During the coronavirus pandemic, direct beef sales to consumers surged for a northeastern Nevada ranching family raising American Wagyu/Angus crosses.
In springtime, panicked consumers emptied store shelves of meat, fearing a shortage after large meat packing plants closed due to employees getting the coronavirus. They turned to the internet to find ranchers with beef available.
“We sold more than 2,000 pounds of ground beef in a day and a half,” said Jordan Brough, a fourth-generation rancher in Clover Valley south of Wells, Nev., and partner with his parents in Brough Ranch Beef LLC. “When COVID hit, some days we sold out of ground beef within hours of having it on our website.”
The Broughs used to sell part of their Wagyu beef through a large corporation, but decided to cut out the middleman and sell all of it directly to consumers.
Several years ago, Jordan and his wife, Kari, noticed a growing trend of consumers wanting to buy meat directly from ranchers. Jordan and his parents, Wilde and Sherry, had already been selling a quarter, half or whole beef to a few friends and family.
“When Kari and I moved back to the ranch after college to partner with my parents, we wanted to expand and knew our Wagyu beef had a unique flavor from our cattle grazing on our pastures of sweet clover and meadow grasses,” Jordan said. “Then they’re given a ration of brewers grain to finish and develop marbling and flavor.”
In 2016, Kari began selling their meat at regional farmers markets. By word-of-mouth, more people began buying their beef, telling her they liked its tenderness, marbling of flavorful fat, and distinct Wagyu taste. In 2017, they launched a website, broughranch.com, to meet increasing demand.
“We wanted to offer our Wagyu beef at a more affordable price than what you would pay at a restaurant or online store,” Jordan said. “Last summer, we couldn’t keep our rib eyes, T-bone and New York steaks in stock.”
Sales have increased steadily to include restaurants, senior citizen centers and consumers nationwide.
“During the pandemic, it’s been great to help our loyal customers and welcome new customers to the family,” Kari said.
The only obstacle they confront for expansion is a shortage of USDA approved small meat processors. They are scheduled through December 2021 with their butcher, Theurer’s Quality Meats in Lewiston, Utah, 230 miles away.
“We could sell more, but finding open butcher dates is holding back sales,” Kari said. “The demand is definitely there. We use sales figures from the previous year and add a few head. Along with our reserved dates, we’ll add more if there happens to be openings.”
The meat is sealed airtight in Cryovac and frozen at the butcher’s then stored in a walk-in freezer they built on the ranch. They ship throughout the continental U.S., packing the meat in insulated boxes with dry ice.
“Shipping prices are a big challenge,” Kari said, “but consumers are willing to pay.”
They attribute the demand to the flavor of their Wagyu beef, known for its flavorful intramuscular streaking of healthy fats. Jordan’s father, Wilde, began crossing American Waygu with Angus in 2009 because the smaller birth weight of Wagyu helped their heifers.
“We’ve been doing this long enough that when you buy Wagyu-cross beef from us, you’re getting a 75 percent blood or better of Wagyu,” Wilde said.
“For us, selling direct to consumers has been a good choice,” Jordan said.
The Link LonkJuly 07, 2020 at 04:41AM
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Western Innovator: Direct beef sales to consumers surge during pandemic - Capital Press
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