Beef 101 at the Farmers Market

Presented in partnership with the Missouri Beef Industry Council.

On Saturday mornings at the Columbia Farmers Market, George Luebbering isn’t just selling beef—he’s fielding questions, correcting assumptions, and explaining how cattle become steaks.

Missouri has nearly 300 farmers markets, according to the National Farmers Market Directory, and George is one of many beef producers who show up week after week at these markets to sell directly to consumers. He has been a regular at the year-round Columbia Farmers Market since 2019.

His family farm, Luebbering Shorthorn Farms, is near Koeltztown, a tight-knit German-heritage community that still serves as a testament to the state’s agricultural backbone. Here, deeply rooted farm families like the Luebberings continue to breathe life into mid-Missouri’s resilient rural communities.

As retail prices continue to increase, the demand for beef remains strong. Producers like George use farmers markets as an opportunity to capture the retail value of their product, keep local dollars in their community, and stay connected to the end consumer.

George raises 80 head of Shorthorn cattle on his 250-acre farm. (He rents another 250 acres.) Raising beef wasn’t always his plan. He started in 1997 with a dairy operation but left milking behind after a severe stray-voltage problem. George was working off the farm when his daughter became interested in showing cattle and bought a few registered Shorthorns. The next thing George knew, he had 80 Shorthorns.

Now his granddaughters show cattle too, and at least one grandchild is usually beside him at the market.

For George, the booth is part business, part classroom. “We educate a lot of people. Every beef producer on earth ought to talk to consumers and answer their questions.”

Most of those questions begin with what his beef calves eat. He explains his steers eat pasture grass, alfalfa hay, and ear corn. Some customers arrive expecting beef strictly from grass-fed cattle, he says, but he has learned most customers prefer the flavor of cattle fed both grass and grain.

“A lot of producers might say ‘grass-fed,’ but it is really difficult to get enough weight on the calves without giving them some grain,” he says. “We work real hard at producing a product people enjoy eating.”

At the market, he calls his conversations with customers “Beef 101.” He gets questions on topics that range from animal health to how cattle are raised. George spends time visiting with customers about his management practices and the decision making that is part of his daily life on the farm.

Animal welfare is another frequent subject. He explains that cattle seek shade in summer and shelter in winter, whether under trees or in barns, and that their proper treatment directly affects their growth and health.

Nutrition comes up too. Alfalfa provides protein, and corn provides energy, “similar to a human’s keto diet,” he says.

Even cud chewing becomes part of the lesson. Cattle have a four-stomach digestive system that allows them to break down grasses and other rough plants humans can’t digest. After grazing, food enters the rumen and is later regurgitated, rechewed, and swallowed again. A cow may spend six to eight hours a day chewing.

Then comes the harder question: the price of hamburger.

He explains that in spite of Missouri’s status as the third-largest cattle-producing state, herd numbers have declined due to drought and producers leaving the industry after years of low prices or because of the difficult work. He expects prices to rise further as cow numbers remain low.

“I’ll often ask them, ‘How much do you make?’ Most people don’t want to share, so I say, ‘Let’s suppose your salary is $60,000. You probably take home about $50,000 of that. I have to sell 20 calves at $3,000 each just to bring home $60,000 gross, before any expenses.’ ”

Those expenses include insurance and fuel, plus farm costs like seed, fertilizer, machinery, and fees to the market.

“And even with higher prices, the United States still spends the lowest percentage of any country in the world on food,” he says.

George’s business continues to grow. He sells by-the-cut meat online, including half and whole packages of beef for customers with ample freezer space. He has also secured a contract to supply a local school district and has sold directly to a few restaurants in the past.

George sometimes thinks about retirement—but also about his legacy. His wife Shirley farms with him. His daughter Heather Luebbering-Gibson helps with the marketing and website. His son-in-law Bobby Gibson works on the farm.

Having his grandchildren work on the farm with him is special. There’s a lot of joy on the farm that comes along with the hard work.

For now, he continues to work as hard as ever because his dream is to pass the farm on to future generations.

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This article was orginally printed in the July/August 2026 issue of Missouri Life.