Dakota Angus LLC is an officially licensed retailer of the Certified Angus Beef® brand. To learn more, visit Dakota Angus LLC at dakotaangusllc.com.
Ashley Bruner. Photo by NDAREC/Kennedy Delap
Most mornings, before the sun even rises, Ashley Bruner starts her day checking backpacks, making breakfast and mapping out the day before shuffling her four children off to elementary school. From there, she heads to a garage about 250 feet from her house. It’s a space her dad helped convert into a mini meat shop, complete with a walk-in freezer stocked with beef.
Routine, Bruner will tell you, is the last word to describe life on the ranch.
“No two days are the same,” she says.
For Ashley and Travis Bruner, returning to rural North Dakota wasn’t part of their original plan. After college, they settled into careers in Mandan, until family ties and a quieter, more grounded life called them back home.
They moved to Harvey in 2012, purchased a farm near Drake in 2016 and joined the Bruner family’s Angus operation. Founded by Travis’s grandpa, Frankie, in 1952, the fourth-generation ranch is powered by Verendrye Electric Cooperative.
“We knew it was a great place to raise our family,” says Ashley, who grew up just a mile outside of town.
Beginning the beef business
After buying the ranch, the Bruners spent years supplying friends and family with beef, becoming well versed in the process.
Rooted in ranch life, they serve as secretaries-treasurers on the North Dakota Angus Association board, where they met Mike and Shari Wendel, who are part owners of Wendel Livestock in LaMoure.
Together, the Bruners and the Wendels started a business, Dakota Angus LLC, which supplies consumers with high-quality beef.
Their commitment to sustainable and ethical farming practices ensures the beef is flavorful and nutritious. It’s one of many reasons the Bruners are passionate about their product.
“What makes us really proud is that we can share a piece of North Dakota agriculture all across the state,” Ashley says.
Dakota Angus LLC follows a ranch-to-table model where the Certified Angus Beef® brand is locally raised and processed in state-inspected facilities. Cattle are pasture-raised at both ranches and grain-finished at Wendel Livestock. Then, they are sent to Butcher’s Edge in Edgeley for processing.
Meats are graded using the U.S. Department of Agriculture shields – nationwide symbols of high-quality American beef.
Animal care is central to their operation. The Bruners care for their animals in the most humane way. They are Beef Quality Assurance certified through a national training and certification program in animal husbandry, care and stewardship.
Catering to the community
Ashley’s weekdays, named for the task at hand – inventory days, order and packing days, then delivery days – run smoothly. Without this careful planning, the schedule could easily become chaotic.
Once they receive a batch of beef from the butcher, Ashley and her mom inventory, break down the trays and restock bins with cuts and ground beef.
“We have a great relationship with Butcher’s Edge, so that’s a huge bonus. We schedule out our bookings months in advance, so the guys know what to be preparing for as far as having the cattle finished and ready for delivery,” Ashley says.
On order days, the printer hums as orders roll out. Packages are then organized by delivery and location.
Ashley hits the road on delivery days as soon as the kids are on the bus. Routes vary and include surrounding communities, restaurants, schools, a nursing home and customers who meet the delivery truck at different locations.
“I love knowing there are kids across North Dakota who are eating our fresh beef on their school menus. We’re just so proud we can offer a local, healthy option for them to feed their bodies and grow strong,” Ashley says.
Other days, you’ll find her in the office working on marketing, invoicing, accounting, customer contacts and everything else that makes this business flourish.
Growing, but grounded
Ashley knows in just a few years her oldest daughter, Rayna, will be off to college and thinking about a career.
“We’re hoping we’ll have an opportunity for her here, if she wants it,” Ashley says. “That’s what keeps both of us going.”
Rayna, now 12 years old, has been involved since the beginning. You’ll find her at her mother’s side at the farmers market confidently running a booth, in the meat garage carefully packing orders and, in the corral, offering thoughtful input on breeding decisions. The younger children are following close behind, with each stepping into roles in the family business.
The Bruners know if they want to see the ranch live on for future generations, diversification is key. But they will tell you getting there isn’t always an easy road.
“Starting a business of any kind has its ups and downs and bumps along the way, and we feel like we’ve hit nearly every one of them,” Ashley says.
Looking ahead, Ashley sees promise in the regional food hub concept – a model she thinks will benefit all producers by sharing expertise in areas such as logistics, marketing and procurement. This work is done better collectively on a bigger scale than any one person could do alone.
Most of all, the Bruners hope to create a legacy for their children, so they, too, feel the call to come home. Mom, Dad and Dakota Angus LLC will be waiting for them.
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Clarice Kesler is the communications director for the North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives, leading strategic communications including North Dakota Living, digital communications and media relations. She can be reached at ckesler@ndarec.com.
