Starting up a beef cooperative

MEAT+POULTRY Podcast

In June, the South Carolina Beef Marketing Cooperative was formed thanks to help from various agricultural entities across the state.

Small beef producers continue to look for solutions to have their products processed closer to home, which is what the co-op plans to accomplish in the next few years.

For this episode of the MEAT+POULTRY podcast, Gwen McPhail, treasurer of the cooperative and owner of Black Diamond Sheep and Cattle in Seneca, SC, explains the reason for starting the cooperative and what economic factors led to its formation.

McPhail shares her vision for cattlemen and women in South Carolina, including having a South Carolina branded product and possibly another processing plant that is centrally located.

McPhail also describes her role in South Carolina beef and how others are raising animals in the state.

Later, McPhail explains what it means to pool resources from around the state to find solutions for rural farmers.