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Cowboys find niche market for locally raised beefCARBONDALE, Colo. (AP)--The Jacober brothers have a beef, of sorts, with the standard practices of the cattle business. The thought of eating steak, roast and hamburger coming from cows raised in feedlots, fattened on corn and regularly dosed with antibiotics is more than they can stomach. So they raise their own grass-fed, natural beef. And they've learned that an increasing number of residents in the Roaring Fork Valley want the peace of mind that comes with knowing where and how their beef was raised. Despite their modern names and boutique beef business, the Jacobers are cowboys to the core. They grew up on a family ranch in southwestern Colorado, then migrated to Carbondale after a brief detour to St. Louis. After graduating from Montana State University, Tai, 30, and Rio, 33, worked for several years for the late Bob Perry at his legendary Mt. Sopris Hereford Ranch just south of Carbondale. Rio said he was fortunate to participate in the last cattle drive down Highway 82 in the mid-1990s. Cowboys on horseback rounded up cattle on grazing leases around Old Snowmass and drove them to Carbondale. There were almost as many cowboys as cows, he said, because people realized it was an end of an era and wanted to participate. For their natural beef business, the Jacobers rent pastures and grazing rights on the White River National Forest. They rent land from Tom Bailey, who now owns the old Perry Ranch. The Jacobers buy yearlings from Carbondale rancher Bill Fales, Perry's son-in-law. The steers feed exclusively on good old Rocky Mountain grass during spring, summer and fall, and hay grown in Carbondale in the winter. "They will have only mom's milk and grass," Tai said. If at any time their cows must be treated with antibiotics, the Jacobers separate them and will not sell the meat through Crystal River Meats. Consumers are guaranteed their beef is grass fed, and free of antibiotics and hormones. Some of the cattle they raise as a family--in conjunction with other ranchers--are handled in what's now considered the traditional way and sold to a large beef processor, fattened on the feedlot and taken to a slaughterhouse. After the steers fatten to 700 pounds, the animals are taken to a small slaughter house in Fruita, meaning the beef stays local from the time the calves are born until the steers are butchered. The product isn't trucked in from thousands of miles away. "People are wondering what they're really eating," said Tai Jacober. He, his two brothers, Rio and Forest, and their dad, Jock, started Crystal River Meats about five years ago. Relying mostly on word of mouth, the business has grown to the point where it butchers about five cows per month and sells the meat to a handful of restaurants in the Carbondale area. The Jacobers also sell directly to consumers. "Next year, I hope it's as much as 300 (cows butchered)," Tai said. The Jacobers have a strong background in traditional agriculture, and they use many common practices. While they prefer hormone-free, grass-fed beef, they understand it is a niche market. Mass production has its place in feeding a surging world population. Antibiotics are needed to treat sick cows, Tai said, and he doesn't believe that presents a problem for consumers, as long as it is handled properly. "You use it sparingly when they're sick," he said, adding that 99 percent of bovine illnesses can be cured with one dose of medicine. Cattle raised at feedlots are susceptible to diseases from being in tight quarters, so they receive regular doses of antibiotics in their feed. Hormones allow steers to put on more weight in a shorter time, allowing them to be raised with less energy. "In our situation, there's no reason to use it," Tai said. The Jacobers don't need to add 20 pounds of flesh to their cows in six months. They take their time with grass feeding. The Jacobers said raising cattle naturally is more rewarding and is a philosophy that was passed down to them. Rio said it was also helpful to get an education at an agricultural school, study the latest practices and weigh what he learned with the sustainable approach that comes naturally to him. "You use the best from each school of thought," he said. Crystal River Meats will soon turn its marketing focus to 20-pound boxes of meat. Many people don't have the freezer space, money or desire to purchase a quarter or half a beef. The 20-pound box with numerous prime cuts and hamburger is much more manageable. The Jacobers sell that package for $140, which Tai said compares favorably and possibly even slightly below what a consumer would pay for comparable cuts at the grocery store. In the case of Crystal River Meats, word of mouth really translates into taste. The Jacobers are confident that anyone who tries their burgers will be sold on its superior flavor. Charlie Chacos, owner of Carbondale restaurant Village Smithy, said customers have responded favorably since he started serving Crystal River burgers last summer. "I think our sales of burgers increased 15 percent," he said. Ideals aside, the Jacobers said their burgers taste better because of the way the beef is raised and butchered. At the huge processing plants, cows of different ages and levels of health get mixed. "They throw everything in," said Tai. His company's burger comes from a two-year-old prime steer. 6/23/08 Date: 6/18/08 Advertisement
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