World Agriculture Directory: the home of the world's largest agriculture database. Fastest way to find events, farms and agribusiness that suit your needs. Agriculture Event Directory

Cattlemen Hall of FameBeef cattle barons, cowboys, breeders and builders from around the world

Feeders, Packers and Industry Leaders

Dave Wood: Four Decades Building Harris Ranch Beef

A Cal Poly graduate who started as a Harris Ranch pen rider and became the leader of its feeding and beef businesses.

Who is Dave Wood?

Dave Wood is the cattleman most closely linked with Harris Ranch Beef in California's Central Valley. He joined the Harris family business out of college, started in the pens and went on to lead its feeding and beef operations. He was inducted into the Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame in 2011 after about 40 years at Harris.

The Hall of Fame describes him as one of the most recognized cattlemen in the cattle-feeding business and credits him with helping make the Harris name a household word. Because he is living, this profile sticks to his public professional record.

From pen rider to chairman of beef operations

A statement entered in the Congressional Record in February 2012 says Wood joined Harris Ranch after graduating from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, in 1970. He started as a feedyard pen rider, moved up to feedyard manager and then chief operating officer, and became chairman of beef operations for Harris Farms in 1989.

The statement says he still held the chairman's role when it was read into the record.

How big did Harris Feeding Company get?

The same statement says Wood helped build Harris Feed Company into the largest feeder on the West Coast and the 16th largest in the nation. It reports that the company finished about 250,000 head of cattle a year, with a one-time capacity of 120,000 head. Those figures are from 2012, and they were given in a tribute rather than a company report, so they are best read as reported numbers from that date.

The statement also notes shade structures and automated sprinkler systems installed to keep cattle cool and control dust, changes aimed at heat and dust in the Central Valley.

Partnership for Quality and fully cooked beef

Two programs are tied to Wood's name. The first is Partnership for Quality, created in response to consumer demand for consistent, high-quality beef. It links producers, feeders and packers, and the 2012 statement says it included about 70 families focused on genetics, management practices, and calf processing and verification.

The second is a business first. A report on the Hall of Fame banquet says Wood led the first beef processor to enter the market for fully cooked, heat-and-serve beef entrees, one of the industry firsts the Harris companies pioneered.

The Key to Wood's Success

The documented record shows a career built on one company over four decades, with a clear habit of tying the people who raise cattle to the people who sell the beef.

The sources do not describe his finances or management style in detail, so the lessons below are limited to what they state.

  • Start in the pens: he began as a pen rider and rose through every level of the feedyard.
  • Link the chain: Partnership for Quality joined producers, feeders and packers around consistent beef.
  • Look for new products: he led the way into fully cooked, heat-and-serve entrees.
  • Keep the cattle comfortable: shade structures and sprinklers addressed heat and dust.
  • Serve the industry: he led CattleFax, the Western States Meat Association and the Cattlemen's Beef Board.

Industry leadership and honors

Wood is a past president of CattleFax and of the Western States Meat Association, and he has chaired many industry associations, including the Cattlemen's Beef Board. His 2011 induction is on the Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame page, and the Ag Proud report on the induction describes his work in more detail. A tribute in the Congressional Record gives the career timeline.

What happened to Harris Ranch Beef

In April 2019, Central Valley Meat Holding Company announced an agreement to buy Harris Ranch Beef Holding Company. The trade announcement did not disclose financial terms, said both companies would operate independently and keep their own brands, and still described Wood as chairing the operations.

Corporate ownership can change, so check current company sources for the present structure.

Learn more about California beef

For more on beef in the West, see the ranching pages on farm.FM or read a farm.FM story about California cattle feeding.

Timeline

  1. 1970Graduates from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and joins Harris Ranch as a pen rider
  2. Following yearsBecomes feedyard manager and then chief operating officer
  3. 1989Becomes chairman of beef operations for Harris Farms
  4. Date not statedLeads Harris into fully cooked, heat-and-serve beef entrees and develops Partnership for Quality
  5. 2011Inducted into the Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame
  6. 2012Honored in the Congressional Record for 40 years in the cattle industry
  7. 2019Central Valley Meat announces a deal to acquire Harris Ranch Beef Holding Company

Frequently asked questions

Who is Dave Wood of Harris Ranch?

Dave Wood is the longtime chairman of beef operations at Harris Farms in California. He joined as a pen rider after graduating from Cal Poly in 1970 and was inducted into the Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame in 2011.

What is Partnership for Quality?

It is a Harris Ranch program developed under Wood that links producers, feeders and packers to deliver consistent, high-quality beef. A 2012 tribute said it included about 70 families focused on genetics, management and calf verification.

What was Dave Wood known for in the beef industry?

He is known for building Harris into the largest West Coast feeder, leading a move into fully cooked, heat-and-serve entrees, and serving as president of CattleFax and the Western States Meat Association.

Sources and further reading

Profiles are compiled from public sources and reviewed against them. See our editorial policy to suggest a correction.

More from the hall