Do You Know Your Rancher?

There is a lot of conversation right now about the American beef supply. The U.S. cattle herd has fallen to historically low levels, beef prices have climbed, and importing more beef is being discussed as one way to help meet demand.

There are plenty of opinions about what should happen next, but for us, the bigger issue goes beyond imports, prices, or government policy.

It’s about how disconnected we have become from the food that feeds us.

That disconnection did not happen overnight. Over decades, our food system became larger, more consolidated, and more focused on producing food that is affordable and convenient at a massive scale.

Along the way, it became harder to see the people and places behind our food. We rarely know the name of the farmer that produces the food we consume, we rarely see the land it's grown on, and animals are part of a supply chain rather than something raised on a specific farm by a specific person.

Today, many families can sit down to dinner without knowing where their food came from, how it was raised, what the animal ate, or what happened to that food before it reached their plate.

That disconnection has a cost. We are paying it now in the health of our families, our land, and our farmers.

There is another way.

Knowing where your food comes from does not have to be complicated. Start by knowing your rancher. Learn where your beef was raised, how the cattle were cared for, and how the rancher manages the land. Look for producers who are willing to answer those questions and companies that back up their standards with testing and transparency.

When you choose food from farmers and ranchers you trust, you are also choosing the kind of food system you want to support. Your purchase rewards people who are investing in their animals, their land, and better farming practices, while showing the market that those things matter.

One purchase may feel small, but together those choices create demand. Every dollar spent on food from a known source with clear standards travels back through the food system to the rancher and ultimately to the soil where it all begins.

That is how we believe a better food system is built: not just from the top down, but from the ground up.