Star Brand Beef Expands

Star Brand Beef is back for a third year, and exciting things are happening! This summer, I will be delivering both West and East, and I have another rancher on board supplying beef. This is a big leap forward.

Honestly, after losing Frisco, it was really hard for me to get back into “work mode.” I spent most of February and March living at the barn caring for him, and much of April in bed mourning him. I didn’t feel I had the drive to organize and coordinate sales and delivery of not only my beef, but an enthusiastic neighboring rancher’s as well. But thinking about the current meat industry (you know I despise it) and my desire to keep these steers away from feedlots and commercial packers ignited some inner reserve. And you did, too: your support of Star Brand Beef for the past two years and your desire for healthy, humanely-raised beef gave me the mental push I needed.

MINI BEEF: I have another local rancher on board. I’ve know him for years; I taught his daughter in my classes when I subbed at the school, and Mike and I buy hay from him each year. He primarily raises sheep, but has a small herd of cows – quite literally! They are mini black Angus, and are about half the size of my steers. This makes it easier for him to raise among his sheep (they eat less grass and hay than my full-sized steers) and is a boon for you, as customers: a quarter mini-beef is just over half the size of a quarter of my beef. Perfect for individuals who eat meat less frequently or those with less freezer space.

Over the past two years, I have shared with him the standards and practices that both you and I expect: no GMO feed, humane treatment, and open pasture for his cattle. He has the means and the temperament to comply with these terms. What excites me, about bringing him on board and offering his beef to you, is that this is the next essential step in shifting the industry. He saw the success I’ve had in bucking the traditional system, and already held the belief that this new method is better for the animals, the environment, the rancher, and the customer. As others in our community see him making this shift (a local! a man born into the Wyoming ranching life!), I know they will begin to consider their place on this road, as well. You, out there, have paved the way for us out here, through your support of individual farmers and ranchers over the industrial model of Big Ag and your respect for the lives of these animals. And I thank you.