Grass-finished vs. Traditional Beef Production
Two cattlemen share their reasons for producing cattle in their chosen system.
SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Feb. 4, 2015) — Both men hale from northern California, and both are conservation-minded. They have served together on the board of the California Rangeland Trust, but Darrell Wood and Darrel Sweet have very different operations. The ranchers talked about how different marketing objectives have shaped their respective businesses during a Cattlemen’s College® session Feb. 4 at the 2015 Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show in San Antonio, Texas.
Wood said his family’s Leavitt Lake Ranch began the shift to grass-finished beef production in 2001. They started in a small way, marketing one or two head per month to consumers in the San Francisco Bay area. It wasn’t easy.
“Consumers liked the grass-finished product, and they liked knowing the family behind it, but they didn’t like the [higher] price,” admits Wood, “and it was hard to sell the whole animal.”
After collaborating with like-minded producers and courting retail customers that would buy all the cuts a carcass will yield, the Wood family transitioned to producing only grass-finished beef. The next step was to go "organic.”
“I’ve never regretted it,” said Wood, noting how his beef is sold in volume to customers like Whole Foods Markets. “We’re getting a premium for our product. We’re profitable, and it has allowed my son and daughter to join the operation.”
By contrast, Darrel Sweet raises cattle that wind up as grain-fed beef. Sweet’s fall-born calves are weaned in the spring and receive a pelleted growing ration for a short period of time. Ultimately, they are finished and marketed through the Harris Ranch branded beef program. Sweet follows the Harris-prescribed genetic and animal health programs and, in turn, receives a premium for his cattle.
“It’s been a good fit for us,” says Sweet. “There are other programs like it, but [Harris] has been stable and good for all participants.”
During the question-and-answer period that followed the ranchers’ presentations, most of the questions were directed to Wood. Asked about consumer reaction to grass-finished beef, he said the consumers that seek that kind of product are not put off by differences in flavor or the color of the fat.
“There are differences based on the animals’ diet, but that’s never been an issue for us. Customers are okay with that, and even expect it,” Wood stated.
Sweet said the two operations aren’t as different as some people might think. Good genetics are important to each, as well as good management. Both operations seek a premium for the cattle they market.
“The main difference is how the cattle are finished,” stated Sweet.
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