The majority of beef “consumers” (people who eat beef) are so far removed from the “original” stock market they couldn’t tell you what a 900lb steer is worth per pound in today’s market. Recently I posted a 1/4 of beef for sale. In an hour’s time there were 14 inquiries of interest. The unit sold in roughly 75 minutes to the first person that called originally. Out of the other callers I felt there were people who had genuine interest and some I felt who were just price checking. When some heard the price it seemed to squash their interest rather quickly.
Beef on the hoof is at an historic high. I would have never believed I would ever see commercial cattle bringing what they are. Nobody has any true idea when it will actually peak and start to decline but the one thing I feel comfortable and confident in is, it won’t go back to the prices we think are cheap or normal. When the market does finally peak, it will then be looking for the new normal. I believe it will fluctuate up and down for a while before it finds that new normal.
When we bought our steers in March of 2023 we brokered a private treaty deal at $1.84/lb for a set of calves averaging 756lbs across the board. When we bought our steers in 2024 we brokered a private treaty deal at $2.36/lb for calves that averaged 821 across the board. Fast forward to 2025. When we bought in this year we brokered a private treaty deal at $2.67 for a set of calves that averaged 921lbs across the board. That’s a $0.83 increase per pound in 24 months. We were buying bigger steers each year and we still couldn’t stay ahead of the per pound increase. I watched some nine weights sell this last week for $3.06/lb. That’s a $0.39 per pound increase in less than 4 months. That’s also a $1.22 increase per pound in 28 months.
People often wonder why a 1/4, a 1/2, or a whole farm to table beef cost so much. Get your calculator out and run that last set of numbers. What would it cost today to purchase a 900lb steer? $2754.00 To get that calf finished and ready for your freezer it will take you roughly two and a half to three ton of feed depending on your set up and the animal. Depending on the time of year that you’re buying feed will determine the cost per ton. But roughly $260-$336 per ton has been the variance over the last three years here locally. Don’t forget, you as a consumer will want your beef vacuum packed and labeled once it is dry aged for 21 days and cut into your desired specs. That will cost you roughly a $1/lb hanging weight, so let’s just say another $865 per steer. We haven’t even thought about the fuel, fertilizer, equipment, fencing, land payment, interest, insurance, vet supplies and mostly the producers time and effort.
Now let me be clear, we don’t do this for the money because as you can see that would be a terrible idea and numbers don’t lie. We and other likeminded producers do this because it’s who we are and we love it. We enjoy and take pleasure in watching something transform under the direction of our stewardship. We do it to produce a higher quality product. We do it to create a higher standard. We do it because we enjoy engaging with our clientele and their families. We do it so end consumers can know exactly what they are putting in their freezer and feeding their families.
The big feed yards and packers spill or waste more in a year than all of us farm to table guys together can produce. Unfortunately, good quality beef is coming at a higher price. Nonetheless, I do forecast it to get higher before it gets cheaper.
Farm to table producers understand it’s a good chunk of change for the average household to fork over. Farm to table beef and grocery store beef is all beef but they are not the same product. Reminder, you’re paying the same amount per pound for the filets and ribeyes as you are for the hamburger. You are buying beef once a year instead of every time you go to the grocery store. We can guarantee an accurate harvest date and country of origin. The animal has a less stressful environment and lives a more natural lifestyle … let all that sink in.
James Burgess and his wife Elizabeth have found an escape from the rest of the world and their full-time jobs by raising farm to table beef and honey. Their boundaries continue to expand with their presence and growth on social media as Soggy Bottom Cattle Co. “Buy your Beef Between the Creek and Cheeks”
