Vaughn Family Meat Co. started in 1958 when Ray Vaughn hung a hand-painted sign on a narrow storefront along Ranch Road in Gardnerville. He had one cutting block, a walk-in cooler he built with his father-in-law, and a promise to neighbors: honest weight, honest price, and a butcher who would listen.
Three generations at the block
Ray's son Dale took over the saw in the 1980s and expanded the shop into the building we still occupy today. Dale's wife Marie built relationships with Carson Valley ranchers and made sure every side of beef that came through the door could be traced back to pasture. Their son Cody grew up sweeping sawdust and now runs the sausage kitchen, while their daughter Sarah brings the shop to farmers markets, school fundraisers, and community events.
We are not a chain and we do not pretend to be. When you call the shop, you talk to someone who can tell you which ranch this week's ribeyes came from and how long the strip loins have been aging.
How we work
Every morning starts with breaking down primals and filling the case with cuts for walk-in customers. Afternoons are for custom orders—whole animals for families, wild game during hunting season, and prep for catering jobs across Douglas County. Hank fires the smokehouse on a schedule that would make a pitmaster proud; Lupe coordinates event trays and keeps the counter moving on Saturdays.
We dry-age beef on-site, grind sausage in small batches, and trim to order. If you want a two-inch tomahawk or a pound of stew meat cut from a specific roast, that is a normal request here.
Rooted in the Carson Valley
Our ranch partners are neighbors. We buy cattle and hogs raised within a day's drive, and we show up at the same Little League games and holiday parades as the families who raise them. When fire season or a hard winter hits the valley, this community shows up for each other—and we are proud to be part of that rhythm.
Stop in for a cup of coffee at the counter, ask Ray about the early days if he is in his usual chair, and take home something worth cooking slowly. That is the business he started, and the one we still run.