This Company Supplies Costco With Most Of Its Beef

In terms of savings over traditional supermarket pricing and quality of product, we consider beef to be one of the best Costco products to buy. Nowadays, consumers value transparency when it comes to the sourcing of the food they eat, and meat especially. Where Costco gets its beef is a (fairly) straightforward answer: the meat comes from a rotating roster of sources, but is largely from Harris Ranch of Northern California.

Harris Ranch was first established in 1937 as a family farm run by the Harris family. Over almost a century, the ranch has grown to become the biggest on the West Coast, and California's most prominent producer of beef overall. In 2019, Harris Ranch sold its cattle supply, feedlot, slaughtering facilities, and processing plant to Central Valley Meat Co. in a well-publicized agreement, but it's still run as an independent operation with the same name. Harris Ranch is still producing beef, along with scores of other crops as part of its farming operation. 

It's worth noting that Costco doesn't get 100% of its beef from Harris Ranch, and that there isn't a full account for every cost-saving 10-pound ground beef chub at the meat counter, but Harris Ranch is, in fact, a prominent supplier. What does this mean for you, the consumer? That depends on your personal opinion of a few scandals that have rocked Harris Ranch in recent years.

Harris Ranch has a thriving retail sector that's involved in supplying beef to several supermarkets and restaurants. It's worth noting, however, that the ranch hasn't been above reproach when it comes to accusations related to animal welfare — a hot-button topic for mindful consumers concerned about humane sourcing of the meat they eat. Harris Ranch recently took heat over allegations that they were confining animals in cruel conditions and improperly disposing of animals that had died due to poor treatment (per Sentient Media). In early 2025, more criticism ensued when it was brought to light that the ranch was vaccinating its cattle, stoking fears about foreign chemicals in the food supply. 

In a public statement, Harris Ranch affirmed its commitment to animal welfare, spelling out how beef cattle are treated and fed on the ranch, and stating that it doesn't use controversial mRNA vaccines, only conventional ones that are proven to result in better outcomes for both cattle and consumers. It claims that it works closely with animal welfare specialist Dr. Temple Grandin to ensure that cattle are treated humanely and kept comfortable.

Without visiting Harris Ranch in person, it's near-impossible to know exactly who is telling the truth when it comes to livestock conditions. Your personal comfort with a certain opaqueness concerning the sourcing of Costco beef and the conditions at its majority supplier should dictate whether or not you partake in beef bought from the warehouse giant, which is consistently rated as high-quality and affordable. If beef is not on the list, check out these other hot Costco finds for July.