08/25/2026
Everyone debating beef prices should hear from someone who actually raises cattle.
I’m a small rancher. It can cost me ~$2,500 to raise an animal + ~$600 to process it. If I bring home ~500 lbs of beef, that’s $6.20/lb before I pay myself ONE DOLLAR for land, fencing, equipment, fuel, labor, losses or risk.
So no, American ranchers aren’t getting rich off expensive beef.
And importing cheaper beef isn’t the solution I want.
I’d rather see Americans cut out the mega-packers and buy directly from local ranchers. Buy a quarter, half or whole animal. Know the farm. Know how it was raised. Ask whether it was grass-fed, grass-finished, grain-finished, or something else. Know who processed it.
Quality and production standards vary, and “imported” doesn't automatically mean inferior—but cheaper commodity beef is not the same proposition as knowing exactly where your food came from.
Want to help American families AND American cattlemen?
Buy local. Buy direct. Shorten the supply chain.
Then you don’t have to wonder which multinational handled your dinner—or whether tomorrow’s “beef” came from a cow, a bioreactor or a 3D printer.
Food security starts with knowing your farmer.
