John Scharbauer, owner of Midland Meat Company, said the cost of running a ranch is a challenge, and recent inflation and market changes have not been easy. Scharbauer joined the Best of Midland podcast to talk about his company and his family’s legacy.
“It really comes down to studying genetics and kind of knowing your EPDs and what you're putting on to produce high quality meat all the time,” said Scharbauer on a recent edition of the Best of Midland Podcast. “Because it is a challenge to get that, especially when you're dealing with drought and like the last two years my feed costs have doubled. I mean I'm not going to sugarcoat it, put lipstick on it, it's doubled.”
“And the sad thing is those markets haven't made up that difference,” Scharbauer said. “It's one of the reasons you've seen food prices increase because a lot of people will pass their costs down, because a ranch isn't going to operate, I mean if they're losing money they're not going to stay in business.”
John Scharbauer is a part of the Scharbauer family, which has deep roots in Midland’s history, with their cattle ranch dating back to the 1880s. The family has also helped to develop much of Midland’s infrastructure, including a hotel, a radio station, and a butcher shop in town. Scharbauer started the Midland Meat Company in 2015 as an extension of the ranching business.
Best of Midland Podcast is hosted by Ryan Shewchuk and Terra Avery. It is an extension of the broader Best of Midland program, which aims to support small, local businesses by showcasing them and the people behind them. Their website lists top business and upcoming live events happening in the area.
The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.