Sally Witkowski is a rancher and co-founder, together with husband Jim Witkowski, of Cross W Ranch in Howell, Michigan. A Michigan native, Sally completed a dual degree program in Fine Arts / Industrial Design from The University of Michigan before meeting Jim and starting a family together. 

As operators of a land development business, Sally and Jim’s journey into cattle ranching started in an unusual way: Their youngest daughter was born with a two brain malformations. In addition to the emergency surgery that was eventually needed to correct the problem, the parents observed dramatic changes in their daughter’s health depending on the quality of her diet. Pro-inflammatory foods and excitotoxins increased brain pressure, resulting in disability and putting the child at risk. 

Finding little truly clean and nutritious food on the market, the couple decided to produce their own. Eventually they reasoned that poor food quality was likely affecting everyone, both in their own family and the broader community. That’s when they decided to get into production in a big way, founding Cross W Ranch in 2015.

Sally and Jim continue working together to expand the business and refine and improve their farm practice, sharing the management and day-to-day operations of the ranch with their three grown children and their spouses.