lives grazing on grass pastures. Distillers grains, a byproduct of the brewing process with no nutritional value for humans, are a protein-rich feed cattle love and would otherwise go to waste. It is one of many ways cattle convert human-inedible products into high-quality beef.
"I am passionate about producing a great-tasting, nutritious and wholesome steak. It really is awe-inspiring to know that you are part of something much bigger than yourself. I want to make sure every family has an amazing experience at the table." - Jake Pannbacker
How Beef Is Raised: The Production Story
The Pannbacker ranch operates across all three stages of beef production, making it a rare full-circle operation.Cow/Calf Ranch
Cows are bred and calves are born and raised every year, spending time grazing on grass pastures within sight of their mothers.
Backgrounding
Between 6 and 12 months of age, cattle graze on a variety of pastures where they gain weight and convert forage and grass into lean protein.
Feedyard
Cattle spend their final 4 to 6 months at a feedyard receiving a scientifically balanced diet and daily care before going on to provide beef for families across the country.
Meet Your Rancher:
What type of ranch is the Pannbacker Farm?
The Pannbacker Farm is a full-circle cow/calf and feedyard operation in Washington, Kansas. Jake Pannbacker and his father breed cows, raise calves, and care for cattle through the feedyard stage, all on the same family land. It is a rare operation where one family oversees the entire beef production process from start to finish.
How many generations has the Pannbacker family been ranching?
Jake Pannbacker is the fifth generation of his family to ranch along Mill Creek in north central Kansas. His grandparents settled on the property in 1946, his father took over in 1980, and Jake joined the operation several years ago.
What do cattle eat at the Pannbacker feedyard?
Cattle at the Pannbacker feedyard eat a balanced ration that is almost entirely grown on the farm itself, including forage and corn. They also receive a vitamin and mineral supplement and distillers grains, a byproduct of brewing that cattle love and that would otherwise go to waste. Corn makes up only about 7 percent of the animal's total diet over its lifetime.
How does the Pannbacker ranch practice sustainability?
The Pannbacker ranch operates a closed-loop system where crop and cattle production support each other. Cattle manure is captured and used as organic fertilizer on row crops, which are then harvested and fed back to the cattle. The family also manages prescribed burns and leaves unburned patches of grass each year to support quail and other wildlife habitat.
What is it like to be a rancher in Kansas?
According to Jake Pannbacker, no two days on the ranch are exactly the same. Daily routines include checking cattle in pastures, scrubbing water troughs, fixing fences, and delivering feed and minerals. It is physically demanding work that starts early every morning, but for ranching families like the Pannbackers, it is also deeply rewarding and tied to a strong sense of purpose and legacy.
Pannbacker Farms
