May is
Choose Iowa
By
Muller family offers meat subscription business
Sometimes big challenges create promising new opportunities. Just ask Kelly and Maggie Muller, sixthgeneration farmers in southwest Iowa who’ve developed a meat subscription business.
“When there were food shortages and empty grocerystore shelves during the COVID-19 pandemic, people were calling us and asking us if we had meat to sell,” said Maggie Muller, who raises crops and livestock with her husband and their four young daughters on their farm between Atlantic and Griswold.
“We figured we could probably sell halves and quarters of beef.”
The Mullers run a 2,500-head feedlot, raise hogs and grow corn, soybeans and alfalfa. “We believe in grain finishing for great marbling in the meat,” Muller said.
As the family developed their direct-marketing concept about four years ago and secured the proper licensing in October 2021, they found new ways to market meat directly to consumers. Today, the family sells home-grown meat at Produce in the Park (the farmers’ market in Atlantic), plus they manage a monthly meat subscription business through Noble Provisions.
“Noble Provisions grew from our desire to provide highquality, locally-raised meat directly to family, friends, neighbors, and our community,” said Muller, who noted the business’ name is a nod to the family’s heritage, which spans more than 150 years in Noble Township in Cass County. “For Noble Provisions, we select the best livestock, and the rest go into the commercial market.”
Noble Provisions received a boost through the Choose Iowa Grants program. The Choose Iowa brand promotes foods, beverages and other agricultural products that are grown, raised or made within Iowa. Administered by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, the Choose Iowa cost-share grants help
Iowa farmers, businesses and nonprofits increase or diversify their ag product offerings, expand markets and shorten the supply chain.
“With Choose Iowa, we’re establishing a brand that can be used by farmers, producers, processors, farmers markets, grocery stores, restaurants and many others to connect directly with consumers,” said Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig. “Choose Iowa combines Iowa’s global agricultural reputation with the entrepreneurial ingenuity that exists in all 99 counties.”
Recipe cards add value
A Choose Iowa grant is helping the Muller family grow its monthly meat provisions subscription service. Not only do customers receive packages of meat, but they get printed cards with recipes and cooking tips.
“I look for recipes that are easy to make, nutritious and delicious,” Muller said. “I always ask, ‘Will my kids eat this?’”
Extra resources like recipe cards (which are printed locally in Atlantic) add value to Noble Provisions’ products by encouraging customers to try cuts of meat beyond basics like ground beef. The cooking tips offer ideas for preparing short ribs, skirt steaks, flank steaks and more.
Some of the most popular recipes include a Balsamic Beef Roast featuring chuck roast, beef broth, brown sugar and balsamic vinegar. Another customer favorite is the Italian Grinder with ground beef, Italian sausage, cheese and marinara sauce.
It’s a riff on the perenniallypopular grinder sandwiches at the Iowa State Fair, said Muller, who added that her Flank Steak Marinade recipe is also a hit.
All these efforts are helping
Noble Provisions grow its gross sales of high-quality beef and pork, increase sales of certain individual cuts and expand the business’ customer base.
Home delivery is also helping the business grow. “We enjoy delivery days,” said Muller, who delivers to various southwest Iowa towns, as well as Des Moines and Omaha.
Customers can choose the size
See MULLER, Page 7C
DARCY DOUGHERTY MAULSBY Farm News writer
-Submitted photos
KELLY MULLER AND HIS WIFE, MAGGIE, are shown here by their family's beef feedlot, along with their four daughters (left to right) Clara, Vivian, Isabelle and Lucy.
LEFT: Cattle line up to feed along the bunkline on the Muller family farm.
What about cattle feeding profits?
By KAREN SCHWALLER
with BETH DORAN
Ask Beth Doran what impact tariffs will have on the beef industry and she’ll say that’s a loaded question.
“It’s a huge and complicated question, considering the interaction with other commodities; which segment of the beef industry (producer, packer, consumer), and complex international relations. My short answer is ‘I don’t know,’” said Doran, Iowa State University Extension beef specialist.
Doran said it’s common for the public to see feedlot producers receive higher prices and relate that to their higher profitability. But she said that “profitability” is not necessarily there.
“For 2024, the average price for Iowa/Minnesota choice steers set a record of $187.92/ live cwt.,” she said, “Thus, a 1,500-pound steer would have grossed $2,818, but this is not net profit.”
Doran said there are three basic and major factors affecting the profitability of cattle feeding. They include the purchase price paid for the feeder animal, feed cost, and the price received for the market-ready animal.
“In 2024, market and feeder prices were far more important than corn price, which averaged $4.35 per bushel,” said Doran.
She said average estimated returns to finishing a steer calf and a yearling steer in Iowa were $149.97 and $3.32 per head, respectively. She said profit for finishing steer calves ranged from $69.66 in May to $225.84 in October.
