Family ranch celebrates 100 years of operation

Walking onto Ranch No. 1 in Genoa is like walking onto a piece of living, breathing history - a white 1800s ranch house, cloistered in fruit trees, where Lisa and J.B. Lekumberry now live; a blacksmith shop, an old doctor's office, a stone bunk house which Terri Billman remembers using as a root cellar when she was a kid

"There's a lot of history here," Terri's husband, ranch manager Corey Billman, said on Friday. "Nothing ever leaves."

The house, barn and outbuildings were constructed in the 19th century on what was the first recorded land claim in the state of Nevada, recorded by John Reese in 1852.

But the property didn't pick up the name "Trimmer" until Robert Trimmer purchased the spread in 1909. Now, his descendants, including sisters Sheri Walters, Terri Billman and Lisa Lekumberry, along with their respective families, are celebrating 100 years of ranching.

The public is invited to the centennial celebration, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Trimmer Outpost on main street in Genoa.

The event will feature live music, a $5 burger barbecue, a free horseshoe tournament, an artisan olive oil tasting, pony rides, kids games and a sampling of the ranch's fare.

Last year, the family opened the Trimmer Outpost as a way to sell the ranch's grass-fed beef and other homemade products. As a business, while other ranches across the West have been struggling to make ends meet, the Trimmer ranch and store have been evolving to the meet the demands of the 21st century.

"There's a lot of room for growth," said J.B. Lekumberry, the ranch's head of marketing. "We're continuing to seek out more customers."

So far, the family's beef has found some strong niche markets, ranging from high-end restaurants in Truckee to Lira's Supermarket in Minden. The natural hamburger patties can also be found at the Topaz Lodge market south of Carson Valley, while the beef filets periodically show up at La Ferme restaurant in Genoa, not to mention the J.T. Basque Bar & Dining Room in Gardnerville, which the Lekumberrys own.

"One of the reasons the meat is a little more pricey," said J.B. Lekumberry, "is that just raising a grass-fed animal takes time, a lot more time than an animal on a feed lot."

Corey Billman said that over the last decade, the family's herd has grown to about a hundred head of cow. He described the ranch's distribution process, from a slaughterhouse in Fallon to a processing facility in Reno - how the cows stay in the local economy.

"Now, it's just finding out what people want," Billman said, "trying to decide where we should be."

Even in a tough economy, the family's had success selling their products from the Genoa storefront.

"The most popular cuts are the rib steaks, T-bones and porterhouses," said Terri Billman. "We're starting to get some regular customers. Hamburger sales are good, too."

Corey Billman said the ranch hasn't changed much over the years, although the Valley has.

"There is more traffic, and the houses are closer," he said. "Sometimes we get complaints from neighbors when the cows are bawling at night."

But he hopes the family tradition will continue despite the changes.

"Hopefully, it will look the same as it does now," he said.

J.B. Lekumberry anticipates his children and their cousins will take over the family business in the not-so-distant future.

"In 10 years, our kids will not quite be back from college, but hopefully the next generation will be getting ready to take over and will be getting educated on how to take over," he said.

To celebrate 100 years, the ranch is reducing its price of beef from $6 a pound to $5 a pound, with a 40-pound box of assorted cuts available for $200.

Trimmer Outpost is located at 2276 Main St. Summer business hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. For more information, call 782-2518.