Jess Trask grew up on an alfalfa farm and is a female cattle rancher in Ely, Nevada. After college she gained cattle management experience when she moved back to Nevada to help her parents who had expanded the ranch to raising cattle. She received a Master’s degree in cattle nutrition from the University of Nebraska and started a direct-to-consumer beef program in 2020, which has flourished seeing 780% increase in four years.
The ranch sells beef, and retail hay, directly to consumers, both in Nevada and nationwide and started a catering business in 2022, Perigo Corner Market. They benefited from SBA EIDL assistance for the market. Jess and her husband, as the executive chef have opened a steak house this year.
Although they sell nationwide, they appreciate the 90% of sales from White Pine County. They give back to the community by supporting the local Boys & Girls Club with their annual silent auction. With a local furniture store, they donated a freezer and beef package. They donate hamburger patties to the local Little League teams, ground beef to the local food bank distribution center, which serves 180 local families. They donate beef for fund raising auctions for Make a Wish, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, and local cheerleaders. If there is a fundraiser in Ely, you’ll see a Perigo Beef auction item there.
Jess served on the local school board from 2016-2020 and as a rancher, spends time in classrooms to help educate students on everything from where food comes from to the environmental impacts of agriculture.
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