History
Welcome to the Herd
We are a family owned, commercial beef cattle producer in central Oklahoma and have been in operation for over 75 years. Our 1,200 acre ranch is located on the North Canadian River in Yukon, Oklahoma, and is home to almost 300 Angus and Angus-cross cows/calf pairs. Our grass-fed program boasts 10 varieties of grasses and legumes that our cattle use for forage year round, and our grain-finished beef is some of the very best in the region. We invite you to reach out to tour our operation and see the quality of our cattle first-hand.
LOOKING BACK THOUGH THE YEARS
"Every football game, like a century, has four quarters. Being a football fan, I think of my life as being in the third quarter with hardly enough time left to raise another calf crop." - Judge James C. Cheek
The Early Days
In 1942 Judge James C. Cheek, Jr. (known to the family as “Pop”) purchased the 160 acre quarter section NE of where Wilshire Blvd intersects Sara Road in Canadian County, Oklahoma. At that time, the almost 15 mile trek from the family’s home at 32nd and Shartel in the City was primarily made of rural, dirt roads; it surely would have taken the Judge an hour and a half trip, one way. That was the very beginning of what has become The Cheek Ranch today.
After Pop’s sons came back from the war, he and his two eldest bought a second quarter section to the west, directly across Sara Road from the first. Pop’s original quarter and the new Red House quarter together quickly became a family retreat for fowl hunting and horseback riding. The Judge enjoyed the rest of his life, working to start the cattle operations on the land.
Expanding the Operations
After Pop’s passing in February of 1960, the two brothers continued in their father’s footsteps by buying other quarter sections along Sara Road as far north as Memorial Road. In the mid-1980s they decided to divide the land, so as to separate their estates for the next generation. John D. Cheek, the younger brother (known to his grandchildren as “Poppa”), received the original two quarter sections on Wilshire and Sara, an adjoining 160 acres on Britton Road known as The Dead House quarter, and an additional quarter section on Memorial that he ultimately traded for one on the SE corner of Wilshire and State Highway 4.
Into the Spotlight
Later in 1988, John also acquired actor Dale Robertson’s Haymaker Ranch, comprising two quarter sections along Mustang Road, north of Wilshire, plus 100 acres on the North Canadian River, south of Wilshire. During the 1990s and early 2000s Poppa continued to acquire additional lands between Wilshire and the river, tying his parcels together into a single congruent property. Under his skillful hand and the C-Bar cattle brand, John greatly increased the number of Black Angus in the herd and grew the size of The Cheek Ranch to over 1,200 total acres.
Looking to the Future
The Cheek Ranch underwent its second major transition with Poppa’s passing in April of 2010. In order to preserve the cattle operations, 480 acres were eventually divided between three of his heirs with the balance of the land, including the ranch headquarters, going to a fourth heir, John’s eldest son, Earl J. Cheek. With the support of his siblings through land leases, he continues the family legacy of improving both the cattle herd and the land. His ranch manager, Shawn Van Oster, a Missouri native and excellent cow-calf man, and Earl’s son, Scott W. Cheek, run the day-to-day operations.
Grass Fed & Grain Finished
Simply Delicious!
WE SELL BEEF SUBSCRIPTIONS
The current economic conditions have had a huge impact on the food supply chain. We, like other farms, are stepping up to meet the demand for healthy, locally grown beef. We see that most people still prefer buying their meats and produce in small quantities and don't have large freezers to store an entire year's supply of beef. So we are quickly ramping up our business model to be able to sell all of our beef in 18 lb. boxes of assorted cuts, delivered to your door each month!
QUESTIONS?
Feel free to drop us a line or ask a question and we'll try to answer it as soon as possible.