The Sullivan Creek Ranch, a 300-acre ranch located near Jones Chapel, showcases quality beef, agricultural art and beautiful sights of mixed pasture and woods to the consumers and tourists of the ranch. 

Growing up in Georgia, owner Greg Anderson wanted a ranch that felt like home to him and found it in Sullivan Creek Ranch. He purchased the land in June of 2016. Anderson grew up with a passion for horses, cattle and open spaces.

“I wanted a ranch with that North Georgia feel to it. It was perfect timing,” Anderson said.

The ranch was the first of its kind in Alabama due to the type of beef they chose to focus on specifically, known as Akaushi beef. Akaushi beef originated in Japan and is known to be high quality due to the genetics of the beef, which yields a high-quality product. 

According to Sullivan Creek’s website, the beef has been in the United States for around 25 years. Anderson says he has established a good relationship with the American Akaushi Association, which has been instrumental in the growth of Akaushi popularity in America. In turn, Anderson has seen Akaushi grow steadily in Alabama.

Their business plan focuses around selling beef that genetics prove will be high in quality. The ranch’s beef is on an all-natural program, with no additional substances such as antibiotics used in their product, with the cattle only on a grass-fed diet. According to Anderson, this high-quality beef was hard to find in Alabama in 2016, as it was a less common practice throughout the state.

Additionally, the ranchers of Sullivan Creek believe that cattle and other animals should be treated and handled with care in a methodical manner.

The ranch offers the beef on-site at their Trading Post as well as through packaging and delivery.

In addition to the high-demand beef, the Trading Post also offers art, apparel, coffee, local produce and other merchandise.

The art is created in the Cattle and Canvas Art Studio, where Anderson’s wife, Emily, showcases her agricultural-focused art to the community and tourists alike. A native of Kentucky, Anderson said Emily is a professional who acts as a “force multiplier” to the ranch.

“The ranch is one piece of the goal. Our goal is to provide the very best beef we can and also focus on agricultural art and community-centered art,” Anderson said.

Anderson says he is always open to giving tours of his land. The ranch offers views of pastures and wooded areas with the Sullivan Creek winding through the property. RV’s and camping are also possibilities on the land. 

For those interested in events on the ranch, Sullivan Creek Ranch hosts “Branding Day” in May and “Steak and Sunset” at certain dates in 2021, after not being able to host the event in 2020 due to COVID.

“We love people to come out here,” Anderson said. “They are always surprised to see the art studio.”

Anderson was formerly in the Navy, serving as a carrier pilot. Out of his four kids, three of them are involved in the military and the fourth is an aspiring lawyer.

“Born with the heart of a cowboy, open spaces and freedom are in my blood. In my military life, I traveled to many hostile, distant places that served as stark reminders that America offered opportunities in that realm that don’t exist in most of the world,” Anderson said in an excerpt from the Sullivan Creek Ranch’s website.

The ranch chose the “flying ‘A’” as their brand, with two wings protruding from the sides of the top of the ‘A.’ 

“Our brand, the flying ‘A,’ represents all that we honor in this great nation: service, sacrifice and the American spirit of rugged individualism.”

For those looking for more information about the Sullivan Creek Ranch, go to their website at sullivancreekranch.com or look up their Facebook at “Sullivan Creek Ranch.” For those looking for updates on the ranch, sign up for their newsletter listed on the website.