Why Oklahoma Ranchers Need to Plan Ahead With Beef Processors

How To Avoid Empty Promises When Selling Beef Online

One thing ranchers discover mighty fast after they start selling beef direct-to-consumer is this:

Everybody loves the idea of local beef right up until it’s time to schedule processing.

Then suddenly every butcher in three counties is booked tighter than a church parking lot at Sunday dinner.

Truth is, with more ranchers selling beef online and more customers wanting locally raised meat, good processors stay busy these days. Sometimes real busy.

Truth is, selling beef direct-to-consumer can absolutely make a ranch more profitable. But before you build a website, buy freezers, and start dreaming about subscription beef boxes, there’s one important question: How many steers do you actually need to keep up with demand? The answer depends less on the size of your ranch and more on how smart you start.

Most ranchers in Northeast Oklahoma know the routine by heart. Raise a steer for 18 months or better, haul him to market, take whatever price the buyers are feeling generous enough to offer that day, and hope there’s enough left over to keep feed in the barn and diesel in the truck.