Rockin’ J Spear Cattle Co

08/31/2026

I’ve spent the last couple of days talking about beef imports, and today I want to talk about something that sounds really good on paper: Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling, or mCOOL.

First, an important clarification: mCOOL is NOT currently mandatory for beef and pork. Congress repealed the mandatory COOL requirements for beef and pork in 2015, and USDA stopped enforcing them.
There are current efforts in Congress to reinstate mCOOL for beef. One proposal, the American Beef Labeling Act of 2025, would bring beef back into the COOL system.
So what would that look like from a rancher's perspective?

Let me use our calves at Rockin J Spear Cattle as an example.
Every fall, our calves generally go down two very different paths.

🐂 PATH #1: RETAINED OWNERSHIP
I select a few calves to retain ownership of through our DTC program.
Those cattle remain right here on our property until their final journey to a local custom processing facility and ultimately onto the plate of our consumer.
Pretty simple.
I know where that animal was born.
I know where it was raised.
And I know where it was processed.

🐂 PATH #2: THE CONVENTIONAL MARKETING CHAIN
The rest of our calves are either sold through an online auction such as Superior Livestock Auction or through our local livestock sale barn.
From there, their journey can look very different.
They may be purchased by a backgrounder, who grows recently weaned cattle to a heavier weight before they move into the finishing phase.
Then they may be purchased by a finisher or feedlot, where cattle are fed a high-energy ration and managed until they reach market condition.
Eventually, the finished cattle are purchased by a packing plant, where they are harvested, fabricated and packaged before the beef moves on to a retailer, restaurant or other destination.

That is a LOT of hands, decisions and locations between my pasture and your dinner table and this is just for product of the USA BEEF!
Every hand that touches that particular product can have an effect on the end result.
What the animal is fed.
How it is handled.
How long it spends in each phase of production.
How long it is transported.
How it is handled at harvest.
How the carcass is chilled and fabricated.
How the beef is packaged and distributed.
All of those things matter.
Beef is not a product that grows on a plant, gets picked, put in a box and shipped to the consumer.
The beef industry is a complex supply chain.
And this is where mCOOL has that warm, feel-good appeal.
I understand why consumers like the idea. I am also a consumer!
Who doesn't want to look at a package of beef and know where that animal came from?
Transparency sounds good. And I believe consumers deserve accurate information about their food.

But here is the question I think we need to ask:
What does that transparency cost, and who ultimately pays for it? The consumer and price run hand in hand and in my personal experience, is ultimately the deciding factor at time of purchase.
A 2026 economic analysis commissioned by the Meat Institute estimated that reinstating mCOOL for beef and pork could create approximately $1.02 billion in additional costs during the first year, including an estimated $721 million associated with beef.
The study estimates those costs could total more than $4.8 billion over five years and $10.1 billion over ten years.
It is important to point out that these are estimates from one economic analysis, and the methodology has been challenged by organizations that support mCOOL.

But regardless of where you fall on the issue, the underlying point is important:
Tracking and documenting an animal's journey costs money.
Someone has to maintain records.
Someone has to verify them.
Someone has to keep cattle or beef separated when required.
Someone has to manage additional labeling, inventory, recordkeeping, auditing and compliance.
And those costs don't simply disappear.
They move through the supply chain.
The rancher can absorb some.
The backgrounder can absorb some.
The feedlot can absorb some.
The packer and processor can absorb some.
And eventually, some portion can make its way to the consumer.

The same 2026 analysis estimated that consumers could ultimately pay approximately $835 million more per year for beef because of these additional compliance costs.

Now, I know there are ranchers who strongly support mCOOL.
And I understand the argument.
I am NOT against transparency.
I'm also not saying consumers shouldn't want to know where their beef originated.

What I am saying is that we need to understand the whole story before we decide how that story should be labeled.
Because whether that calf is born in Colorado, raised in Colorado and processed locally, like the cattle I retain for our DTC customers, or whether it enters the conventional marketing chain and passes through several different owners and production phases, there are real people, real businesses and real costs involved at every step.

