Overview

Going into a category such as “Natural” requires a lot of planning and execution for success. As you will see in the industry quotes below, these markets are becoming more competitive. So, while there is considerable growth in the category, there is growth in supply as well.

The trick for producers is in either selecting an established company to produce for, or in creating a brand of their own. Branding can be an expensive proposition and it takes a long time to establish. Producers will need to carefully consider which strategy will work best for them. Refer to the Business Development section of the AgMRC Web site for guidelines on branding and establishment of a business strategy.  May 2006 . . . Natural Beef

 

Marketing

• After the Ban: The Japanese Market for U.S. Beef, Roxanne Clemens, Midwest Agribusiness Trade Research and Information Center (MATRIC), Iowa State University, April 2007.
• American Grassfed Association - The goal of the association, established in 2003, is to promote the grassfed industry through government relations, research, concept marketing and public education.
• A Consumer Survey to Identify Marketing Issues for Natural Beef, Kansas State University, 2002 - The purpose of this research was to provide recommendations for producers interested in marketing natural beef.
• Economic Issues with Natural and Organic Beef, Kansas State University, 2002 - Provides an overview of both natural and organic and why some consumers may prefer one of those over conventionally-raised beef.
• Export Opportunities, Iowa State University, 2003 - Normally, small-scaled plants are at a cost disadvantage compared to larger plants in terms of exporting product. This paper looks at opportunities for exports of pork and beef from small-scale facilities.
• Free Farmed, Farm Animal Services, American Humane Association - This site details how farmers can certify for the Free Farmed label.
• Grassfed Beef Educational Web site, California State University-Chico and University of California Cooperative Extension - This joint Web site contains information on health benefits, product information, cost studies and links to other resources.
• Grassfed Certification: The Case of the Uruguayan Beef Industry, University of California Agricultural Issues Center, 2005 - Kansas State University and ORT University report on the development and operation of Uruguay's beef traceability (DIOSE) program and industry. Discusses whether U.S. producers could benefit from USDA Process Verification certification for grassfed beef production systems. 
• Marginal Value of Quality Attributes for Natural and Organic Beef, Kansas State University, 2002 - Consumers are increasingly demanding natural beef products. Producers have attempted to meet this demand through organized alliances. This paper looks at the value of that investment.
• Marketing Issues for Natural Beef Products: Opinions of Supermarket Meat Managers and Consumers, Kansas State University, 2002 - Results from two different surveys.
• Marketing Opportunities for Natural Beef Products in the Intermountain West, Colorado State University, 2000 - Results of a marketing survey on natural and grassfed beef.
• MHR International Meat Directory - Links to companies throughout the world in all meat categories.
• Natural Beef: Consumer Acceptability, Market Development and Economics, University of California Cooperative Extension Livestock & Natural Resources - This Web site gives readers case studies, business and marketing plans and an overall thought process guide to establishing a natural beef enterprise.
• The Natural Beef Market in the United States, Ag Marketing Resource Center, Kansas State University, 2003 - The majority of natural beef companies have exceeded the requirements set by the USDA definition of “natural” and have incorporated other dimensions related to health, nutrition, environment, animal welfare, and support to small farms. The objective of this paper is to examine those changes, review the literature and research related to consumer preferences and perceptions towards natural beef and, in particular, identify the major natural beef producers and their competitive positions in the marketplace.
• Natural Beef Market in the United States, Agri-Food Trade Service, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, 2005.
• Raising Natural Beef: Opportunities and Risks, Iowa Beef Center, Iowa State University - PowerPoint presentation on natural beef labeling, economic costs and feasibility studies conducted on natural beef.
• United States Standards for Livestock and Meat Marketing Claims, Federal Register, GPO, 2007. 
• Voluntary standards for grass-fed beef, AMS, USDA, 2007.
• Why Can't U.S. Beef Compete in the European Union?, Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD), Iowa State University, 2002 - In this paper, a short overview of current U.S. trade flows with the European Union is presented, followed by an estimate of the additional costs of producing beef for that market. Then, given that exports to the European Union are so low and the costs of producing, processing, and shipping are so high, the paper discusses where producers are marketing their non-treated cattle and beef and whether they are receiving an adequate premium to cover their additional costs.

