JOLIET — You probably don’t think about it when you bite into a burger or steak, but what goes into Montana beef is more than pasture and feed.
Behind the state’s cattle industry are generations of family ranching, careful science, and a focus on quality.
Melissa Oswald, a multi-generation rancher, welcomes visitors to Oswald Farms, a family operation just off Highway 312 in Joliet.
“In 1946, my husband’s grandfather purchased the property that we are on,” said Oswald.
Watch how Montana ranchers blend tradition and science
The farm includes a small storefront and coolers filled with beef destined for local families, large agriculture events and restaurants such as the Edgar Bar.
“In 2018, we started going to Edgar Bar with beef,” she said.
That business partnership has only flourished.
“This is a package of New Yorkers right here,” Oswald said, showing the cuts available for purchase at their roadside store.
“A lot of ranchers put a lot of heart into what they do,” she said.
Science also plays a role.
The Oswalds feed their cattle a mix of hay, alfalfa, silage, straw, and distillers’ grains, then dry-age the beef in temperature-controlled coolers for 14 to 21 days to enhance flavor and tenderness.
“And they get a mineral supplement every day,” she said. “We want to have finished beef every week for our restaurants.”
Nutrition is critical to cattle health.
At Western Ranch Supply, Dwain Hould of Agri-Best said ranchers rely on vitamins, minerals, and supplements, including Redmond salt mined in Utah, a natural source of trace minerals.
“We have a product called SR50, which is 50 percent salt of the Redmond salt and 50 percent of the conditioner, which is a volcanic ash and clay that the mine is encased in and that is extremely toxin-binding and rumen-buffering. So we’ve got feedyards that use it. A lot of ranchers use it.”
Agri-Best Feeds, based in Billings, says its services focus on maximizing livestock performance and producer profits.
“It’s just like you and I,” he said. “We need a balanced diet to stay healthy. It’s the same with cattle,” Hould said.
Oswald said feeding and caring for cattle has become a science over decades of practice.
“Being corn-fed is one of the biggest things for the beef we sell in here. It enhances the flavor, the marbling, just the way we finish it,” she said. “Something that’s fairly new to the industry, probably in the last 20 years or so, is the distiller's grains, which is a byproduct from ethanol.”
She also emphasized the benefits of choosing local beef.
“You know that you are buying a single-source package of meat,” she said. “They have said that when you go into those big commercial stores and buy a package of hamburger, it might have meat from 100 different animals.”
Choosing local not only supports your community, but it also brings meaningful flavor to your table.
“As you support these local businesses, then we also support our local economies, our schools. You don’t see that a lot with the bigger supporters.”
The work starts early. Ranchers are often at work before sunrise, tending to each animal with care.
For families like the Oswalds, raising cattle combines tradition, science, and dedication, all reflected in the beef served at dinner tables across Montana.
