From the Ground Up with Calli Williams
Nestled near Mitchell, South Dakota, Calli Williams and her family are forging their own path in agriculture—one pasture ride, one bull sale, and one muddy spring at a time. As first-generation ranchers and founders of TW Angus, their journey is marked by grit, growth, and a deep love for the land and livestock they care for every day.
From the Ground Up
Starting a ranch from scratch isn’t for the faint of heart. Calli recalls the early days without a tractor, navigating a muddy spring with only a skid loader and her husband’s masonry equipment to get hay to the cattle.
“There were a lot of learning curves,” she admits. “But we powered through.”
Their perseverance is now visible in every corner of their operation, which has doubled in size over the last ten years.
Every Animal Has a Purpose
TW Angus is a registered seedstock operation focused on raising high-quality Angus genetics.
“Everything born here has a purpose,” Calli explains.
Bulls go to their annual sale, while steers enter their feedlot program and eventually become part of their direct-to-consumer beef business. Every female born on the ranch is retained to grow their herd. It’s a closed-loop system built with care and intention—prioritizing quality over quantity.
Their retail beef, available at Haven Farms Market, is thoughtfully raised and carefully fed. They’re specifically chosen steers, raised with the end product in mind. For Calli, that distinction matters. “We focus specifically on having high-quality meat for our consumers,” she says.
From Pasture to Platform
When COVID-19 hit, Calli began sharing glimpses of ranch life on social media during her lunch breaks—watering cows in wide-open pastures. The response was immediate and heartfelt.
“If a moment like this brings me joy and it can bring you joy through a screen, I’m going to keep doing it,” she recalls.
Her online presence became more than just a hobby—it turned into a marketing tool for their beef business and bull sale, and a platform to connect with others in agriculture. Today, her posts share both the beauty and the work behind the scenes, helping bridge the gap between producers and consumers.
Raising Boys and Building a Legacy
A self-proclaimed “boy mom,” Calli finds meaning in raising her two boys, Jack and Tommy, on the ranch. “They’re learning about life, death, caring for animals, and the importance of feeding them no matter what Mother Nature throws at us,” she says. These everyday lessons plant the seeds of responsibility, compassion, and resilience.
Looking to the future, Calli and her husband hope the boys will choose to continue the legacy—not because they have to, but because they want to.
“In 20 years, I hope people know where TW Angus is, not because it’s new, but because it’s a part of the community.”
Connecting with Consumers
Calli believes South Dakota’s strength lies in its people and the land—and that agriculture plays a vital role in both. With more cattle than people in the state, she sees it as her responsibility to connect consumers to the source of their food. “Sometimes a small conversation can make an impact they won’t forget.”
Through events like Hungry for Truth’s Farm-to-Fork dinners and local cattlemen gatherings, she continues to share the story of South Dakota ranching with transparency and heart.
Calli’s journey is a testament to the power of purpose, persistence, and a good pasture ride with the family. At TW Angus, every calf matters, every lesson counts, and every story told is one more connection made between the ranch and the rest of the world.