“The profit for finishing a yearling steer was highly variable, ranging from $306.99 to $362.49, with seven months in 2024 having negative returns,” said Doran.
She said the price of feeder livestock had an enormous
“In
BETH DORAN ISU Extension beef specialist
impact on profits. Last year the average Iowa price for medium and large No. 1 steers weighing 500 to 600 pounds was $314.65/cwt — a record high for the 20-year span of 2004 to 2024. The price of yearling steers weighing 700 to 800 pounds also set a record, averaging $263.43/cwt.
“Assuming 550 pounds for
a calf and 750 pounds for the yearling, this amounts to $1,730 and $1,975 for each steer,” said Doran.
She said the difference between the purchase price for the feeder animal and the gross income from it needs to cover all other expenses, including feed, labor and fixed costs for machinery, equipment and
housing, with a hopeful profit in return.
“But prices flex,” she said.
“Some months there was a profit and other months a loss. This is why feedlot producers are encouraged to utilize risk management tools to limit upside risk in the grain and feeder price and downside risk in live cattle price.”
Doran said because feeder steer prices are greater than heifer prices, cattle feeders may opt to purchase heifers. But she said there are two important tradeoffs.
“Their gain and feed efficiency are poorer than steers. And currently, more heifers in Iowa are being retained for breeding, reducing supply and driving up feeder heifer prices,” she said.
Doran said she doesn’t know if this trend will continue, but said she will be watching for the USDA July Cattle Report to try to gain some insight on what’s to come for profitability in the cattle feeding industry.
Doran said producers can reference some pages on Iowa State University Extension’s Ag Decision Maker Page on this topic, including: n Historical Cattle Prices‚ www.extension.iastate.edu/ agdm/livestock/pdf/b2-12.pdf n Monthly Cattle Feeding Returns in Iowa, www. extension.iastate.edu/agdm/ livestock/pdf/b1-36.pdf n Feeder-Steer Heifer Price Spread — www.extension. iastate.edu/agdm/livestock/pdf/ b2-45.pdf
-Farm News photo by Karen Schwaller
Where’s the beef?
By DARCY DOUGHERTY MAULSBY Farm News writer
DOW CITY — Farm-tofork takes on a whole new meaning within a block or two in downtown Dow City. From Ettleman’s Town and Country convenience store along U.S. Highway 30 to GLC Beef and O’Meara’s restaurant on Franklin Street, it’s easy to find plenty of homegrown beef here.
“It’s vertical integration in a small town,” said Amber Garrett, 49, who spearheads the GLC Beef shop, which her family built in 2022. The shop sells a variety of beef products direct to consumers, much like a meat locker. “Everything we sell at GLC Beef, the convenience store and O’Meara’s is our beef.”
Need a quick meal? Stop at Ettleman’s for grilled hamburgers, BBQ beef brisket sandwiches, meatloaf, tater tot casserole and more — along with to-go meal boxes during busy seasons on the farm. Want to enjoy a steak dinner or juicy burgers in a relaxed setting?
O’Meara’s is the place to go.
Stocking up for grilling season? Top sellers at GLC Beef include ground beef; ribeyes; Kansas City Strip steaks (also known as bone-in New York Strips); filets; pre-cooked, sliced brisket; Ancestral Blend (a ground-beef blend that includes 10% heart and liver), beef sticks and massive tomahawk steaks, which GLC Beef stocks yearround. “The tomahawks are especially popular for Father’s Day gifts,” added Garrett, whose husband, Kelly, is a devoted steak connoisseur.
The Garrett family, including Kelly, 50, and sons Connor (“Vern”), 26, and Cael (“Cheese”), 22, raise Black Angus cattle. They run about 550 cow-calf pairs and
calve year-round. They use no hormones, antibiotics or implants to produce the beef they sell through their various businesses. “Our cattle are pasture raised and finished on a diverse ration that’s about half corn,” Amber Garrett said. “You can drive 4.5 miles out of Dow City to see the cattle.”
Growing a diverse agribusiness enterprise
The Garrett’s diverse farming enterprises weren’t part of a grand plan when Kelly and Amber married in 1997. The various businesses evolved over time.
Today, the Garretts run a 7,000-acre no-till farming operation that includes corn, soybeans and winter wheat in western Iowa. Kelly Garrett’s focus on soil conservation, yield stability and innovation has led to multiple honors from the National Corn Growers Association, including top yield honors in the no-till irrigated competition. In 2020, he became the first farmer in the nation to sell carbon credits to a corporate buyer.
Kelly Garrett also co-founded XtremeAg, an online platform filled with educational videos and other resources to help progressive farmers improve the sustainability of their farming operations. In addition, he owns Garrett Trucking and is part of Integrated Ag Solutions, an innovative soil management company.
“One thing led to the next,” Amber Garrett said.
