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MONTANA LAMB & BEEF: CONNECTING THE PRODUCER AND CONSUMER AT THE DINNER TABLE
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D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 1 / J A N U A RY 2 0 2 2
MEMBER profile
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MARY JENNI
If Jenni sells her meat retail, she uses Pioneer Meats in Big Timber The Jenni family moved to the because they are USDA Cottonwood Creek area near certified. Mary went through the Lewistown in the late 1800s from process necessary to get her laSwitzerland. The Jennis were bel approved. “I decided to start primarily cattle ranchers. Mary is Montana Beef and Lamb to cona third-generation Montanan who nect the consumer and the prolives on the family's property. She ducer. I do all that hard stuff like works as an office manager for source the beef and lamb, deliver a fleet trailer leasing company, the product to the processor, pick the meat up from the processor among her other roles. and work with clients to ensure A conversation with a co-worker they have enough freezer space. during the pandemic would take That is a big question. How much Jenni on another professional freezer space does a full beef p a t h a s a n e n t r e p r e n e u r . take, or if we want to buy a quar"Through the Covid situation, I ter, how much freezer space do was talking with my co-worker we need for that? I work out all about the supply chain problems those details, so the process is in the grocery stores. I asked her seamless for the consumer.” why she doesn't buy beef from a local producer. She said, 'I don't Jenni has done business with cliknow how but If you teach me ents in New Jersey, West Virginia, how that is what I will do.' Our and Washington D.C. Her exconversation got me thinking that pansion plans do not include reif she has the same problem and tail or sourcing her product to the same question, then everyone restaurants. “I want to keep the grocery stores out of it because I does." don’t want to increase my prices. Jenni started talking to her I hardly mark up anything. I do circle of friends, and discovered this right now at barely a profit a massive disconnect between because I want the consumer the producer and consumer. to put an amazing product on Consumers are settling for a their table and feed their families sub-par meat product when they with beef, and beef is expensive could be enjoying locally sourced right now. Being able to provide beef and lamb. She decided to an amazing product to the contake the plunge into value-added sumer at a relatively low price is agriculture and launched Montana rewarding.” Lamb and Beef to connect Montana lamb and beef has two consumers and producers. divisions, Montana Loves Beef Jenni handles all the logistics of and Montana Loves Lamb. Both sourcing the meat and getting it are USDA-approved. Mary supdelivered to the processor and ports Country-of-Origin Labeling back to the consumer. She sourc- (COOL) and says it needs to be es her lamb and beef from the EL mandatory for COOL to work. Peterson Ranch in Judith Gap. “When you go down the meat The Petersons raise Simmental aisle, you buy what looks good. Angus. Her business has grown I like to have that conversation mainly through word of mouth. with people. We all know where B Y LY N D S AY B R U N O E D I TO R
our ketchup on the table comesfrom today, but do we always know where our beef comes from? Some people don’t care, but some do. If you care, there are options to buy directly from the producer. You will know what that animal was fed and if they were given any antibiotics. If someone asks me what I feed the animals I am selling, I can tell them exactly, and I think that transparency is super important.” Jenni is also getting into the ranching business of raising a small herd of Belted Galloways, or as she calls them “oreo cows,’ on the Peterson Ranch. C O N T I N U E D N E X T PA G E
Pictured is a Belted Galloway from Jenni’s herd on the Peterson Ranch. Galloways do well in dry, arid conditions. Photo courtesy Ben Peterson. 5
