Northeast farmers could profit from grass-fed beef if they expand, join forces

New York State and New England have optimal conditions for grass-fed beef production—with an abundance of pasturelands and forage—but higher production costs have made farmers wary of expanding operations. In a new analysis, published in Agricultural Systems, researchers find that grass-fed beef can compete with grain-fed beef in the region, even given those higher costs and prices for consumers—particularly if operations are scaled up, either through larger farms or farm cooperatives, which could drop production costs and prices by 24%.