Picture this: A parent walks through the aisles of their local grocery store, preparing to feed a family. The parents mindlessly bags a parcel of broccoli, reaches for a sack of red potatoes and then heads to the meat and fish section to finish off the trip and complete the meal. For a few seconds, the parent mulls over the many options of beef the meat case offers and after a while starts considering, “Why are there so many different options when it comes to the same cut of beef?”
It is clear there are a variety of selections of beef in our supermarkets But what do most consumers buy when it comes to beef? But what do most consumers buy when it comes to beef? Typically what’s selected in the store is “convention” or “grain-fed”. Conventional cattle are fed a balanced diet, including different forages and grain to assure growth, development and marbling.
However, certain production methods of beef are tailored to the different wants of customers. These products are labeled for consumers to quickly identify the type of beef they want when they arrive at the grocery store. Examples of these labels and production types are organic, grass-fed, and locally-grown, to name a few.
These types of specific production methods and branding programs are known as “niches” or niche markets, concentrating all marketing efforts of a product on a small, but specific and well-defined segment of the population.
But why would a consumer spend more than a split second deciding between protein options, especially for one protein, such as beef? What is the different between how one rancher raises his cattle and how another might?
When it comes to buying food, in today’s day and age, Americans are taking an interest in four main categories; politics, environment, social and health. According to Ranch TV report, these four factors combine unconsciously in a consumer’s mind to help them select a meal of choice for their family. But this isn’t just one parent in a local suburb. According to the online publication The Conversation, in an article titled, “Americans are confused about food and unsure where to turn for answers,” half of American shoppers say they are more concerned about food quality and safety than they were five years ago, leading them to select food options they believe to be safer and healthier.
Cattle ranchers, however, have been working tirelessly for decades to guarantee high-quality beef. Celeste Settrini and the Settrini Ranch are just one example. Settrini and her brother operate the Settrini Ranch in Salinas, where they run commercial Red Angus cattle. While their operation has been running for 105 years, about 25 years ago, they made the switch to specialize in Red Angus cattle.
The Settrini Ranch uses a value-added program by also marketing cattle as natural, no antibiotic, and no hormones added. Typically, they sell their cattle through Western Video Market, an outlet many ranchers in the West utilize and make it a priority to check in with customers once or twice, asking how they can improve the quality of cattle, ensuring that they are satisfied.
While the Settrini Ranch sells their cattle to cattle buyers, other operations have different approaches when it comes to selling. For instance, Hearst Ranch’s approach to selling thie beef is direct to storefronts such as Whole Foods. Ben Higgins, director of agricultural operations for Hearst Corporations, says Hearst Ranch, based in San Simeon, on the Central Coasst, focuses on highlighting their specialty products to match customers’ wants. In Hearst Ranch’s case, it’s their grass-fed-to-finished Hearst Ranch Beef.
With a total of 156,000 acres between their San Simeon and Jack Ranch properties, their operations runs approximately 1,400 cows, and Hearst Ranch Beef can be found in 43 Southern California locations as well in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara venues.
Cattle spend their entire lives on the Hearst Ranch operations, focusing on their 100 percent grass-fed, hormone and antibiotic-free practices, Higgins says.
“Ranches are still wild places and cattle here live their natural lives,” Higgins explains. “This isn’t an intensive cattle production environment.”
Another core value of Hearst Ranch Beef is maintaining humane handling towards their cattle, showcased by their third party certification.
“It’s important to understand why or why not consumers purchase Hearst Ranch Beef,” Higgins says. “We want to know what consumers want in the meat retail case.”
How does Hearst Ranch know what consumers look for in their meat retail case? By effectively staying in communication with Whole Foods as well as their customers. Hearst Ranch not only provides a niche product that consumers are searching for, but they also stay tapped into the ever-changing demands their customers are asking for.
Another way to stay in tune with what consumers are asking for is to sell to them directly. This ensures that producers are in the “know” when it comes to their customers’ demands. Five Marys Farm has honed in on this strategy, allowing their operation to succeed in a different way than most.
Five Marys Farm is owned and operated by Brian and Mary Heffernan, alongside their daughters. When they purchased their ranch in 2013, the Heffernan family prepared for their new adventure and packed up their bags to move from the Silicon Valley to the far northern reaches of the state in Fort Jones.
Five Marys Farms raises a variety of livestock, from swine and lambs to cattle. Along with their ranch, the Heffernan family also operates Camp Five Marys Farm, as well as M5 Burgerhouse Bar and Grill.
But amongst all, what is niche about Five Marys Farm is they sell directly to consumers, and when they say directly, they mean it.
Ranging from tri-tips to filet mignons and what they have entitled, “Cow Shares” that offer a multitude of cuts of beef, Five Marys Farm provides a variety of products to consumers. These products are raised, slaughter and shipped weekly, directly out of Fort Jones, allowing the Heffernan family to handle their livestock at all phases.
“Customers are looking for three things,” Brian Heffernan, the patriarch of the family and co-owner of Five Marys Farm, says, “The story, a really good quality product, and a product that can get to them easily.”
It’s these qualities that Five Marys Farm focuses on through their vertical integration. It also presents them with the opportunity to share their story with their consumers from start to finish. Using social media is one way they reach their customer and tell their story, allowing customers to observe the life cycle of their livestock. Their Instagram platform reaches 104,000 followers daily, giving Five Marys Farm the ability to shed light on what truly goes about on a ranching operation to thousands.
“We have the opportunity to help consumers know the challenges ranchers face.” Heffernan describes. “It’s an opportunity to share the story of what ranchers do.”
Three operations, three different, and valued ways to conduct business. Which way is right? An answer that seems simple enough; there is no right and wrong. California’s ranching families are looking for ways to feed Americans healthy, tasty, and affordably protein, while also trying to feed their own families as well. Leading to the fact that ranchers are asked to shift and grow with their consumers to stay relevant in this day and age. Whether that be through specialty markets or traditional conventional means, that is only up to ranchers and cattle producers to decide. No matter which route ranchers choose, it is evident that both niche marketed beef and conventional beef rely on each other to defend and educate consumers about the overarching beef industry.
Higgins, Settrini and Heffernan have proven that whatever route ranchers pursue, the belief that communication between their operations and consumers is imperative to not only build trust between their customers but to also improve the quality of their cattle as well.
“We’re all beef.” Settrini elaborates. “It’s important to share our story, not just for Settrini Ranches, but on behalf of our fellow ranchers, as well.”