Year of Award

2023

Document Type

Professional Paper

Degree Type

Master of Arts (MA)

Degree Name

Environmental Science and Natural Resource Journalism

Department or School/College

School of Journalism

Committee Chair

Joe Eaton

Commitee Members

Dennis Swibold, Neva Hassanein

Keywords

meat packing, direct marketing, local beef

Publisher

University of Montana

Subject Categories

Other Arts and Humanities

Abstract

Ranchers in Montana direct market their cattle for several reasons, but many have done so to relieve their dependence on the national beef market, which critics claim is unfairly controlled by a consolidated packing industry. Pandemic-related disruptions to the U.S. meat supply chain created uncertainty and exposed vulnerabilities for producers and consumers that drove a renewed interest in direct-marketed beef. Casey Buffington ranches near Chester, MT, and began direct marketing his cattle in 2019 to assert more control over his market and create more profit for his ranch. In telling Buffington’s story, this narrative explores how beneficial direct marketing can be to ranchers, as well as the factors that constrain direct marketing, such as the scarcity of available processing and lack of a robust local market. Investments by the Biden administration seek to build new meat processing facilities in the state, shortening the amount of travel ranchers like Buffington must make to access processing, and some ranchers have taken advantage of online sales and delivery routes to expand their markets in the state.

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