That same complexity exists when we talk about imported cattle or imported beef.
Every hand that touches the animal or product can change the end result.
So let's keep having the conversation.
What information does the consumer actually need?
What will that information cost?
Who will bear that cost?
Will the benefit to the consumer outweigh the cost of adding another layer of regulation to an already incredibly complicated beef supply chain?
I'm not against transparency.
I'm for understanding the whole story before we decide how to tell it.

Because that calf standing in my pasture today has a much longer story ahead of him than simply being “grown, picked, put in a box and shipped.”

Sources & further reading:
• USDA Agricultural Marketing Service — Country of Origin Labeling FAQs
• USDA FSIS — COOL requirements and current beef/pork labeling status
• Decision Innovation Solutions — The Economic Impact of mCOOL on the Beef and Pork Value Chains
• Superior Livestock Auction — How cattle are marketed through video/online auctions
• University of Nebraska–Lincoln Beef — Cattle production phases and backgrounding/finishing

08/29/2026

I’ve debated sharing this because I don’t want it to come across as whining or asking for sympathy. That isn’t the point.

The point is that we have a problem, and I think people need to understand what is happening on the ground.
Western Colorado is in a severe drought. Everyone is feeling it.
Domestic water rates have increased in an effort to curb usage in our urban areas. In the mountains, forage has changed, springs have dried up, and the dust seems to be everywhere.
And the wildlife is feeling it too.

This year, we are seeing bears in the cities, in fields, in orchards, and unfortunately, they are eating just about anything they can find to survive, including livestock.

I don't blame the bears.
They are doing what bears do when food and water become scarce: they are trying to survive.
But that doesn't make what is happening any easier.
From May 27 through August 29, while running our cattle with my dad on our mountain allotments, collectively we have lost 17 calves and one bred replacement heifer. And that's only what we know about.

Our country is thick with oak brush. Visibility is limited. The terrain is rough. Finding a dead calf isn't always easy, and by the time you find one, there isn't always much left to tell the story.
This year, our cattle have consumed an enormous amount of our time.
We've ridden horseback almost every day. We've cooked our dinner next to the cattle. We've made multiple trips a day in side-by-sides checking cattle. We’ve opened up new water sources and repaired old ones to provide more water, we have salted open areas to get our cattle out of the thick timber. We've put birthdays and family time on hold because the cattle needed us.
If you have young kids, you know what it feels like to tell your 7-year-old, “No, we can't have friends over for your birthday. We have to go check cattle.”
We've put thousands of additional miles on two pickups and two side-by-sides this summer. Well over 2,500 miles that we estimate would not have been driven without this situation.
That's diesel. Gas. Repairs. Wear and tear.

And then there are the calves themselves.
A dead calf doesn't generate revenue. It represents an investment of time, genetics, feed, labor and money that simply disappears.

We've also learned a lot this year.
We've learned how older, experienced bears can kill. We've learned how young bears can kill. We've found calves trapped in deadfall or thick brush that were slaughtered by bears.
And we've seen something that, in our experience, is not normal.
On one allotment alone, we documented four boars, four yearlings and three sows with cubs.
That's just one allotment.

Bears generally aren't hanging around that close together, especially sows with cubs, because boars can kill cubs.
We have been working closely with Colorado Parks and Wildlife from the beginning, and I want to make that clear. Our experience with the CPW officers working with us has been helpful, and we've learned a tremendous amount through this process.

When we met with CPW, I brought our calf and cattle records going back to 2020.
Those records tell an important story.
In previous years, our calf losses were minimal. An average of 5% loss! Some were wildlife-related. Some were sickness. That's ranching. We understand that there are risks when you put cattle on public lands.
We plan for those risks. We account for them.
But this year is different.

SEVENTEEN calves and a bred replacement heifer lost in just a few months is not normal for our operation.
And drought has exposed just how serious the wildlife situation can become when there isn't enough food or water.

WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT IS IMPORTANT!!

The decisions made about wildlife, whether through management agencies, policy or ultimately by the public, have real consequences for the people who live and work alongside these animals every single day.
It's easy to have an opinion about wildlife when you experience it from a distance.
It's different when you're the one riding through the mountains looking for a missing calf.
It's different when you find what's left of one.
It's different when your kids are sacrificing their time with you because you're spending every available hour trying to protect your cattle.
And it's different when you realize that the animal you're frustrated with isn't really the enemy either.
The bear is trying to survive.
We're trying to survive too.

