Specialty Beef

Yesterday's LA Times' Food section ran an article on "specialty beef." The second half of the article has some interesting information about the beef industry and alternatives:

After decades of consolidation, four companies sell more than 80% of the beef in America.

One farmer who raises a small herd of cattle organically says:

"The closer the farmer gets to the consumer, the better off he is," says [Guinness] McFadden, who holds an MBA from Stanford University. "Selling your product yourself takes time and effort and you have to be involved. But you will be repaid if you do a good job."

Still, Magruder says, most conventional growers in his beef-heavy area [Mendocino County] are reluctant to even think about making any kind of change.

"People get very defensive about it," he says. "They'll laugh at you for trying something different, then tell you how bad the cattle market is. They don't see the connection."

By Russ Parsons.