Selling beef directly to consumers was a natural extension of the Garretts’ cattle business. Even Ettleman’s convenience store fits the paradigm.
“That station is very important to our family, our community and our trucking
-Submitted photo
ETTLEMAN’S TOWN AND COUNTRY CONVENIENCE STORE along U.S. Highway 30 in Dow City regularly serves grilled hamburgers made with ground beef from GLC Beef in Dow City. The beef is raised just down the road at the Garrett family's farm.
business,” Kelly Garrett said.
“That’s where we buy fuel for our fleet. We also think we have the best lunch in any gas station around. We use GLC Beef in the home-cooked meals we serve.”
Ettleman’s convenience store, which has been part of the Dow City community for nearly 70 years, also has family ties.
Kenny and Margaret Ettleman established the small business, which included a cafe and a motel in years past. When the business’s previous owners, Ace and Marilyn Ettleman (Kelly Garrett’s aunt and uncle) were
ready to slow down, the Garrett family purchased the business.
A similar situation led them to purchase O’Meara’s restaurant in 2025, when Kelly Garrett’s aunt (Connie Garrett) was ready to step away from the business.
The restaurant and convenience store showcase meat from GLC Beef, which serves area customers and also ships beef to customers across the country and in Canada.
“Christmas is our extra busy time for shipping,” said Amber Garrett, who added that GLC Beef offers gift certificates.
Some customers appreciate GLC Beef’s more unique cuts, including hanger steaks (a flavorful, tender cut). GLC Beef also offers chuck-eye steak, teres major steak (also known as the shoulder tender or petit tender) and Denver steaks — three options that offer an affordable way for customers to enjoy high-quality steak more often.
“I call those three ‘daily steaks,’” Amber Garrett said.
On Aug. 31, Garrett Land and Cattle is sponsoring the thirdannual Tri-Tip BBQ Contest as part of Dow City Fun Days. First place wins $800, second place earns $400, and third place gets $200. The contest is held in memory of the Garretts’ son Colin, who died in an accident in 2023.
Meat for the competition is provided by GLC Beef.
Putting the beef to the test
Not only are GLC Beef’s products home-grown, but recent tests prove this beef is exceptionally nutrient-dense, as well.
“What makes our beef different? It’s all in the nutrients,” said Amber Garrett, a registered nurse who worked at the Crawford County Memorial Hospital in Denison before taking a more active role in the family’s agribusiness enterprises.
Lab analysis from Utah State University shows the mineral content (calcium, magnesium, and B2) of GLC Beef is higher than both grass- and grain-fed beef.
“The nutrient-dense crops we raise produce more nutrientdense beef,” Amber Garrett said. “We believe in building health from the soil up, with
See GARRETT, Page 7C
Beef plays major role in Iowa economy
In Iowa, beef is still the dinner of choice on tables across the state, from the Mississippi to the Missouri, and every place in between. From prime rib in the finest restaurants, to Sunday pot roast, to Friday night burgers on the backyard grill, nothing satisfies a hungry family the same way as does Iowa, corn-fed beef.
Once upon a time in Iowa, cows could be seen grazing on just about every square mile of country roads. Where has all the beef gone, some might ask? But the beef industry is still alive and well and putting food on the table across the globe, according to statistics from the Iowa Beef Industry Council.
Iowa remains in the top five for total value of U.S. sales of cattle and calves, according to the USDA. Texas leads the nation, followed by Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, and Colorado. Those five states alone account for some 54 percent of the value in cattle numbers.
In total, Iowa’s cattle industry contributed nearly $9.5 billion to the Iowa economy in the most recent numbers from 2023. More than 5,000 Iowans are employed in the cattle industry, with nearly 27,000 more working in fields either directly or indirectly related to the business of raising cattle.
While the perception is often that the livestock has pivoted entirely to very large operations, the cattle industry demonstrates that there is still room for small producers. Nationwide, 88 percent of cow herds have fewer than 100 head of cows. What is true is, that like farming in general, the age of producers is steadily climbing. Today’s farmers and livestock producers are more likely to
have grandchildren visiting to help occasionally, rather than kids still at home helping on a daily basis. In 2022, the average age for farmers and ranchers ranged from 54 to 58 years of age.
Cattle producers have to be in it for the long haul. While a recent check of grocery stores found only a $2 per pound difference in the price of deli beef to deli poultry, the time involved in bringing that protein
nine months of gestation, and late nights and early morning working to get a new calf to stand and nurse.
Beef producers often get to know their animals on a personal basis. The cows know the sound of the voices who feed them day in and day out, season after season, and they are cautious when a new voice rings out in the barn. The cattle feedlots and pastures are still out there, but it helps to get off the main roads to find them. They are prevalent on land that rolls a bit more, has a few more hills and valleys and creeks. They are worth the drive to find and admire feeding on a sunny spring day.
