Case Study: A Survey of Pasture-Finished Beef Producers in the Northeastern United States

Twenty-six pasture-finished beef producers were surveyed with locations in Pennsylvania, New York, and Maryland. Surveys were personal interviews, and most were done on the farm site. The surveys were conducted to examine production and marketing economics and to determine productivity and profitability. The farms varied in size from 4.05 to 81.2 ha (mean = 20.0 ± 19.8 ha) for pasture-finished cattle. Production ranged from 2 grazing animals intended for harvest to 75 cattle harvested (25.1 ± 17.5 head). Most producers reported that cattle sales represented 10 to 25% of the total farm and nonfarm income (42.3 ± 8.4%). Cattle predominantly grazed grass-legume combinations on 23 of 26 farms. The predominant breed was Angus (29% of farms). Most producers were not using vaccines (48%), and mean health cost per animal was $11.22 ± 8.22, primarily from dewormers. The mean age of cattle at harvest was 20.7 ± 4.5 mo, with a minimum of 14 mo and a maximum of 27 mo, and a mean final BW of 498 ± 91.5 kg. Fifty-five percent of the product was sold as frozen retail cuts at an average price of $10.91/kg. Average cost per steer was $2,066.32 ± $1,251.54, and net returns were ∕$198.62 per steer, with considerable variation (±$1,596.90). Correlations of net returns, net returns to land and labor, and gross income with equipment cost, purchased feed cost, land cost, and cost per steer indicated that land, equipment, and wintering costs had the greatest influence on net returns.