Established in 1952 by Earl and Alice Crea—who moved from Idaho to Republic, Washington with their young son Blaine—Crea Ranch began as a humble mountain cattle operation in the heart of Ferry County. Their hard work and care built a thriving ranch that supported the family for decades. When they retired in the early nineties, they sold their herd to a trusted neighbor, but the land continued to be grazed and stewarded with the same dedication they modeled. Their legacy remains deeply woven into the pastures, timber, and way of life they passed down.
My name is Dana. I wasn’t technically raised with cattle, but I could sit a horse before I could walk, and I’ve always had a deep love for animals. Although Tri-Cities is home, Republic is where I spent my childhood summers and where my connection to ranching truly began. My parents were cattlemen, but after selling their herd when I was five, the dream of having my own cattle never left me. In 2012, after my grandfather’s passing, my parents decided to re-enter the cattle world with a new approach and purchased their first registered beefalo. Several years later & with the support of my husband, Christian—who had no background in cattle or horses—we joined them and bought our first two weanling heifers, starting small and building from the ground up.
For that reason, I often say I’m a first-generation (or maybe 1.5-generation) rancher. I was fortunate to have family wisdom to learn from, but we have built this herd ourselves—slowly, intentionally, and with animal welfare as our guiding priority. When we started, our beefalo were truly wild. Through careful genetic selection, gentle handling, and low-stress stockmanship, we’ve grown them into an exceptional, calm, and maternal herd.
Every winter, we calve at our home ranch in Benton City, where the milder climate supports healthy cows and strong, vigorous calves. In spring, our cattle return to our high-mountain pastures in Ferry County, where they graze native grasses, drink spring-fed water, and live as naturally as cattle can. This mountain pasture is foundational to our management philosophy—providing forage diversity, low-stress living conditions, and space to express natural behaviors.
In early fall, steers destined for beef are gathered and transported to Limit Bid Packing, a USDA-certified facility in Odessa. This completes our birth-to-table cycle, which we take very seriously. Caring for an animal from the moment it is born until the end of its life is an immense responsibility—one we approach with respect, gratitude, and compassion.
Our ethos centers on natural, sustainable livestock management:
no grain, no growth hormones, no antibiotics, no animal by-products.
Just grass-fed, grass-finished beef raised with intention, respect, and stewardship.
We remain a small operation by choice so we can uphold the highest standards of welfare for our animals. With a foundation built on gentle handling and skillful stockmanship, our approach reflects enduring values, exceptional quality, and a genuine dedication to the compassionate care of every animal under our stewardship.
My name is Dana. I wasn’t technically raised with cattle, but I could sit a horse before I could walk, and I’ve always had a deep love for animals. Although Tri-Cities is home, Republic is where I spent my childhood summers and where my connection to ranching truly began. My parents were cattlemen, but after selling their herd when I was five, the dream of having my own cattle never left me. In 2012, after my grandfather’s passing, my parents decided to re-enter the cattle world with a new approach and purchased their first registered beefalo. Several years later & with the support of my husband, Christian—who had no background in cattle or horses—we joined them and bought our first two weanling heifers, starting small and building from the ground up.
For that reason, I often say I’m a first-generation (or maybe 1.5-generation) rancher. I was fortunate to have family wisdom to learn from, but we have built this herd ourselves—slowly, intentionally, and with animal welfare as our guiding priority. When we started, our beefalo were truly wild. Through careful genetic selection, gentle handling, and low-stress stockmanship, we’ve grown them into an exceptional, calm, and maternal herd.
Every winter, we calve at our home ranch in Benton City, where the milder climate supports healthy cows and strong, vigorous calves. In spring, our cattle return to our high-mountain pastures in Ferry County, where they graze native grasses, drink spring-fed water, and live as naturally as cattle can. This mountain pasture is foundational to our management philosophy—providing forage diversity, low-stress living conditions, and space to express natural behaviors.
In early fall, steers destined for beef are gathered and transported to Limit Bid Packing, a USDA-certified facility in Odessa. This completes our birth-to-table cycle, which we take very seriously. Caring for an animal from the moment it is born until the end of its life is an immense responsibility—one we approach with respect, gratitude, and compassion.
Our ethos centers on natural, sustainable livestock management:
no grain, no growth hormones, no antibiotics, no animal by-products.
Just grass-fed, grass-finished beef raised with intention, respect, and stewardship.
We remain a small operation by choice so we can uphold the highest standards of welfare for our animals. With a foundation built on gentle handling and skillful stockmanship, our approach reflects enduring values, exceptional quality, and a genuine dedication to the compassionate care of every animal under our stewardship.