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Beef boom balances budget for Minnesota crop and livestock producer

Strong beef prices are helping a Minnesota crop and livestock farmer compensate for low corn and soybean prices.

Rose Karau farms near St. James.

“On the crop side, the cattle are eating $3 corn. Which makes our budget line items for the cattle a little more affordable. But just having the support on the cattle industry market to build those operations and have a healthy local beef industry is very exciting.”

She tells Brownfield the local cattle market seems to be somewhat insulated from recent volatility.

“I’ve been watching out local markets and it doesn’t seem that the fears within the market or industry have trickled down to our local market, like our local sales barn sales seem to be staying strong. So hopefully that continues even through the uncertainties within the trade concerns.”

Karau says the two biggest concerns are with Argentinian beef imports and the threat of New World screwworm entering the U.S.