Farming Ranching and Cost of Doing Business
Beef, Land, and Legacy: What Every Family Should Know About Their Food
I was talking with a family the other day about where their beef comes from. They’d never bought direct from a rancher before, and they had a lot of great questions—ones I hear often from people who care about feeding their families well but just aren’t sure how to navigate the system.
It makes sense. Grocery store beef doesn’t come with a story. There’s no connection to the land it was raised on, the people who cared for it, or the quality of life that animal had before it became food. It’s just another shrink-wrapped package on the shelf.
But beef should be so much more than that. It should be about nutrition, security, and supporting the land that sustains us. And that’s what we do at Zabel Cattle Company—we raise our cattle with the same care and integrity that’s been passed down through generations of my family.
I want to break it down for you—why beef prices are rising, why small ranchers are disappearing, and why your food choices matter more than ever. This isn’t just about beef—it’s about securing real, quality food for your family before the system makes it harder to do so.
Why is Beef Getting So Expensive?
You’re not imagining it. The price of beef is rising, and it’s not going to stop anytime soon. But most people don’t realize why.
1️⃣ The National Cattle Herd is Shrinking—Fast
We have the smallest cattle herd in the U.S. since 1950, and it’s getting smaller every year. Fewer cattle mean higher prices for everyone.
🔹 Many ranchers are retiring and selling off their herds, and fewer young people are stepping in to take their place. This isn’t an easy life, and with rising land and feed costs, fewer families can afford to stay in business.
🔹 Every time a family ranch disappears, that land is rarely kept for agriculture. Instead, it’s turned into housing developments, industrial wind and solar farms, or marijuana production.
2️⃣ Why Ranchers Can’t Afford to Hold Onto Cattle
Ranchers don’t want to sell their herds—we’d love to hold onto our cattle longer and build bigger herds. But the reality is, that’s just not financially possible.
🔹 Droughts are shrinking pastures – Less available grass means we must buy expensive supplemental feed.
🔹 Feed costs are skyrocketing – Corn and hay prices have surged, making it too expensive to keep cattle through the winter.
🔹 Interest rates are rising – Many ranchers rely on loans to manage land and cattle operations, and as interest rates climb, carrying costs become impossible.
The tough truth? We have to sell cattle while the prices are high because we don’t know when they’ll drop. If we wait too long, we could be left with a herd we can’t afford to feed, and no buyers willing to pay what the cattle are worth.
This has happened before: in 2014-2015, beef prices skyrocketed, but by 2016, the market crashed—and ranchers who waited lost everything.
How This Affects Your Family
If you’ve ever felt like you have no control over your grocery bill, that’s because in many ways, you don’t. Big corporations and unpredictable markets dictate what ends up on the shelf, and families are stuck paying whatever the price happens to be that week.
But it’s not just about cost—it’s about food security, quality, and trust.
Grocery store beef is an unknown. You don’t know where it came from, how it was raised, or what kind of nutrition it really has.
Quality beef is disappearing. Small ranches that prioritize low-stress, responsible cattle care—like we do at Zabel Cattle Company—are being replaced by mass-production feedlots.
Your kids’ future food supply is at risk. Every acre of farmland lost to urban sprawl is an acre your children won’t have to raise food on in the future.
But here’s the thing—you have more control than you think.
How to Take Back Control of Your Family’s Food Supply
🔹 Buy Local & Fill Your Freezer – This is the single best way to lock in quality beef at today’s prices and ensure that you always have premium, locally raised beef on hand.
🔹 Get to Know Your Rancher – When you buy local, you know exactly where your beef comes from, how it was raised, and that it’s free of unnecessary additives.
🔹 Support Local Agriculture – Every dollar spent on locally raised beef is a vote for sustainable ranching and responsible land stewardship.
This is the Moment to Act
Once farmland is gone, it’s gone forever. And once the small ranchers are forced out, we don’t get them back.
If you’ve been thinking about making the switch to real, local beef, this is your sign. Don’t wait until prices rise again or supplies run low.
Reserve Your Beef Today & Get a FREE Freezer! Contact us now to secure your half or whole beef before the next price hike. www.zabel.co/contact
Have questions? Let’s chat! Comment below or send a message—I’d love to help.
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