The drive out to Hanna Family Ranch signals a shift in pace long before arrival: from the freeway exit, the eastbound highway veers off to a quiet country road. Pavement disintegrates to gravel, a continual reduction of speed. The Ranch doesn’t announce itself loudly either; pasture and skyline are the ‘welcome’ signposts. Grazing sheep dot the horizon, moving slowly across land they know well.

For the Conifer & Ryn restaurant teams, the visit to Hanna Family Ranch was more of a treat than a tour. Visiting farm partners reconnects the restaurants with food origins. For those in hospitality, it is easy to describe dining concepts using words like “farm-to-table” and “sustainable”. It’s much harder (and far more meaningful) to build relationships with growers and producers who are living these ethics day in and day out. The Hannas’ philosophy views animals not as units of meat, but as lives worth shepherding. That relationship is visible in the Hannas’ kind demeanor, generous spirit, and caring practices.

Hanna Family Ranch is a working sheep farm twenty minutes outside of downtown Bentonville. Led by CEO Waltina Hanna and her husband of 40 years, Will Hanna, the family-owned ranch raises healthy sheep, nurtured from birth to produce tender, high-quality lamb meat for discerning consumers and restaurants like Conifer and Ryn.

The welfare of the animals is a top priority, and at Hanna Family Ranch, sheep move with the rhythms of nature rather than industrial timelines. Walking the ranch with Will and Waltina, it was evident their systems are deliberate, but never sterile. Pasture rotation allows the land to breathe and restore itself. Daily decisions are made about where, when, and how the animals will thrive in changing seasons, weather patterns, and life cycles. In 2017, the Ranch received Animal Welfare Approval and Certified Grassfed Certification. Will and Waltina have an abundant life energy about them, which allows the animals to stay relaxed and settled.

Will and Waltina’s work is an ongoing conversation between agriculture, nature, and community, and sustainability is truly embedded in years of doing what is best for their animals. The Hannas have a lengthier history of raising heritage hogs. These pigs are given the freedom to root and roam and have a visible connection to Will, who cares for them (and talks to them) daily.

Chef Matthew Cooper, owner of Conifer and Ryn, was a major reason the Hannas transitioned from pork to sheep. Chef Cooper saw a need in Northwest Arkansas for high-quality lamb and encouraged the Hannas to consider intentionally filling this food gap.

Will relayed, “Our relationship with Matt Cooper has been life-changing. We sold pork, and we met Matt about ten years ago, trying to sell pork to him. He came out for a visit to see where this pork was coming from, and next thing you know, we’re going a different direction with sheep.” At that first meeting, Chef Cooper explained that pork was relatively easy to source, but what the Arkansas local food network needed most was high-quality, grass-fed lamb. Waltina chimed in with a laugh, “Next thing you know, we were in the lamb business.”

Chef Cooper relayed, “No one was raising lamb, and I think what is significant about the relationship is understanding how each of us can have sustainable relationships while working together. That’s how it should be. Ryn and Conifer have always been designed to be sustainable together, from working with local farmers to making sure that the cuts we are using at Conifer are different than the cuts we are using at Ryn, so that we are utilizing the whole animal.”

The Hanna Family Ranch also considers their Ranch crucial in restoring and conserving local pollinators. Bee hives are an integral part of the farm’s ecosystem, and the Hannas believe the apiary presence results in more flavorful harvests and agricultural diversity. They sell the hives’ honey, which reflects the flavors of the local wildflower and native flowering plant species. The Hannas have a brood of hens for farm-fresh eggs, and they also grow vegetables seasonally, which they sell wholesale to local retailers and restaurants. The sheepdogs are a calming presence and a steady watch over all the goings-on.

Upon leaving the ranch, the parting message became clear: care is cumulative. Hanna Family Ranch is deeply connected to the surrounding Northwest Arkansas food network, participating in Arkansas children’s shelter initiatives and veteran farming organizations. They are not simply contributing products. The Hannas are present in their community. And ultimately, that cumulative care is what we hope to to convey when we plate and serve a Hanna lamb dish at our restaurants. At Hanna Family Ranch, as well as Conifer and Ryn, decisions are rooted in respect for animals and land, and for the people who will one day be nourished by both.

Visiting Hanna Family Ranch: where pasture-based farming meets ethical animal care and community-focused food systems.