I don't share this looking for pity.
I'm sharing it because I think people need to see the reality behind the headlines and the wildlife debates.

This has been a freaking tough, disappointing and heartbreaking year for our ranch.
This is our experience.
I'm not speaking for every rancher.
I'm not claiming to have all the answers.
I'm simply sharing what Rockin J Spear Cattle has experienced in Western Colorado in 2026.
These photos are just a few of the calves we lost.
This is what the problem looks like from our side of the fence.

Photo warning: graphic image of livestock loss.

08/28/2026

A little beef import history… because this conversation is a lot more complicated than “foreign beef is killing American ranchers.”

The United States has imported beef for a very long time. Major imports from Australia began in the late 1950s, around the same time the American hamburger and fast-food industry was exploding. That wasn't a coincidence. Americans were eating more ground beef, and the industry needed a consistent supply of lean beef to blend with the fattier trimmings produced from our grain-fed cattle.

And here is the part that often gets lost:
We don't import beef because America can't raise cattle. We import certain types of beef because the American animal doesn't produce the exact proportion of beef our consumers want.

Ground beef makes up a huge portion of the beef Americans eat. Our fed steers and heifers produce valuable steaks and roasts, along with trimmings that are generally much higher in fat. To make the lean ground beef consumers want, processors need a source of lean beef to blend with those trimmings. Much of that lean domestic supply traditionally comes from cull cows and bulls. Imports can fill the gap when that domestic supply isn't sufficient.

Australia has historically been an important supplier of that lean beef. Canada and Mexico are also major trading partners, but our relationship with them is different because our cattle industries are deeply integrated through geography and USMCA. Brazil has also become a much larger supplier in recent years. In 2024, Australia, Canada, Brazil and Mexico were four of our five largest sources of imported beef.

This isn't a new problem.
The American cattle industry has always operated in cycles. Cattle numbers expand, drought or poor economics force liquidation, cattle numbers fall, prices eventually rise, and producers begin rebuilding. Then it takes years for those calves to become cows and for the herd to recover.
Drought has accelerated that cycle.
The U.S. cattle herd is now at historically low levels, and that has changed the availability of domestic beef.

I can see that right here in our own herd.
Our breeding cattle average about five years of age.
That's the result of several years of making decisions around drought, forage and the economics of keeping cows. We aren't the only ranch dealing with those decisions.

And now we're seeing the consequence:
Fewer cows means fewer cull cows. Fewer cull cows means less domestic 90% and 85% lean beef for the grinding market.
That is where imports come into the picture.

Could we eliminate imports?
Technically, yes.
But then we have to ask what happens next.
We could grind more chucks and rounds that currently have greater value as steaks and roasts. We could change how we utilize our cattle. We could raise more cattle specifically to produce lean beef.
But none of those options magically creates more beef.

They change what we do with the cattle we already have, and potentially lower the value of the American cattle herd.
That is the part of this discussion I think we need to understand.
I am not defending beef imports. I am trying to explain why we import beef in the first place.
The real issue isn't whether a pound of beef crossed a border.
The real issue is why that pound was needed in the first place, and what happens to American cattle producers if we remove it without fixing the underlying supply problem.

If we want a stronger American beef industry, we need to talk about building the American cattle herd, maintaining a viable cow-calf industry, keeping processing capacity, and making sure beef remains competitive with other proteins.
Because shrinking an industry isn't how you make it stronger.
And when you look at the numbers, beef imports didn't suddenly become an issue in 2025 or 2026. The chart I'm sharing shows U.S. beef imports from 2000–2023. USDA data show imports have moved substantially with changes in domestic cattle supplies and the availability of lean beef.

Understanding the “why” matters before we decide what the solution should be.
— Rockin J Spear Cattle
📚 Resources / Further Reading
USDA Economic Research Service — Cattle & Beef: Sector at a Glance USDA ERS: Cattle & Beef
USDA Economic Research Service — Livestock & Meat International Trade Data USDA ERS Trade Data
University of Nebraska–Lincoln — The U.S. Import of Beef: Friend or Foe to Domestic Beef Production? UNL Beef Import Study
Meat & Livestock Australia — Global Manufacturing Beef Market Dynamics Meat & Livestock Australia
Beef Checkoff — Understanding the Value of Beef Imports Beef Checkoff resource
Drovers / Derrell Peel — Slaughter Cows and Ground Beef Drovers resource

08/27/2026

Imported beef is not a new thing in the United States. For many, many years, we have imported lean trimmings that are used in ground beef.

