There’s a lot happening in the world of beef, and most of us only hear about a small piece of it.

The Beef Report is where we share the stories we think are worth knowing. From industry news and changing regulations to cattle prices, food labels, ranch life, consumer trends, and the people working hard to keep American agriculture alive, we’re digging a little deeper into what’s happening and why it matters.

Some stories will be serious. Some might raise a few eyebrows. Others will simply remind us why we love this way of life.

We’ll ask questions, look for the facts, link to our sources, and share what we find. We’re not here to tell you what to think. We just think you deserve to know more about the beef you’re buying, the people behind it, and the industry that puts it on your table.

Welcome to The Beef Report.
Why Beef Cuts Have So Many Different Names
Why Beef Cuts Have So Many Different Names
Flat iron. Top blade. Inside round. Top round. Why does beef seem to have so many names? The answer involves anatomy, regional traditions, butchers, marketing and even scientists discovering new... Read more...
How Many Cows Can an Acre Actually Support?
How Many Cows Can an Acre Actually Support?
One cow per acre? Five acres? Twenty? The answer depends on where you live, how much grass grows and how long cattle graze. Here's why ranchers measure forage, not just... Read more...
Why Brisket Is Tough Until It Isn't
Why Brisket Is Tough Until It Isn't
Brisket starts as one of the tougher cuts on a cow, yet hours later it can practically fall apart. The reason comes down to hardworking muscles, connective tissue, collagen and... Read more...
Why Does a Cow Have an Ear Tag?
Why Does a Cow Have an Ear Tag?
That little numbered tag hanging from a cow's ear is doing more than you might think. Here's how ear tags help identify individual cattle, connect them to records and, in... Read more...
What Happens to the Rest of the Cow?
What Happens to the Rest of the Cow?
Steaks and ground beef are only part of what comes from a beef animal. From leather and gelatin to tallow, pet food and more, here's what can happen to the... Read more...
Buying Beef... or Water?
Buying Beef... or Water?
Some raw beef products contain added solutions for moisture, flavor or tenderness, and that solution counts toward the weight you're paying for. Here's what to look for on the label. Read more...
You Can't Manufacture a Cow
You Can't Manufacture a Cow
Beef supplies are tight. So why don't ranchers just raise more cattle? Because you can't speed up pregnancy, manufacture a calf or rebuild a cattle herd overnight. Read more...
The Beef Highway: How Far Does Your Beef Travel Before It Reaches You?
The Beef Highway: How Far Does Your Beef Travel Before It Reaches You?
A calf can move from ranch to stocker operation to feedlot to processing plant before the beef enters distribution. Here's a look at America's beef highway and why our cattle... Read more...
A Cow Is Basically Carrying Around a Fermentation Tank
A Cow Is Basically Carrying Around a Fermentation Tank
A cow doesn't digest grass by herself. Inside her rumen is a massive community of microorganisms fermenting feed, breaking down plant fiber and helping turn grass into usable energy. Here's... Read more...
One Cow. Hundreds of Ways to Cut It.
One Cow. Hundreds of Ways to Cut It.
A cow doesn't come with Ribeyes, roasts and hamburger already labeled. See how a butcher's decisions can turn the same beef carcass into dramatically different combinations of steaks, roasts, ribs... Read more...
How Much Does a Cow Actually Eat in a Day?
How Much Does a Cow Actually Eat in a Day?
How much does a cow actually eat in a day? The answer isn't as simple as pounds of grass. Here's how body size, water, forage quality, thousands of bites and... Read more...
Too Red to Be True: What Beef Color Really Tells You
Too Red to Be True: What Beef Color Really Tells You
We’ve been trained to reach for the brightest red beef in the case. But that cherry-red color doesn't necessarily mean the package is the freshest. Sometimes, it tells you just... Read more...
What Does 80/20 Ground Beef Actually Mean?
What Does 80/20 Ground Beef Actually Mean?
What does 80/20 ground beef actually mean? It's not a grade, and it doesn't tell you how the animal was raised. Here's what those two numbers really tell you about... Read more...
Why a Cow Doesn't Come With Very Many Filets
Why a Cow Doesn't Come With Very Many Filets
Everybody loves Filet Mignon. There's just one problem: a cow doesn't come with very many of them. Here's why Filets are so limited, what T-bones and Porterhouses have to do... Read more...
What Is a “Primal” Cut? And No, It's Not a Giant Steak.
What Is a “Primal” Cut? And No, It's Not a Giant Steak.
What exactly is a primal cut? It's not a giant steak. It's one of the large sections a beef carcass is divided into before it becomes the Ribeyes, Filets, roasts... Read more...
The 47-Cow Ranch: America’s Beef Industry Starts Smaller Than You Think
The 47-Cow Ranch: America’s Beef Industry Starts Smaller Than You Think
When you picture the American beef industry, you probably don't picture 47 cows. But according to USDA, that's how many beef cows the average U.S. farm with beef cows had... Read more...
