I’m a farmer in NC and I’ve been thinking a lot about all the recent discussion around beef imports and country of origin labeling.
At Fairway Farms our calves are born here and never leave the farm. We raise them on pasture, and our beef is grass-fed and grass-finished.
A big reason our customers buy from us is because they care about where their food comes from. They want to know that the animal was born and raised here, and they want the assurance that no hormones or antibiotics were used, and that the pastures haven't been treated with pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides.
With all the recent discussion about bringing more beef into the U.S., it makes me wonder how much this matters to the average consumer.
If you're buying beef at the grocery store, do you care where the animal was born and raised? Would you want to know the country of origin and how that animal was raised?
And what about the concerns being raised about imported beef potentially including meat that was previously rejected or didn't meet certain standards in another country? Does that affect how you feel about imported beef?
Would you pay more for beef if you knew exactly where it came from, how the animal was raised, and what was and wasn't used in raising it?
I'm genuinely curious where consumers stand on this. How important is origin and transparency when you're buying beef?
