08/23/2026
WHY BUYING AMERICAN BEEF MATTERS
Iâve been doing a lot of research lately on the cattle market, our shrinking cattle herd, beef imports and what all of this actually means for American ranchers and consumers.
And the more I learn, the more I think we need to be talking about this.
I completely understand wanting cheaper beef. Trust me, everything is expensive right now and families are trying to stretch a dollar everywhere they can.
But thereâs another side to this that I donât think most consumers ever really get to see.
Thereâs a reason locally raised American beef may cost more.
Raising cattle is expensive.
A rancher has to keep a heifer instead of selling her, feed her, provide water and land, maintain fences and equipment, pay labor, vet bills, fuel, insurance, taxes, etc. Then we breed her, wait roughly 9 months for her to have a calf, and raise that calf for another year or more before it ever becomes beef.
Thatâs a whole lot of money spent and a whole lot of time waiting before that rancher ever gets paid.
So when you buy American beef, youâre not just paying for that steak or package of hamburger youâre eating tonight.
Youâre helping pay for the next generation of American cattle.
And hereâs something else I didnât really think about until I started digging into the numbersâŠ
Cattle ranching and farming alone accounts for nearly 900,000 American jobs.
And thatâs BEFORE you start counting all the other people who depend on this industry.
The ranch hands.
The veterinarian.
The hay farmer.
The feed store.
The equipment dealer.
The mechanic.
The livestock auction.
The truck driver.
The feedlot.
The processor.
The butcher.
The distributor.
The grocery store.
The restaurants.
One American-raised animal touches a whole lot more people than just the rancher who raised it.
And those people spend their money in our communities too.
So hereâs where I think we need to be careful.
Iâm not saying imported beef is bad. We have imported and exported beef for years, and trade absolutely has a place in our beef industry.
What concerns me is becoming dependent on it.
Because if cheaper imported beef continually puts pressure on American cattle prices, eventually producers have to make a business decision.
Do I keep this heifer and spend money on her for the next several years?
Or do I sell her?
Do I keep raising cattle?
Do I cut my herd?
Do I sell the ranch?
And if enough American producers decide it simply isnât worth it anymore, we donât just lose cattle.
We lose the ranchers, the jobs, the businesses, the infrastructure and eventually the ability to produce enough of our own food.
And you canât fix that overnight.
If something happensâa war, trade dispute, disease outbreak or major supply disruptionâwe canât suddenly decide we need a few million more cows.
It takes YEARS to rebuild a cattle herd.
Thatâs the part I think we need to understand when weâre talking about wanting cheaper beef.
Of course I want families to be able to afford beef.
I also want American ranchers to still be here raising it 10, 20 and 50 years from now.
Those two things have to matter at the same time.
So yes, locally raised American beef may cost you a little more.
But those extra dollars arenât just buying supper.
Theyâre supporting an American ranch family.
Theyâre supporting American jobs.
Theyâre supporting our rural communities.
Theyâre helping that rancher afford to keep the next heifer and raise the next calf.
And ultimately, theyâre helping keep Americaâs food supply right here at home.
Buy local when you can. Buy American when you can. Know where your food comes from.
Because cheap food today isnât really cheap if the long-term cost is losing the people who know how to produce it.
