PHOTO COURTESY SDFU There is opportunity for growth in direct marketing beef from producers to consumers, this was the focus of a panel discussion held Dec. 16 during the South Dakota Farmers Union (SDFU) State Convention in Huron. Panelists include Scott Blubaugh (left), Oklahoma rancher and President of American Farmers & Ranchers, a state Farmers Union organization; Wessington Springs, South Dakota cattle producer Scott Kolousek (far right). The panel was moderated by South Dakota Farmers Union President
During the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, Oklahoma rancher, Scott Blubaugh saw a large disparity between what he was earning for the cattle he sold and what the packers were earning for the cattle they bought from him.
“The packers were making $1,300 a head on the same animal our ranchers were losing $300 a head on. We thought, “there has to be a better way,’” said Blubaugh, who also serves…
