I was at a get together this last week end that gave me a chance to hear some news on beef. Some of the people who are trying to change the industry were in a talking mood and I had the chance to listen. The beef we buy in the US comes from one of 4 sources. Two of those sources are Brazilian owned, the other two are US companies Tyson and Cargill. I had mentioned here before there is a group of cattlemen who were in the process of putting together a beef supply source that came from the cattle producers in the US and bypassed the middle men. That is being built just east of Amarillo TX now. It will be finished in 40 months. It is a huge facility that will process 3000 head of cattle a day. They also talked about getting more beef from fewer cattle. What they are building toward is cross breeding cattle to produce larger feeder steers. They have already had great success in that breeding program. Just a few years ago the ideal steer to go to slaughter was 1250 pounds, that changed to 1400 pounds about 5 years ago. The new goal is processing 1700 pound steers. Can you imagine the size of a porterhouse from a steer that big? The affect this will have on prices is yet to be seen. The other topic was the affect tariffs will have on Brazilian beef imports. There’s a lot to learn yet but things are happening.
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I have a close friend whose daughter works in marketing for Ribbonwire Ranch up in Dalhart. These are the things they are discussing. Something has to change, a great many somethings, actually. The direction this country is going is unsustainable. -
Sustainable Beef, North Platte, Nebraska, has just built a big facility. Not sure if it is in production yet. Kind of a co-op approach, with local producers both investing and also committing cattle. Their website says it is the largest new facility in the country.Comment
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Pretty sure Friona, Amarillo and Cactus run all together about 16,500+ a day of Fat Calves. I've been told Hereford runs older cattle.
The key is to be in a position to sell the MEAT not the ANIMAL.
My concern is how much these smaller companies can pay the employees. They starting out at over $20/hr in the panhandle. Chicken is $15-16/hr intro level job.Comment
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Locals in Marfa, Tx tried a smaller version with support from local ranchers but it failed. I think it was only marketed to the local residents but Texas Monthly ran an article. I think they needed to get wider distribution, not enough population in that region to support it.
This article mentions the struggles that they had: https://bigbendsentinel.com/2022/11/...eats-to-close/
"...attempting to ship meat directly to consumers has proven costly and fraught with complications, said Miller. “UPS two-day air can’t make it anywhere in two days, so I ended up refunding like 30% of my orders because it doesn’t make it in time,” she said."
Sound familiar? Click Akuashi?
I already source most of my beef from Farm To Fork operations. My college buddy has a grass-fed operation in Bastrop and I buy wagyu online from ranches offering direct sales.Last edited by 58limited; September 22, 2025, 04:50 PM.Comment
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I am optimistic for the cattlemen. I do so love beef.
Sustainability is the key. Well managed genetics and ensuring clean natural pastures is a challenge that I think they will figure out. In the long term, I believe it will produce a tastier and healthier protein; minimizing the amount of feed/fertilizer/fuel and Farmaceuticals ($$) that mass-scale corporate production requires.
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My family has land, dating from 1883, 1903, and 1916, (for earlier years) that has never been farmed or fertilized. No tractors on that grass. Critters graze, walk to water and salt/mineral, drop fertilizer along the way, and even some calves. Solar powered submersible wells are replacing windmills and electric pumpjacks. The yearlings do go into a feedlot for grain finishing, but gain much more weight on grass than they used to. -
This is how ranchers raise their herds, and have done so for decades.
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Interesting that this topic came up. I'm taking delivery of a third a cow this week. I think we're roughly at $6 a pound. Hanging weight was about 745lbs in total.
This is a from a grass-fed/grass-finished sustainably farmed producer in South Western Ohio. Bit of a haul to go and get, but these folks have a great track record.
End of the Ridge Farms for anyone local enough to have interest: http://www.endoftheridge.com/end-of-...dge-farms.html
This is the first time I've taken part from this farmer, but I have friends who've been using them for a while now, and they've been pretty happy with it. Sampled some chili (among other things) from their last buy, and had no complaints.Comment
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Great news, maybe the price of beef will come downComment
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I was just at Sams, good grief .......... never seen brisket this high
Prime brisket $6.50 #
Prime ribeye $30 #
Choice ribeye $20 #
Pork spare ribs $3.50 #
They had a full case of choice ribeye marked down to $15 pound. Guy stocking the case said no one was buying it at $20. I can usually find choice ribeye marked down to $10 a pound in the mid week.
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Come on yellow stickers. I ain't afraid to freeze protein. -
Huskee it was whole packer brisket. Highest price I've seen, ever.
They had a large amount of choice ribeye marked down. Three times as much as I've ever seen. I shop usually Wednesday mornings, that's when the bargains are there at my Sams.
When consumer demand falls, that will bring prices down faster than anything else.
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Oak Smoke Here is something we don’t need. Screw Worm is migrating back North. Now in Mexico. They say very bad for livestock if this gets into US?
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