Meet the Family

Darren Kittleson – Founder, Deliveries, and Wholesale Relationships

In 2018, I bought back our 5th-generation family farm from my parents and started raising Akaushi cattle—also called Red Wagyu. This breed produces incredibly tender, flavorful beef, and we raise them on pasture without chemicals or pesticides.

I grew up here when it was a dairy farm. A back injury in high school kept me from farming full-time, so life took me in another direction. At 21, I moved to Chicago, where I built a career in real estate. Eventually, I came back to Madison, WI, where I’ve spent decades selling homes, building a home construction company, and leading Keller Williams Realty brokerages.

Even while I’ve traveled the world training real estate agents, the pull of the farm never left. Generations Beef is my way of honoring family tradition while creating something new for the future.

[Read the Wisconsin State Journal feature about our story →]

Chris Kittleson – Farm Operations & Herd Manager

Chris makes sure everything on the farm runs smoothly—and that the beef we produce is second to none. He handles the daily care of our herd of 75 cows, grows the feed, and manages breeding and nutrition. Like any good farmer, he can fix just about anything: tractors, fences, barns, you name it. His focus is simple—raise healthy cattle, care for the land, and keep improving every year.

Dawn Doran – Marketing & Records

Dawn brings over 30 years of marketing experience from her time at John Deere Financial. She keeps every detail of our herd records organized, tracking each animal from birth to processing. She also steps in during busy seasons to help with deliveries, making sure customers get their beef with care and a smile.

Grazy Mae – Chief Frisbee Officer

Grazy Mae is our 4-year-old Blue Heeler and the farm’s newest character. She came to us from a family in Wisconsin’s Fox Valley in late 2024. While we’re still figuring out if she’ll be much help with the herd, she’s already proven herself as the best delivery co-pilot and an unstoppable frisbee catch