The COVID-19 pandemic caused numerous logistic issues in the food processing and delivery system. A widely publicized issue in both agricultural and popular press was the divergence of live cattle prices and prices for beef at the grocery store. This disparity left many producers wondering if direct marketing their beef would increase profits.
The team developed and presented resources on the legal restrictions and requirements for marketing beef directly from the farm to consumers and the potential for profits. Approximately 650 producers received education on laws related to sales, estimating costs and returns from retained ownership through processing, and methods of consumer outreach in order to establish a market. The project intended to provide producers with a toolkit with which they could evaluate the decision to direct-market beef on their own.
The team held three workshops in Texas, provided attendees a physical, 100+ page book of detailed legal and economic resources, and conducted a webinar to present the materials to a broader audience. These programs provided Texans the opportunity to develop the skills and individualized plan necessary for direct marketing beef. It is estimated that 650 livestock producers of the 100 planned attendees participated in the programs.