Why? Because Americans want Prime steaks AND lean ground beef and the USA simply doesn’t have enough trim value to meet the needs of our consumers.
The reality is, you can’t get both of those products from the same animal.
I’m happy to make a whole separate post about beef grading and how that works if anyone is interested, because there is a LOT more to it than most consumers realize.

But here’s where I struggle with the conversation surrounding imported beef:
Why would American ranchers shoot ourselves in the foot and potentially hurt our own industry by turning imported beef into the enemy? FYI, personally I like my home raised beef right here from my ranch and, because I have the opportunity to do so, will indulge on it every chance I get!
As I’ve said before, the beef industry is an incredibly complex business with A LOT of moving parts.
Do I agree with how President Trump went about conducting this particular deal? Not really.
Do I believe he had good intentions? Yes.
Do I believe he has the American consumer in mind? Yes.
Do I believe he is out to get rural America? No.
Do I think he needs more education on the beef industry before making decisions that directly affect us? Absolutely.
And honestly, so do SO many politicians in this country.
Heck, I live and breathe this industry and I'm still learning something new all the time. So imagine trying to understand an industry this complicated when you don't work in it every single day.

Now let's look at where we actually are.
📈 Record-high beef prices.
🐄 Record-low cattle numbers.
🥩 Consumers are eating more beef.

We are trying to feed a 2026 appetite with cattle numbers we haven't seen since 1971.
And you know what?
Consumers choosing MORE beef is a HUGE WIN for us as producers! 👏🏻
But there is a HUGE gap between supply and demand right now.
And if we want to keep beef on American dinner tables, we have to figure out how to bridge that gap.

Ground beef is one of the biggest staples in the American household. Let's keep beef on those plates instead of giving consumers a reason to replace it with chicken or pork.
Sorry to my fellow poultry and pork producers… but I'm a die-hard beef fan. 😜🥩
At the end of the day, we as cattle producers have to buckle down, stick together and rebuild our herds if we want to remain the largest meat supplier to American consumers.
We're living in a bit of a double-edged sword right now.
High prices are good for the producer.
But historically low cattle numbers make it incredibly difficult to capitalize on that demand and keep beef affordable for the consumer.
Add drought, rising input costs and everything else agriculture is facing, and 2026 has been one heck of a year.
But we didn't choose this life because it was easy.
So it's time to get tough.
It's time to work together.
It's time to rebuild.
And it's time to keep putting American beef on American tables. 🇺🇸🥩

Just my personal thoughts once again.
— Rockin J Spear Cattle 🐂🇺🇸

08/21/2026

I’ve been thinking a lot about the recent decision to bring more foreign beef into the United States in an effort to lower the cost of ground beef.
Before anyone jumps to conclusions, this isn’t about being against affordable beef for American families. I understand that families are feeling the pinch at the grocery store. I understand that ground beef is a staple, and I understand the goal of trying to make it more affordable.

But here’s my dilemma, and I’m shooting straight from my own hip and my own operation.
Every time cattle producers finally see a little bit of breathing room, it seems like we get kicked in the teeth again.
The cattle industry is incredibly complex. There are a LOT of moving parts, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution.
And this particular move is aimed at helping with ground beef prices, not necessarily the price of every cut of beef. The current policy specifically targets additional imports of lean beef trimmings, which are commonly used in ground beef.

I hear consumers.
I hear you when you say you want to buy local beef.
I hear you when you say you want to know where your beef came from.
I hear you when you say you want to know how that animal was raised and handled.
And as a producer, those things matter to me too.

We are incredibly fortunate to live in the United States and have access to some of the best animal health resources, technology, genetics, veterinary care, nutrition, equipment and educational programs in the world.
American cattle producers work hard to provide a safe, high-quality product while meeting the standards and expectations placed on us.
That is something I am proud of.
I am pro-beef.
I am pro-feeding families.
I am pro-supporting the American consumer.
But I am also pro-American cattle producer.

