Attract More Buyers with Value-Added Programs

Thu, 30 Oct 2025 12:11:32 GMT

Value-added programs aren’t new to ranchers, but that doesn’t mean they are being utilized to their fullest potential. For the right cattlemen, they make a difference in profitability and reputation for years to come.

Why do these programs make such a difference to the entire beef supply chain?

“What it signals to buyers is that you as a producer are serious about quality. You want to be transparent and trustworthy and more committed to animal health and productivity,” says Jeananne Drouhard, Value Added Department Team Lead at the Red Angus Association of America.

Value-added programs also help cattle stand out without the need to change many management practices.

“Verified differentiation is the biggest thing. We see a lot of cattle going through the marketplace and being able to add more information and documentation to your calves sets you apart,” says Drouhard. “Aligning with the practices that you may already be doing in your operation and adding that extra documentation allows for a larger access in the marketing channels.”

Calves that stand out paired with producer commitment to quality and transparency can create long-standing relationships with buyers and increase demand.

“We definitely see a lot of our producers are always looking for ways to add premiums, develop a long-term relationship with buyers and increase the amount of buyers that are bidding on their cattle,” Drouhard says.

The best part is, these programs are effective regardless of the method of sale and don’t require much additional input.

“Value added is sought after regardless of how you’re marketing your cattle. We know producers in our program have repeat buyers eager to purchase those cattle year in and out,” Drouhard says.

The RAAA specifically has value-added programs that are proving to be beneficial for commercial cattlemen.

Drouhard explains, “Our two primary programs are USDA process verified — Angus Access and Allied Access. Angus Access verifies that cattle are at least 50% Angus and includes age and source documentation. Allied Access removes the genetic requirement.”

Hybrid vigor also doesn’t go unrecognized.

She says, “We also have breed partnership programs like Premium Red Baldy and American Red, designed for producers capitalizing on hybrid vigor and meeting regional demands.”
If the Angus Access program sounds new, it’s simply a rebrand of the long-standing yellow tag Feeder Calf Certification Program.

“Back in July, we announced a rebrand of our feeder calf certification program — FCCP, or the Yellow Tag Program. It’s been around for 30 years, and we wanted to put a new face and name on it that clearly defines what the program means,” Drouhard says . “The base of the program has not changed. It’s still the same process verified program with the same integrity and history — it’s just the name and logo that have changed.”

Angus Access at its core is an affordable and effective program for producers to join.

She says, “The Angus Access program is really affordable, simple, and effective to stand out in the marketplace. It doesn’t cost anything other than the tag, and we try to make it easy to add value to practices producers are already putting in place.”

The other change producers and buyers should be aware of with this rebrand is the exclusive use of EIDs.

“Starting in January 2026, the Association is moving to only offering 840 EIDs as the program-compliant tag. Visual dangle tags will still be available for management purposes, but they must accompany an EID,” says Drouhard. “The main reason for switching to EIDs is traceability. Certified beef labels need documentation and proof, and traceability through the feedlot and packing plants is extremely important.”

Speaking of feedlots and packing plants, it’s equally as important they understand the value of these programs.

She says, “Our team at Red Angus, our value added department as well as our commercial marketing team is constantly working with feedlots, packers and certified beef programs to make sure they understand what our programs are.”

At the end of the day, value-added programs come down to helping the commercial cattlemen capture as much value as possible by capitalizing on the management practices and decisions they are already doing.

Drouhard says, “My goal has always been to make sure producers capitalize on the value they’re already creating. Don’t leave value on the table — we want to help you capture that.”

You can listen to the full conversation on the Casual Cattle Conversations podcast .

Simple Strategies to Increase Direct-to-Consumer Meat Sales

Thu, 12 Dec 2024 16:38:42 GMT

Selling meat directly to consumers is a popular method of adding value to established ranches. For some ranchers, selling directly to consumers is even the primary method of sale. Regardless of how it fits into the operation, there are some key marketing strategies that will take sales to the next level when applied correctly.

