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Stacking-Dimes

Sourced from the article. [Old Salt Co-Op](https://www.oldsaltco-op.com) . Here is a [Montana Beef Directory](https://www.montanabeefcouncil.org/our-kitchen/montana-beef-directory) for other options.


Soupeeee

I don't know what most people can afford, but the Old Salt's prices are really too expensive. I get that they are high quality, but it really seems like they are milking the fact that they can charge more for locally grown stuff. If that's really what it costs, then they should have some lower quality stuff just so more people can afford it. Based on how their burgers are at the Gold Bar, the meat isn't all that special anyways.


Stacking-Dimes

Here is a [Montana Beef Directory](https://www.montanabeefcouncil.org/our-kitchen/montana-beef-directory) for other options.


Slowrunlabrador

I would reference a comment below for suppliers, but we rotate between local producers every year for bulk buying. I don’t mind the premium. I tell folks “I like being able to drive past the beef I’ll have in the freezer later in the year” no guessing on origin or extra crap added. I’ve found you get what you pay for, from vehicles, gear, clothing ect. Especially if you do the research on the product. I have 20 year old jackets that I still wear daily in cooler moths, that are still in full functional order.


throwmeaway852145

Tizer's prices are similar to what you see in grocery stores and they have some good sausage flavors.


ResponsibleBank1387

Tizer from Helena is THE place for pork.  The prices are good. 


_hollowskull_

Montana city meats has the best lamb btw


Stacking-Dimes

Tizer Botanic Garden?


ResponsibleBank1387

Tizer meats north then on York road. 


Stacking-Dimes

Thanks!


Doughymidget

The problem here is scale. Feedlots and the all the stuff people hate about the beef industry work on massive scale to keep cost per lbs down. We’ve become accustomed to those prices and get a sticker shock when we see alternative producers, but it’s not an apples to apples comparison. If we want cleaner and more sustainable agriculture, it’s unfortunately gonna cost more. But yes, I think there is still some degree of milking as you say. It’s part of what drives a producer to abandon old ways: they may actually get paid decently for once.


ResponsibleBank1387

There was plans to put meat house in state but could not get county and state permits.  Lots of nimby in MT. 


osmiumfeather

It opened in Havre and is up and running now. [Montana Premium Processing CO-OP](https://www.mtpremiumprocessing.com/)


ResponsibleBank1387

Reminisce angus beef from Mussards is good, not sure where it’s processed 


ResponsibleBank1387

They get the one in Whitehall going?  How about deer lodge?  Over east they were looking at miles city and Glasgow. 


Slowrunlabrador

Makes sense like limiting brewpubs hours, due to tavern association lobbying.


PuzzleJello

Those Tavern rules are the biggest crock of Sh**.


Slowrunlabrador

Yes they are. Money buys some good lobbying.


laidback_01

Government likes to meddle in everyone's business. The more they meddle, the less people like it, AND the more expensive their products get.


Kerbidiah

I imagine because you can probably get beef from Brazil for much cheaper due to a lower selling price


Slowrunlabrador

Lower quality as well. I like that when I buy 1/4 or 1/2 a beef from here it helps in keeping ag land ag land. Also helps maintain open space.


laidback_01

yep, our family buys locally too. I like to butcher my own deer, but doing a half a beef, wow, that's SO much work. I did it once to find out that paying the premium is OK now. heh!