As of January 2024, the state’s total cattle inventory topped 3.5 million in some 4,000 feedlots and 21,750 cattle operations. It’s a diverse industry, with small farms making a home for cow/calf operations, and larger feedlots finishing out the beef that will be on the table in Iowa and across the globe.
In 2023, Iowa exported more than $700 million of beef products to help feed a hungry world with tasty, nutritious beef. Beef delivers protein to give a body energy more efficiently than many other popular protein choices. For example, to get the same amount of protein as in just three ounces of beef, it would take six and a half tablespoons of peanut butter, according to “Beef, It’s What’s For Dinner.”
But it’s not just protein that beef provides. Beef is also a good source of vitamins B12 and B6, zinc, selenium, niacin, riboflavin, phosphorus and iron.
from the farm to table is far different. Turkeys require only about 14 to 18 weeks before they can be marketed. To put that beef in the meat case takes 18 to 22 months, not including
Of course, a diversified diet is also very healthy, but beef can be a part of almost any healthy diet, in talks with your own individual health care provider. So, throw a steak on the grill this weekend, beef is good for dinner, and good for Iowa.
help from our friends at Calibrated Agronomy. After all, corn is just a big grass — and when we grow it right, we raise beef that’s packed with vitamins and minerals for your health.”
GLC Beef options tend to have lower omega 6 levels, compared to the grain-fed benchmark, and they’re similar to the grass-fed benchmark. Omega-6 fatty acids can contribute to inflammation in the body. What about omega 3 fatty acids, which are known to promote heart and brain health?
GLC Beef shows higher concentrations of omega 3 content, compared to the grain-fed benchmark but lower than the grassfed benchmark (because fresh pasture/forage is rich in omega 3s). Tests also proved that GLC Beef samples (including the ribeye, ground beef and Ancestral Blend) are high for animals finished on feed. This illustrates the high-quality feed that the animals are receiving, the Utah State study reported.
In addition, GLC Beef products have a more balanced omega 6 to omega 3 ratio than the grain-fed benchmark. They also come close to the ideal ratio seen in grass-fed options. Typically, such favorable omega 6 to 3 ratios are not observed in animals on feed. A balanced omega 6 to omega 3 ratio can contribute to reduced risk of chronic diseases.
In addition, GLC Beef showed notably higher levels of Vitamin B2 (riboflavin), which supports energy production and cellular function, and Vitamin B3 (niacin), which helps convert food into energy and supports the nervous system. Don’t forget Vitamin B12, which is important for
IT'S NEVER TOO EARLY to start kids off with Iowagrown beef. Just ask Karsten (left) and Gus Hepp, sons of James and Paige Hepp of Rockwell City. "We love the hanger steaks, the ground beef and the Ancestral Blend — it's all really good," James Hepp said. "We also like knowing where our beef comes from."
red blood cell formation and neurological function. Vitamin B12 is most abundant in GLC Beef Ancestral Blend, surpassing the benchmarks. If that weren’t enough, GLC Beef provides calcium, iron and magnesium levels that also surpass the benchmarks. Zinc levels were consistent across all samples. (Zinc boosts immune function and supports wound healing.)
GLC Beef’s fat content falls below the grain-fed beef benchmark and more closely aligns with the grass-fed beef benchmark. GLC Beef Ribeye had the highest protein content, rising above the grass-fed benchmark.
“We’re proud of how
far we’ve come, but we’re excited to keep learning and improving,” Amber Garrett said.
GLC Beef makes weekly deliveries to customers in Des Moines, Omaha and Sioux City, plus they have a delivery route to area cafes and convenience stores.
“The Dairy Sweet in Dunlap gets 250 pounds of ground beef each week,” Amber Garrett said.
Providing this highquality beef to customers allows the Garrett family to support rural Iowa, she added. “It’s about keeping multi-generational businesses strong, serving the community and getting to meet great people.”
(small,
grant helped Noble Provisions purchase collapsible cooler bags printed with their company logo for monthly meat deliveries. “It’s a ‘drop-and-swap,’ system, where our customers leave an empty cooler for us to pick up, and we drop off a filled cooler bag,” Muller said. “One of the benefits of a Choose Iowa grant is that the money gives you a little wiggle room to take some risks and try new things like this.”
In 2023, a grant allowed Noble Provisions to
participate in the Atlantic Community School District’s Farm-to-School program by providing meat and giving students and staff a glimpse into Iowa’s agricultural industry.
“We care about the
health of our livestock, our families, and our communities,” Muller said. “As our business evolves, we’re excited to help more people make the farm-to-fork connection.”
-Submitted photo
A CHOOSE IOWA GRANT is helping the Muller family grow its monthly meat provisions subscription service. Not only do customers receive packages of meat, but they get printed cards with recipes and cooking tips. One of the recipes
-Submitted photo
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