Let's Talk About Beef Prices

July 9, 2026

Beef prices are going up. Actually, it seems like prices on everything are going-up, but Beef is the one that matters here.

I need to share with you what that means here at County Line Meats.

I want to share some behind-the-scenes information of what is specifically impacting the beef industry (without getting too in the weeds) and how it's impacting us...and our pricing...

The Reality Behind Rising Beef Prices

Right now, the U.S. cattle herd is at its lowest level in 75 years.

Over the past several years, farmers across the United States have faced:

Drought conditions
Rising feed and input costs
Tight margins that make it hard to stay in business

And many farms reduced the size of their herd or simply couldn't keep going.

Here's the part most people don't realize… You can't just "make more cattle" quickly.

A mama cow carries a calf for 9 months, then that calf takes another 18–24 months to be ready to go to butcher.

So when herd numbers drop, it takes years to rebuild. That's where the US cattle market is right now.

What That Means on Our Farm

For us, this shows up in a really practical way: the cost of cattle has gone up… a lot.

And it impacts all aspects of our operation:

Feed costs more
Fuel costs more
Processing costs more
Just about everything it takes to raise beef has increased

We've worked really hard to absorb as much of that as we can—because we know you're feeding your family, just like we are.

But we also believe in being honest with you.

The cost to raise high-quality beef today is significantly more expensive than it was just a few years ago.

But More Importantly...What's Not Changing

Even with all of that… our standards are not changing.

We're not cutting corners. We're not lowering quality, we're actually investing to improve it. We're not reducing our herd.

Because at the end of the day, this isn't just about beef. It's about:

Knowing where your food comes from
Feeding your family with confidence
Sitting down to a meal you feel good about

And that matters too much to us to do it any other way. We want to sustain our farm so that we can supply high-quality beef for our customers for years and years to come.

But, We Can Help You Save...

One thing we've seen more and more families do (especially right now) is plan ahead and buy in a way that makes the most sense for their budget. This works with: