Riverbend Ranch
https://www.riverbendranch.com
Scorecard — Bench 1.0
6.3 [AGENT] agent-researched; turns green with user + third-party verification (rules)
| TASTE | 7.4 | USDA Choice floor ('certified 100% USDA Choice or Higher') plus a USDA Prime ribeye line; purebred Black Angus seedstock genetics; 21-day aging; trade/tourism press cites ~30% of production grading Prime vs 9% national average. | |
| HEALTHY | 6.3 | Self-claimed never-ever RWA (no antibiotics/added hormones; treated animals removed) with unusually detailed feed-timeline transparency and mostly-pasture life; but zero third-party verification (no organic, NHTC, or PVP) and a grain-finish ration. | |
| COST | 4.5 | Choice ribeye $38/lb and Prime $50/lb vs the $25-45 D2C band: Choice sits upper-mid, Prime above band; steak-heavy Cowboy bundle ~$29/lb and $8.79/lb ground beef soften it; transparent per-cut pricing. | |
| HAPPY | 6.0 | Site: first two summers on rangeland/mountain pasture, cow-calf 'nurtured by their mothers', winter hay ration at lower elevation; non-feedlot narrative but finishing confinement undisclosed and no welfare cert (GAP/Certified Humane/AWA absent). | |
| TEXTURE | 7.2 | All beef aged 21 days at 30F per FAQ; Choice-minimum marbling with Prime option; Angus genetics; no dry-aged program offered. |
Claims on file
| Attribute | Value | Verification | As of · sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| AGING | WET | SELF-CLAIMED · SELF | 2026-07-12 [1] · FAQ: all beef 'aged for 21 days' at 30F in 780,000 cu-ft aging coolers; wet vs dry not explicit — not marketed as dry-aged and ships vacuum-sealed, so classed wet (21d). |
| ANTIBIOTIC STATUS | RWA (SELF) | SELF-CLAIMED · SELF | 2026-07-12 [1] [2] · 'Never Ever promise: NO ANTIBIOTICS'; sick animals treated are removed from the Riverbend program. No USDA PVP / never-ever third-party verification found. |
| HORMONE STATUS | NO-ADDED (SELF) | SELF-CLAIMED · SELF | 2026-07-12 [1] [2] · 'NEVER treated with GROWTH HORMONES' (homepage: 'No Hormones. No Antibiotics. No Exceptions'); no NHTC/PVP verification found. Also claims cattle never receive mRNA vaccines. |
| MARBLING | USDA CHOICE | SELF-CLAIMED · SELF | 2026-07-12 [1] [2] · Choice minimum marbling across all cuts with Prime option on ribeye/filet/strip; no BMS scoring (Angus program, not Wagyu). |
| ORGANIC STATUS | NONE | UNSTATED · SELF | 2026-07-12 [1] · No organic certification claimed anywhere on site. |
| RAISED CATEGORY | PASTURE·GRAIN-FIN | SELF-CLAIMED · SELF | 2026-07-12 [1] [2] · Summers 1-2 on range/mountain grass; finished over 2nd winter on hay, barley sprouts, wheat, corn. Site: neither 'grass-finished' nor 'grain-finished' fits. NOT grass-fed as DB tagline claims. |
| SOURCING | OWN ID SEEDSTOCK RANCH + PARTNER FAMILY RANCHES IN NW US; OWN PROCESSING | SELF-CLAIMED · SELF | 2026-07-12 [1] [2] [3] · Founded 1991 by Frank & Belinda VanderSloot, Idaho Falls; partner family ranches in ID/WY/MT/WA/OR/UT/NV use their genetics. BBB lists the Idaho Falls entity. |
| USDA GRADE | CHOICE | SELF-CLAIMED · SELF | 2026-07-12 [1] [2] [3] · FAQ: 'All cuts... certified 100% USDA Choice or Higher'; separate USDA Prime line on several cuts. Press cites ~30% grading Prime vs 9% natl avg. Grade shield not visually confirmed. |
| WAGYU CONTENT | NONE | UNSTATED · SELF | 2026-07-12 [1] [2] · Purebred Black Angus seedstock program; no Wagyu products offered. |
| WELFARE CERT | NONE | UNSTATED · SELF | 2026-07-12 [1] [2] · No third-party welfare cert (GAP/Certified Humane/AWA/AGA absent); marketing language only: 'Nurtured by their Mothers and Cowboys that Care.' |
■ registry/3P-certified · ◪ USDA paperwork · □ self-claimed. SELF = company statement (we trust and mark, per policy) · 3P = independent evidence — weighs most. Something wrong? Company representatives: a verified right-of-response slot ships at member launch; meanwhile email corrections with sources.
Buy
$38.00/lb USDA Choice ribeye, 16 oz single steak (bone config unstated, appears boneless) as of 2026-07-12 · Single 16 oz steak $38 or 2-pack $76; 12 oz ribeyes appear in bundles; USDA Prime ribeye 16 oz is $50 ($50/lb)
VISIT SITE → SHOP BEEF →Unpaid links — we hold no affiliate relationship with Riverbend Ranch yet; if that changes the link will be marked [PAID LINK].
Ribeye sold
[CHOICE] [PRIME] [BONELESS (BONE CONFIG UNSTATED ON PRODUCT PAGES)]
Other cuts
NY strip · filet mignon · tenderloin tips · sirloin · tri-tip · Denver steak · chuck roast · ground beef 81/19 · burgers · franks · ribs · roasts
Bundles
| The Cowboy | 4x 12 oz ribeye, 4x 10 oz NY strip, 2x 16 oz ground beef | $215.00 |
| The Sheridan (USDA Prime) | 4x 16 oz USDA Prime ribeye, 2x 16 oz tenderloin tips, 2x 16 oz ground beef | $245.00 |
| Riverbend Rancher | 2x 16 oz ribeye, 2x 14 oz NY strip, 2x 8 oz sirloin, 2x 16 oz ground beef | $195.00 |
| Homestead 1/8 Beef Bundle | 4x 12 oz ribeye plus NY strips, filet mignons, roasts, burgers, 20x 16 oz ground beef (on sale from $1,020) | $899.00 |
| Gold Rush | Filet mignon, sirloins, tenderloin tips, ground beef (no ribeye) | $235.00 |