Our Vision

Our vision is to sustainably steward the land by promoting Healthy Land, Healthy Livestock, and Healthy Living 


Sustainable stewardship is the core principle that drives everything we do. Sustainability means keeping both short- and long-term needs in mind and seeking to leave things better than you found them. Stewardship recognizes that ultimately all we have is a gift and that we ought to treat it well and use it rightly. This principle stands on three pillars:


  • Healthy Land: Land is not merely an asset on the balance sheet, it is the power source behind all of our production . Rather than stripping the land for short term gain, or allowing it to grow up in chaos, we actively work to not only restore but improve the land under our management and to increase its long-term productivity.
  • Healthy Livestock: Our cattle are at their best when they are comfortable in their environment.  By utilizing regenerative grazing techniques, we promote their well-being by fitting them into the surrounding natural systems.  We also manage our herd with an eye to always improving their suitability and performance for our challenging climate.
  • Healthy Living: Ranching is a profession and a lifestyle, but it should not be the fullness of one’s life.  Our family’s health and relationships must also be stewarded with a long-term vision.  We seek to structure our activities such that maintaining the operation does not require it to consume our lives. 

Our story

The first seeds for Powell Cattle were planted in 1975 when Allen graduated from the University of Missouri knowing one thing for certain: he didn't want to sit at a desk for a living. He returned to work with the family forage production and seed cleaning business, but he always wanted to run cattle.

Though his goals evolved over time, producing a high-quality animal that is in harmony with its environment has remained a priority. In recent years, this has meant closing the herd and focusing on refining our grass-raised, grass-finishing genetics and emphasizing low-stress handling. From the reports of our clients, this effort has resulted in a premium animal well-suited for finishing on grass.

In 2023, due to health issues, Allen was forced to step back from daily management of the cattle operation. Our family seized the opportunity to transform the business into a multi-generational operation with Tauna taking on overall direction of the ranch.  Allen's son and daughter-in-law, Nathan and Heather, also joined the team and together they began charting a plan to transform the operation from a one-man show into a multi-generational business.

Who We Are

Allen Powell

After graduating from the University of Missouri in 1975, Allen returned to the family seed cleaning business knowing two things for certain: He didn’t want to work behind a desk for a living and he wanted to work for himself. His first love was always raising cattle, leading him to start Powell Cattle, a passion which still drives him to this day. He leads our land and infrastructure maintenance and improvement projects, while also running the Fall-bred herd.

Tauna Powell

Better known as "Mom" (and more recently, "Grandma"), Tauna coordinates all ranch activity and oversees the majority of the cow/calf operation by managing the Spring-bred herd. Her willingness to jump into the middle of any catastrophe that needs fixing has earned her a reputation as a frontier woman on her blog, Tannachton Farm, linked below her name.

Nathan Powell

Nathan rejoined the family operation after moving back to Missouri in 2023 with his wife, Heather, and 1-year-old daughter, Genesis. While he continues to work off the farm as a tax professional in the winter months, he contributes his administrative background to handle bookkeeping, marketing, and general administration for the ranch.

Heather Powell

Born and raised in north-central Iowa, Heather studied Agronomy at Iowa State University. Having experience working with a variety of grasses, wildflowers, and trees in the Des Moines area, she contributes valuable scientific input to our operation. Despite not having grown up with livestock, her keen eye for all things agricultural enables her to rapidly learn the skills to begin managing grazing operations.