08/22/2026
I have a thoughtful suggestion for American farmers in light of the beef that will soon be coming across the border.
This is not meant to cause feathers to ruffle but to take an honest look at our practices.
This moment could be an opportunity to approach things a little differently. Much of the imported beef (and, honestly, a good deal of the conventional CAFO beef raised here) tends to be lower in nutrient density and overall quality. Raising cattle that produce more nutrient-dense, higher-quality beef is really a different product altogether.
I often see posts about the rising costs of fertilizers, tractors, land, and trucks. But it doesn’t have to be that way. It’s possible to step outside that system—working with older equipment, buying used trucks for far less money, and relying less (or not at all) on chemical fertilizers. My husband and his friend have bought old equipment and sometimes have to rebuild completely. The " junk " he brings home drives me crazy , but the next season we are usually using it in the field and I'm thankful. These choices can keep costs significantly lower. It will mean spending more time on management of animals and equipment, but the financial pressure can ease quite a bit.
On our small farm, we don’t drive new trucks , my husband recently bought a 2008 truck that wasn't running for less money than a cow is currently costing and he was ecstatic . 🤣 We don’t run new equipment, and we don’t buy chemical fertilizers. What we do raise is a noticeably more nutrient-dense beef than what’s typically found in stores. It’s been a genuine win-win for us, and I’ve seen many others make similar shifts with good results.
I’m not suggesting this path is right for everyone or that it's a perfect path —but it does work, and with the incoming imports, it might be a worthwhile time to gently reassess how we’re raising cattle and what kind of product we want to offer to the American people.
