BOZEMAN — We’ve seen the price of certain items go up -- including beef -- during the COVID-19 pandemic. But, by being a Montana resident, we may have access to more solutions.
“I’m appalled when I go in there and see how much a pound they are getting for meat. It’s just crazy. So, if you can find yourself a local rancher to go to, you’re going to save yourself a lot of money,” said rancher Rod Cline of Circle L Ranch Beef Co.
Beef prices have gone up across the country leading to a shortage in restaurants and grocery stores.
“With the plants shutting down, it’s created a demand for it. For the boxed beef, it’s more than doubled in a lot of cases,” explained Bill Fallang, the meat manager at Town and Country Grocery Store.
As a Montana resident, you may be in a better position for getting beef at a reasonable price during this shortage.
“And Montana raises some of the best beef there is in the United States,” Cline said.
So, what are some options?
“If people want beef then we will pull some out. We’ll finish them right here at home, and then we’ll sell right direct to the consumer,” Cline explained.
In some cases, you can buy local beef from select grocery stores.
“For local, we have four suppliers, and then I buy live beef from a ranch out of Clyde Park,” Fallang said.
Cline says a lot of ranchers aren’t able to produce the numbers needed to sell to bigger retailers, but for local residents, it’s not a problem.
“People don’t have very much money now. But if we can still do alright and they can save some money, that’s our goal here,” said Cline.
Town and Country Grocery Store has two locations in Bozeman, and Circle L Ranch Beef Co is located in Belgrade.
