Imad Dweikat

Imad Dweikat owns and operates The Olive Branch Ranch, in Olympia, Washington. Founded in 2017, The Olive Branch Ranch specializes in halal lamb, goat, and beef, grassfed on pasture, with access to the great outdoors all year round.

Seasonally, Olive Branch Ranch also raises and sells pastured chicken and turkey. Imad hopes he can soon be a full time rancher and halal butcher, but, for now, he also works at his local county Courthouse. Imad’s mission is to provide his community with the healthiest meat possible, that’s raised in a way that provides top animal welfare and regenerates the land. “As a person of color who is farming, I am trying to connect my community with agriculture,” Imad explains. “Growth is our biggest goal in 2021.”

How do you define your Good Meat® values?

To me, it means that everyone wins and is happy with the end product. The producer should be able to make it lucrative or receive fair pricing for their work. The land should be regenerating and benefiting. The animals should be living a good life, and the consumer enjoys and appreciates the end product.

Why did you become a Good Meat® producer?

I wanted to become a Good Meat producer due to the lack of quality and accessibility. I wanted to feed my family the most ethical meat possible without compromising on my principles and ethics. Now, I want to do that for my community,

What is one thing you wish more consumers knew about raising livestock for food?

I wish consumers knew how much work goes into producing meat this way, and why producers charge what they charge. Ultimately I believe it is an educational opportunity.

What meat, or meat dish, do you eat most regularly and what do you eat for a special occasion?

For special occasions, our family usually has traditional lamb dishes that are typically cooked in the Middle East. On a more regular basis, we have ground beef, eggs or poultry, all of which were raised and harvested by our family.