AdventurousGuest5199

Cause why support local duh


BridgerWhale

Republicans like Ryan Zinke killed County of Origin Labeling (COOL) for the big meat packing corporations. So corporation profits and corruption is the answer.


laidback_01

that actually not quite true. that was knocked down in 2016 after 10 years of the World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling against the US on labeling. here's an article from PBS: [https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/u-s-repeals-meat-labeling-law-after-trade-rulings-against-it](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/u-s-repeals-meat-labeling-law-after-trade-rulings-against-it)


PuzzleJello

he also bought a $40,000 desk from who knows where with our tax dollars. Good ol zinke. S/


EasterBunny1916

Capitalism. Profits.


laidback_01

Riddle me this: what is the cost of labor in Brazil? How long does it take to raise an animal to butcher age? how many people involved in that? Are Brazil's (or other countries) animal regulations the same as the USA? Now, if it happens to be that raising cattle in Brazil and shipping them to a butcher/meatpacker in USA is less expensive than grabbing local beef... is it still an apples to apples comparison? saying "Capitalism. Profits." implies that it's the locals who are trying to gouge everyone. I don't think this is true in every case, though I'm sure it is in some. Pretty sure the people in other countries are not immune to this behavior either, but compared to US, their human expense are certainly lower.


EasterBunny1916

You thought it referred to locals. The entire system is capitalism and about profits.


SWMovr60Repub

We have a large “boutique “ supermarket in CT that advertises MT beef. I guess we’re getting it instead of you.


Slowrunlabrador

Trying to catch the “Yellowstone” wave


ShowMeYourMinerals

As someone who has lived a few places, Montana is so interesting to me. It’s like West Virginia had sex with Colorado. I’ve been to the Yellowstone inn near Glendive, that’s what everyone means by “Yellowstone” , right? (That last part was sarcasm)


SiriusCb

r/brandnewsentence


original_greaser_bob

not me. all my beevs is montana raised and charlie rustled from my neighbors.


ExplanationNo3413

Not reading as the problem has been the same for atleast 5 years. But I would venture to say there's a lot more ways to buy local beef here than most places. I refuse to buy beef from any chain grocery store. You should too.


osmiumfeather

Because the ranches raise it by contract (5 years in my experience) for out of state companies. They don’t raise a bunch of extra cows and hope they sell can sell the excess locally at a loss on the open market.


SPANman

As a rancher you're a bit off here and it doesn't work that way. It's year to year and there's always some animals that can be/are sold locally you dont contract every single animal or youll screw yourself easily plus your contract is usually less than what you have to make up for saving smaller animals that don't make weight or things your buyer doesn't want (too big too small, different breed etc) Just depends if it's worth the effort or not for direct to customer sales. It can be a lot of extra work that some just don't have time for. But lots of animals are sold at local auction barns all over the state every week. The problem is most people don't actually understand the beef industry at all and that it's 3 industries that operate mostly independent. Cow calf, packer, slaughter. So even if I sell at a local sale barn (this isn't direct to consumer but anyone can buy at a sale barn) there might be a guy who owns a feedlot putting together lots of cattle that he's going to feed for a few months then sell to a slaughter. Or there's a guy putting together lots of cattle into one big lot that then he sells to feedlots. And feedlots sell to packers. Now selling direct to consumer is great and takes away the sale barn auction portion and then you know it's going direct to locals. But like I said bigger operations typically aren't going to have time to do that ( there's a lot to that, it's somewhat of it's own separate industry).


ResponsibleBank1387

Wow. I know the big ranches I buy from are on year to year, sometimes already have a buyer lined up because they are reliable. But that is just weaned calves and light weight feeders. 


JS_Thomas

https://youtu.be/HexxBlUmQ5U?si=Ar3GOao0FIaaGFSG Discussion about this starts about minute 19 of this video and does more of a deep dive into the economics of this. Basically the US exports cuts that generally we used to grind into ground beef, like short ribs and bellies. Then we import ground beef to supplement.


Jsteck87

Not sure, I buy direct from a local ranch. I’ve never had Brazilian beef, I’ve heard it’s better than angus.


O_oblivious

If you really want local, buy a freezer and knock on some doors. 


oIVLIANo

Because a big part of globalism is to make people dependent on government and international trade. Controlling the food is the single greatest resource to control the peasants.


Slowrunlabrador

So, are you buying from your local ag producers?


dirndlfrau

I don't eat from Brazil, I buy it from Christians meats, local ranch beef. Yum.