The Buckeye Valley Beef Cooperative was organized with these things in mind: We want to provide our local beef to local customers; keep all steps of production within our local economy;  rebuild a trusting relationship with our local consumers.  Many of these consumers are removed several generations away from the family farm.  Even though we are rural, there is a growing majority that hasn't ever been within a close distance of a cow ... or a farmer. 

 

In recent years, consumers have become more concerned about where their food is coming from, what it's been fed, and how it's been treated.  These are all valid concerns that family farmers have always taken seriously.  We value every cow and every calf. If they aren't doing well, we aren't either. We were taught these values from our parents and grandparents, and it's our responsibility to teach this same compassion to the next generation.

 

You see, we're doing much more than just feeding cattle. There are lessons of patience, compassion, hard work, and dedication that farmkids learn through living on a family farm. It's a heritage that each of our Co-op members feel could be lost if we don't do something to preserve its place in our growing world.

 

There is also the desire to hold on to our piece of family history.  If our farms disappear, so does the legacy and the dream. Forming a cooperative allows us to source our own naturally raised beef to local vendors in an effort to provide safe, healthy beef to our growing area.