Flying K Ranch Angus: Making A Name for Themselves
By Maura Keller
When it comes to owning and operating an award-winning ranch, having your name on the door means something. For the multi-generational family operated Flying K Ranch Angus (the ‘K’ standing for the family surname of Kuntz) in Findlay, OH, Greg Kuntz, along with his wife Patty, their sons Chris, Robert, Gregory and their daughter, Ashley, have worked diligently to make this Angus ranch truly stand out from the proverbial crowd of ranches dotting the area.
“We are unique to most operations because we are a family owned and operated continuous flow operation,” says Chris Kuntz. “Every week we take in cattle to be harvested and graded for the grocery chain.” From birthing to feed orders, four generations of the Kuntz family work to manage every facet of the ranching operations.
“The most challenging part of the continuous flow program is making sure we have cattle that hit all our marks that we have set to ensure the best quality for grading and yield,” Chris explains. “Some of the key attributes of our cattle operation are the high genetic cattle we have and the close relationships we have all the way through until it’s at the grocery.”
To accomplish this, the Flying K team is in continuous communication, five to six days a week with the processing facility to ensure everything they see in the Flying K cattle is holding the consistent high quality and high grades that the ranch is known for.
“Our nutritionist plays a large role in our operation as well. He is always willing to go the extra mile and fully understands any issues we have as he runs his own cattle operation,” Chris says.
Exceptional Efforts
The entire Flying K Ranch team strives to continue to improve the ranch’s efforts by embracing low-stress handling of the cattle, while fine tuning the setup of the ranch’s chute system, explains Bob Kuntz, who moved home four years ago from Idaho to assist his parents in their fast-growing business at the ranch, followed a couple years later by his brother Chris. Gregory also recently joined the team and brings with him a background in agriculture business and sales.
The brothers work in tandem to oversee daily cattle operations. “We have found that running multiple feed rations catered to our cattle serves them well,” says Bob Kuntz. “Everyone has a role or part to play, which means we count on one another and so we have grown closer together.
So why the name Flying K Ranch? Quite simply, to pay homage to Greg Kuntz’s long-standing career as a retired Colonel in the United States Air Force. In addition, Patty worked in a career as a commercial airline flight attendant until she retired and joined Greg in establishing this award-winning ranching operation, after years of growing beef only for their immediate family. Their love for “all things aviation” seemed combined with their love of ranching, seemed to be the ideal name for their cattle operation.
“In transitioning from a military career to ranching the discipline I learned in military aviation has made a world of difference,” Greg Kuntz says. “Also the persistence to keep everything moving forward. We do not do anything halfway as there is no room for second best. Our passion is to provide the best quality angus carcass we can and then set the bar higher.”
Today, Flying K provides beef products for customers throughout Ohio and beyond. And because of their long history in cattle production, the entire Kuntz family recognizes the importance of providing their cattle with top-quality grass, grains and essential nutrients. The herd enjoys a wealth of sunshine, fresh air, and grass – resulting in hormone-free, antibiotic-free great-tasting beef that is pasture raised and grain finished.
The ranch’s 15-year-history has earned it accolades aplenty, including BQA certification, which recognizes Flying K’s solid husbandry techniques, that are coupled with scientific know-how to raised cattle that have exude quality. Flying K embraces the finest handling, facility management, transportation, record keeping, and herd health procedures which has resulted in the ranch earning the sought-after Certified Angus Beef® label, meeting 10 exacting standards for taste and tenderness.