Headwaters Beef Cooperative Update

Based on the premise that adaptive grazing management is vital to mimicking the natural systems that build healthy soils and landscapes, Happy Dancing Turtle’s Cows for Clean Water Initiatives have worked to develop market driven conservation opportunities for farmers and ranchers in our region.  The latest initiative in this effort is our support for the Headwaters Beef Cooperative.

Headwaters Beef Cooperative (HBC) was founded with the goal of getting local beef into local markets. Since incorporation in April 2024 as a 308A Producer Cooperative, a number of positive steps have been taken. Starting a cooperative is most often a multi-year process, balancing the business development side of the entity with Board and Member development, to ensure a culture of shared ownership and objectives.  

The HBC Board has met monthly since October, developing bylaws and production protocols that will help achieve their mission to “Capture the value of well-managed grasslands through cooperative marketing.” With a focus on water quality, the Cooperative’s producer protocols require members to actively manage cattle on pasture during the grazing season, with a minimum of seven days between paddock moves. Members also pledge to continue learning and sharing with other Cooperative members through field days, workshops, and one-on-one mentoring.  

Well-managed grasslands, where grazing animals are kept in tight groups and moved often, mimic the rich and diverse native prairie and savanna ecosystems that once dominated our region. This dramatic, short-term acute disturbance, followed by a long rest and recovery built the deep soils and abundant life of those ecosystems. This kept the water pure and clean, and the land thrived without purchased fertilizers and other inputs.  Cooperative members work to mimic these conditions and are looking to capture this intrinsic value through cooperative marketing.

Photo by HDT staff

I have a colleague and friend who worked as a farm economist consulting one-on-one with farmers and ranchers. He once told me that if you’re selling direct-to-consumer, you should figure that 50% of your time will be spent on marketing and distribution.  As someone who sells direct-to-consumer, I believe him. This potential time saving for producers is one reason for cooperative marketing.   

The Cooperative plans to run an pilot program, starting this summer, where several cull cows will be processed and sold to retail businesses and schools, and restaurants to help determine what products and which marketing strategies might be most viable. The main products will be lean ground beef and beef patties that will most likely be sold frozen to stores, restaurants, and institutions. Another market we will explore is selling larger cuts of meat, called primals or subprimals, to grocery stores and butcher shops that have the capacity to process them into marketable size cuts and products for sale in their meat case or freezer.

Since the first cooperative was founded in 1761, they have played a significant role in promoting economic empowerment and fostering community development. In 1844, the Rochdale Pioneers in England, a cooperative formed to get access to better quality food and cheaper goods, developed the prototype of the modern cooperative that is largely followed today.  This model fits well with Headwater Beef Cooperative's efforts to develop market driven conservation opportunities that can add value to their livestock, stabilize price volatility, and support local communities.

HBC is not planning on offering memberships to producers until they have completed the feasibility study, reviewed the data, and have had time to assess the market potential. Learn more about the cooperative and stay up to date on its progress at https://headwatersbeefcooperative.com/. Looking to buy local beef? The updates for consumers will be there as well!

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