What Happens During the First 24 Hours After Processing?
What Happens During the First 24 Hours After Processing?
An animal has been processed, but the beef isn't ready yet. During the first 24 hours, glycogen is being used, pH is falling, rigor mortis is developing and the natural... Read more...
Why Your Butcher Needs to Know What You’re Going to Cook
Why Your Butcher Needs to Know What You’re Going to Cook
Your butcher isn't just asking what cuts you want. They're trying to figure out what you're going to cook. Here's why your grilling habits, family size, smoker and even your... Read more...
How Stress in a Cow Can Change the Meat
How Stress in a Cow Can Change the Meat
Long before beef becomes a steak, it was an animal experiencing everything happening around it. Here's what science tells us about cattle stress, animal welfare and how those experiences can... Read more...
Trump Just Signed Two Orders for America’s Ranchers. What Do They Actually Do?
Trump Just Signed Two Orders for America’s Ranchers. What Do They Actually Do?
President Trump signed two executive orders aimed directly at America's cattle industry. Here's what they actually do for ranchers, small processors, beef labeling and the people trying to sell their... Read more...
What Does “One Animal at a Time” Actually Change?
What Does “One Animal at a Time” Actually Change?
We say our cattle are processed one animal at a time. But what does that actually change? The biggest difference isn't tenderness or flavor. It's identity, traceability and knowing exactly... Read more...
What Does “Finishing” a Cow Actually Mean?
What Does “Finishing” a Cow Actually Mean?
What does it mean to “finish” a cow? Those final weeks or months of feeding can influence marbling, flavor and the beef that reaches your plate. Here's why our cattle... Read more...
The Ranch They Never Have to Leave
The Ranch They Never Have to Leave
The fourth- and fifth-generation father and son behind Falula Farm raise the cattle, built their own USDA-inspected processing facility, and trained as professional butchers. Today, the same men who raise... Read more...
One Cow. A Whole Lot More Than Ribeyes.
One Cow. A Whole Lot More Than Ribeyes.
Everybody wants the Ribeyes. The problem? A cow only has so many. Here's where the rest of the beef comes from and why some of the most popular steaks make... Read more...
Where Did All the Beef Go? Understanding Hanging Weight
Where Did All the Beef Go? Understanding Hanging Weight
Bought 175 pounds hanging weight but brought home closer to 110? Nothing disappeared. Here's what hanging weight actually means and where the rest of the weight goes. Read more...
When Candy Becomes Cattle Feed
When Candy Becomes Cattle Feed
Candy, cookies, cereal and other food-manufacturing byproducts can become cattle feed. Here's why the practice exists and why we think knowing what cattle eat matters. Read more...
Why We Wait 14 Days for Our Beef
Why We Wait 14 Days for Our Beef
Why do we wait 14 days before cutting our beef? Because after processing, naturally occurring enzymes are still at work, gradually making the beef more tender. Read more...
What Does a USDA Beef Grader Actually Look At?
What Does a USDA Beef Grader Actually Look At?
Prime, Choice and Select are everywhere in the meat case. But what does a USDA beef grader actually look at? From marbling to ribeye area, here's what goes into the... Read more...
USDA Puts “Ranchers First”: A New Push to Rebuild America’s Beef Herd
USDA Puts “Ranchers First”: A New Push to Rebuild America’s Beef Herd
America's cattle herd is at a 75-year low. USDA's new Ranchers First Initiative aims to help rebuild it while supporting independent processors and the next generation of American ranchers. Read more...
The 400-Cow Hamburger: How Many Cattle Are Really in Ground Beef?
The 400-Cow Hamburger: How Many Cattle Are Really in Ground Beef?
How many cattle can go into one industrial batch of ground beef? Researchers used DNA to find out. Their estimate: between 411 and 1,367. Read more...
Two Markets, Two Days, and a Whole Lot of Beef
Two Markets, Two Days, and a Whole Lot of Beef
It’s been a busy couple of days for Farm to Table Life! We packed up the coolers and hit Draper Farmers Market and Orem Farmers Market over the past two... Read more...
America Is Short on Cattle. So Why Are We Bringing In More Foreign Beef?
America Is Short on Cattle. So Why Are We Bringing In More Foreign Beef?
America's cattle herd is at its lowest level in roughly 75 years, yet the U.S. is moving to bring in more foreign beef to help lower prices. Here's why, where... Read more...
“Product of USA” FINALLY Means What Most Americans Thought It Meant
“Product of USA” FINALLY Means What Most Americans Thought It Meant
For years, “Product of USA” didn't necessarily mean the animal was born or raised in America, and USDA found most consumers didn't know it. A new labeling standard took effect... Read more...
USDA Inspected Doesn't Mean American Beef. Here's What It Actually Means.
USDA Inspected Doesn't Mean American Beef. Here's What It Actually Means.
That USDA inspection mark on your beef tells you something important, but it doesn't necessarily mean the animal was raised in America. Here's what USDA inspected actually means, how imported... Read more...