Summit County Councilwoman Sally Elliott said locally produced beef she bought recently at The Park City Market was delicious.
The non-profit Summit County Food Coalition made the steaks available after a rancher in the Kamas area provided the animal.
County Courthouse officials are now discussing putting about $25,000 into a proposal called the Summit County Beef Project. The aim of the initiative is to create a way for local ranchers to sell their beef in Summit County for a premium instead of shipping livestock out of state each fall after selling their calves in a video auction.
“They all get sent out to a feed lot in Nebraska, pretty much all at the same time,” Summit County Sustainability Coordinator Ashley Koehler said. “There is such a huge demand for local meat here in Park City and Summit County that we would have a program so they can sell there cows to us and we’ll get them into the grocery stores and [ranchers] can make a profit off it.”
Koehler said she envisions ranchers earning an extra 20 cents per pound when selling their beef locally.
“In the current beef market they get about $1.17 a pound selling their cattle through the video auction,” she said. “We’re offering a 20 cent premium.”
Customers will savor the meat from the “high-quality milk fed calves,” Koehler added.
“I’m a vegetarian and I don’t eat beef,” she said. “But this is definitely a meat product I would support. I know how these cows are raised and where they come from.”
According to Summit County Manager Bob Jasper, restaurateurs at Park City area mountain resorts have expressed interest in serving locally raised beef.
“The Canyons and Deer Valley, they want fresh steak and they want it year-round,” Jasper said.
Koehler has requested funding from the county to help jumpstart the Summit County Beef Project. About $10,000 is needed as seed money for the costs of marketing beef in stores and restaurants, she said.
Koehler said she would use a separate $15,000 loan from the county for purchasing 60 calves and processing and transporting the beef. The calves would be sold by Kamas rancher John Blazzard, who would raise the animals until the livestock is ready to slaughter.
“If this is successful we’re going to present this program to all ranchers in Summit County,” Koehler said. “I’ve heard a lot from especially smaller ranchers. They’re all watching this program right now. They know they are going to get paid a premium if they can sell it locally.”
The County Council is scheduled to discuss whether to fund the initiative at a meeting Wednesday in Coalville. Boosting economic development is one of the County Council’s major goals.
“Ranching isn’t as viable and developing is more so. I think creating an economic model for them to sell their calves locally and make more money, it makes ranching profitable again,” Koehler said. “We’re retaining our heritage here and keeping the agricultural practice lucrative in the county.”
Meanwhile, the County Council has expressed support for the project.
“I don’t think it’s a huge amount of money and I think the challenge of launching this is enough. I don’t want to shortchange it,” County Councilman Chris Robinson said. “These are small numbers. This is not a small undertaking.”
But Summit County Councilman David Ure warned that there may not be a high enough demand for local beef. Ure is a rancher in South Summit.
“I’d be surprised if the resorts really pick this up and run with it,” Ure said.