Sourcing beef locally, or even regionally, can be a significant challenge for food service buyers. The structure of the cattle and meat packing industry can make it difficult to know where your beef is coming from, and conventional beef pricing is highly competitive. Additionally, meat is highly regulated and must comply with a strict set of food safety rules.
The Michigan Beef Sourcing Quick Guide has tips for sourcing local beef in various forms, procurement strategies for working with distributors and a directory of Michigan beef producers, distributors and resources. Click the link below to view the guide!
Michigan Beef Sourcing Quick Guide
Cultivate Michigan Resources
- Window decal (PDF)
- Poster - 8 1/2" X 11" (PDF)
- Poster - 18" X 24" (PDF)
- Cultivate Michigan Sourcing Guide
Beef Facts
- The beef lifecycle takes 2-3 years from pasture to plate.
- 8,000 beef farms in Michigan had average herd size of 31 head by the 2012 Census.
- The primary source of ground beef is the chuck, which makes up about one-quarter of a beef carcass.