The truth is, beef producers are barely hanging on in many cases. Our input costs continue to climb: feed, fuel, fertilizer, equipment, labor, repairs, interest, everything.
And while the price of beef at the grocery store may be frustrating for consumers, the money we earn as producers doesn't stretch like it used to either.
Our dollars are losing purchasing power while the cost of producing that beef continues to rise.

So when we talk about making beef more affordable, I think we have to look at the entire system, not just one piece of it.
Short-term fixes may make one part of the equation look better, but what happens to the American cattle producer who is trying to rebuild a herd, stay in business and continue producing the beef our country depends on?
I don't pretend to have all the answers.
But I do know this:
I want to see America produce more of its own food.
I want our agricultural producers to be strong enough to continue doing what they do.
I want consumers to have access to affordable, high-quality beef, whether it is buying in bulk from a neighbor or buying it piece by piece at their grocery store.
I want us to be a country that is leading the world in agriculture, not one that becomes increasingly dependent on other countries for our food supply.

We can do better than choosing between the American consumer and the American cattle producer.
We need to find solutions that support both.
Because at the end of the day, we're all on the same team.

🇺🇸 Support American agriculture. Buy American beef when you can. Know your producer. Know where your food comes from.
And from this cattle producer's perspective, I’ll keep putting my boots on every morning and doing my part to raise the best beef I possibly can.

08/11/2026

07/31/2026

This is something that we are very proud to donate!

🔥 SILENT AUCTION SPOTLIGHT! 🔥

We are excited to feature an incredible silent auction item at the Next GEN Producers Annual Beef & Wine Banquet!

A huge thank you to Rockin' J Spear Cattle for generously donating an RTIC Camo Cooler packed with 30+ pounds of premium beef! 🥩

Whether you're stocking the freezer, heading to hunting camp, or looking for the perfect cooler, this is one auction item you won't want to miss!

Every bid helps invest in the future of agriculture by supporting the youth of Next GEN Producers. Your generosity provides educational opportunities, hands-on learning experiences, scholarships, and leadership development for the next generation of producers.

Join us August 15th for an evening celebrating local agriculture, exceptional food, local wine, live music, and incredible auction items, all while making a difference in the lives of our youth.

💚 Bid high. Support local. Invest in the next generation.

07/29/2026

For the past week and a half, we've been hard at work improving and restoring the water sources on our new allotments.
My dad has worked tirelessly on four different projects, and we've been jumping in whenever we could between town jobs and the Mesa County Fair.
We've rented a trackhoe, purchased tanks, pipe, and countless supplies to successfully capture and pipe spring water.
Years of wildlife use and natural erosion had taken their toll. Ponds had filled with silt, creating dangerous bogs where both cattle and wildlife had been lost. Springs had been trampled so badly that the water could no longer reach the surface.
After a lot of long days and hard work, we're already seeing incredible results. We've restored reliable water sources that will benefit not only our cattle but also the wildlife that calls this country home. In fact a large herd of elk, deer and a few bears have found the water to be a relief.
There's still plenty of work ahead, but we're off to an amazing start. Stewardship isn't always glamorous, but taking care of the land and leaving it better than we found it is something we're incredibly proud of.

07/10/2026

We have a quarter beef ONLY available for our 2026 beeves.
The beef will arrive at the processor the week of July 20th and be ready for your freezer the week of Aug 3rd.
We charge on the hanging weight so final price wont be available until after he’s butchered and hanging weight is determined.
Final cost will be about $1700 give or take weight.
Product take home is about 150-160 lbs of product.
If you are interested please send us a message!

*picture of Zoey’s heifer calf this year for attention 😍

07/09/2026

These grain-finished steers are enjoying their daily ground corn as they make their final trip toward harvest. In just a few short weeks, they'll become the beef that feeds local families right here in our community.

We believe great beef starts long before it reaches your plate. It starts with quality cattle, good nutrition, and daily care. We take pride in raising cattle the right way from pasture to finish, so you can feel confident about the beef you're serving your family.

Thank you for supporting local agriculture and our family ranch. 🥩🐂 🌽