JT Hammons, Creative Director at Farm Rebel, has built a career around effective and personalized marketing strategies for family farms, churches and now ranchers. He is passionate about helping livestock producers create strategies to effectively market meat and ultimately make more money. His experiences helping ranchers make him a wealth of knowledge in the direct-to-consumer marketing space.

The first component of successfully marketing beef directly to consumers is having the right mindset.

“One hesitation people have about selling direct-to-consumer is not being able to charge what they want,” Hammons says. “However, the type of person who wants to buy directly from farmers isn’t doing it to get the product cheaper. They have other motives that are driving their decision.”

The market size of people willing to pay more for a product is larger than one might think.

Hammons shares, “In any given industry and market there are about 20% of people who are willing to pay for the premium or luxury experience. Those are the people you want to go after, not the people who want to haggle with you on price.”

That 20% consists of millions of people. Once you get your mind in the right place and are committed to the process, you must know your ideal customer within that 20%. The Farm Rebel team breaks the top 20% of meat buyers into six primary buyer types.

Two examples are as follows.
Brandt the Griller – Brandt plans his weekends around smoking and grilling meat. He loves football and is an all-American guy who likes WWII history. He is most likely more attracted to grain-finished beef because of his hobby and preferred cooking style.

Patti the Planner – Patti’s life revolves around her kids and is probably a stay-at-home mom. She has goals for her family’s health, buys in bulk and is as organized as it gets. If Patti likes your product, she’ll tell others because she is in mom groups.

Identifying your ideal customer or buyer type is what allows you to hit your goals.

“We can’t be all things to all people, so let’s consistently be the one thing to the one person,” says Hammons. “It’s important to know that your ideal buyer is not necessarily who you are. Knowing who your ideal buyer is allows you to find the best places to put your marketing efforts.”

To find where your ideal buyer gets their information or hangs out, think about what other hobbies they may have.

“What you’ll find is somebody else already has the attention of these people,” Hammons adds. “You need to find that person or group and tap into it.”

A practical example of this is finding foodie groups or even World War II history groups on Facebook and engaging on other people’s posts in this group. This allows you to connect with others without selling all the time or stealing customers from competitors. Hammons shares the example of posting a question such as, “Does anyone have recommendations for ribeye seasonings?” in the group to create conversations and relationships within the group.

Additional social media strategies include searching hashtags on Instagram and collaborating with Facebook group owners or influencers. Approach the conversation with the mindset of serving their audience and making it a win-win-win situation. Offering to do a giveaway in exchange for email addresses is a common and successful method of collaborating because email marketing is still king.

Social media is trendy and popular, but it serves mostly as entertainment. It isn’t a place many people stop scrolling to read. Emails are a great way to follow up with your social media following in a more informational manner.

“85% of farm-to-table products are purchased through email,” says Hammons. “Building an email list allows for the average family farm to reliably make sales each month if they desire to. We’ve found through private clients that an email list of 2,500 subscribers equals about six figures in sales a year.”.

The full picture of a direct-to-consumer marking plan doesn’t have to be complex, Hammons encourages ranchers to think through the three M’s: Market, Message and Media. This ensures businesses are connecting the right people, sharing the right message and using the right media.

For ranchers who want to get their foot in the door, start posting real life content on Instagram and connecting with ideal customers and influencers. After that, open up a word document and start writing a sales pitch for the product that answers the following questions.

1. What is the product?

2. What can it do for the customer?

3. Why should they buy from you over others?

4. What should the customer do next to purchase?

Write it out like you talk and put the link to the document in your social media bio.

Get the full picture of these strategies by listening to the entire conversation on the Casual Cattle Conversations podcast. https://www.casualcattleconversations.com/casual-cattle-conversations-podcast-shownotes/jt-hammons

Your next read: Legal and Economic Considerations for Direct Beef Sales