Farm-to-Table: Circle H Bar Ranch in Clarksville

Circle H Bar and Ranch sells their pasture-raised beef from their store in Clarksville.

Authored By: Daniela Flores (Econ Dev Intern)
Are you more likely to buy products that were made or grown locally? Just a generation ago, families routinely purchased meat products from local farmers and ranchers. They knew where their food was coming from - right down to the pastures on which their beef was raised. 
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But fear not, we can still find locally-raised beef right here in Clarksville at  Circle H Bar Ranch.

Most ranchers today rely on third party buyers and auctions to get their meat to market. To keep up with demand, wholesalers purchase packaged meat from across the country, and even from overseas. Circle H however raises their own livestock and sells the meat directly to local consumers at their shop in Clarksville, Arkansas and around the state.  

The Circle H Story 

After graduating from the University of the Ozarks in 1993, Jeff Howard dreamed of someday running his own ranch. However, ranching requires land, equipment, cattle, and a lot of industry experience. Jeff decided to join the military and shelved the ranch idea to serve our country. After 21 years of service in the U.S. Army, Lt. Col. Howard retired to start his small business in the cattle ranching industry. 

Jeff touring his ranch on horseback.

Jeff began the grueling process of establishing his cattle ranch. He dedicated countless hours to learning about the ranching business by reading, watching educational videos, and asking other ranchers about their experience in the field. Jeff knew that he couldn’t do it alone.
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In 2012 he partnered with Greg and Madeline Phillips. Partnering with an experienced rancher like Greg was essential to establishing their sustainable and profitable business model. ​

The Circle H team quickly realized that smaller ranchers looking to enter the market were often at the mercy of corporate competition due to the nature of the industry and third party sellers. The Circle H team decided that they would have to cut out the middlemen and sell directly to consumers. And so, they did.

Two years ago, Circle H opened their directed sales business and began delivering their products in Johnson County. As their reputation grew, so did their sales. They now fulfill orders across the state of Arkansas while still serving the residents of Clarksville.

​The Circle H Store
After seeing success with delivery sales, they decided to expand their customer base by opening a walk-in store at 1910 W. Main, Clarksville.

Mandy Howard and Madeline Phillips manage the store's marketing, order fulfillment, and customer service. When you visit, they will happily assist you and tell you about their home grown products. 

Circle H Bar Ranch team in front of their store.

They offer Ribeyes, Filets Mignon, New York Strips, Hamburger, Bacon, Ham Hocks, eggs, and much more! These folks will even hand deliver large orders to your doorstep upon request. And, unlike most packaged ground beef, you are getting a product that isn't mixed with extra fat. That means these burgers are higher quality and do not shrink as much when cooked!​​

Choice cuts of beef ready to be sold at the Circle H Bar Ranch.

Circle H Bar Ranch is member of the Clarksville Johnson County Chamber and the Homegrown By Heroes Farmer Veteran Coalition program that supports veteran farmers across Arkansas. Be sure to check out their menu below, and follow them on Facebook and Instagram for upcoming deals!