Processing/Manufacturing

• Adding Value to Beef Production, Iowa State University Extension Value-Added Agriculture - This Web site gives readers an overview of various beef production alternatives.
• Alternative Farming Systems Information Center (AFSIC) - Provides information on organic food production, sustainable agriculture and community-supported agriculture. AFSIC is supported, in part, by USDA's Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program.
• An Alternative Natural Beef Production System: A Differentiation Strategy for California Producers and Packers, ARE Update, 2004, University of California Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics.
• Food Labeling Procedures, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).
• North American Meat Processors Association (NAMP) - A nonprofit trade association that provides information and technical services to the meat processing industry.
• Packing House Byproducts, Iowa State University, 2003 - Large packing plants have found markets for the "last squeal" of the pig. How can smaller operations compete without the quantity of animals? This paper looks at small and medium-size beef and pork slaughterhouses and the alternatives for the major byproduct categories.
• Sample Costs for a Cow-Calf/Grass-Fed Operation: 200-head Cowherd with 30 Grass-Fed Cattle in Marin and Sonoma Counties, University of California Cooperative Extension, 2004 - Intended as a guide to make production decisions, determine potential returns, prepare budgets and evaluate production loans.
• U.S. Beef Packing Industry Industry Profile, Iowa State University, 2003 - The beef sector of the U.S. agricultural economy is dominated by four major packers who control more than 83 percent of the federal slaughtering. A niche exists for smaller single plants that compete in market segments not occupied by major packers.

Businesses/Case Studies

• Brandt Beef, Brawley, California – In the livestock business since 1945, the Brandt family is dedicated to producing high-quality, source-verified natural beef through cattle selection, natural feeding practices and humane treatment of animals. They sell their premium natural beef to upscale restaurants and on the retail market.  
• Coleman Natural Beef, Golden, Colorado - This supplier of fresh, branded natural beef has an approved USDA label describing their production practices, which include no added hormones or antibiotics.
• Country Natural Beef, Boardman, Oregon - This co-op began 20 years ago and now boasts more than 70 producers. It provides natural beef to customers such as Whole Food markets and Burgerville.
• Dakota Beef, Howard, South Dakota - This natural and organic beef operation stresses vertical coordination.
• Lasater Grasslands Beef, Matheson, Colorado - Cattle finished on grass and both direct marketed to the public and offered in retail stores.
• Laura's Lean Beef, Lexington, Kentucky - This branded beef company purchases calves, yearlings and bulls from suppliers that are raised without added growth hormones or antibiotics. The company is dedicated to supporting family farms.
• Maverick Ranch Natural Meats, Denver, Colorado - This western company meets or exceeds all USDA carcass labeling requirements for Natural and Lite, forming the brand NaturaLite. Maverick Ranch rewards producers of natural beef with premiums.
• Meyer Natural Angus, Missoula, Montana - This ranch follows the American Humane Association's Free Farming Standards to produce their natural beef. Cattle are given no animal by-products, growth hormones or antibiotics.
• Montana Ranch Brand, Inc., Billings, Montana - This ranch is producing and marketing products that have been raised without the use of antibiotics or added growth hormones or steroids, raised on vegetarian feed--no animal by-products--and source verified by Montana Ranch Brand to working family ranches.  
• Niman Ranch, Alameda, California - This ranch markets beef fed pure, natural feeds without animal by-products or waste. Cattle are not given any growth hormones or subtherapeutic antibiotics and are allowed free movement and natural maturity.
• Painted Hills Natural Beef, Fossil, Oregon – Seven families from Oregon formed a corporation to sell natural beef products. 
• Van Wie Natural Foods, Hudson, New York - A USDA certified natural grower of beef and pork. Animals are raised in a natural environment without the use of chemicals, hormones or antibiotics.
• Wolfe's Neck Farm, Freeport, Maine - A USDA-inspected producer of natural beef since 1959. The operation uses no hormones, steroids, feed antibiotics, animal byproducts in feed, synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, growth regulators or livestock feed additives. High-quality feedstuffs are a premium and cattle are treated humanely.

Links checked January 2008.