As more imported beef reaches U.S. grocery shelves, consumers have more reason to consider where their beef comes from and how the cattle were raised.
New Mexico, NM (PRUnderground) September 3rd, 2026
Mahanaim Farms, a family-run regenerative beef farm in central New Mexico, says that as more imported beef enters the U.S. market to help meet demand, customers may see more beef produced in other countries on grocery store shelves. This opens up more room for consumer scrutiny of the cattle life cycle, farm transitions, and feeding practices that affect beef.
The shift comes as the U.S. relies more on imported beef to help balance a tight domestic cattle supply.¹ The USDA’s most recent livestock outlook, updated in August 2026, expects imports to continue making up a larger share of the market in 2026 and 2027 as the national herd remains near its smallest size in 75 years.²
Where and how cattle are raised can influence the beef that ultimately reaches consumers. The number of times cattle are moved between locations can contribute to higher stress levels and greater exposure to disease. Other factors, including where the beef is inspected and the feed and soil used to raise the cattle, also play a role in the final product. For consumers seeking greater transparency about where their beef comes from, regenerative, conception-to-plate farms offer an alternative.
For example, the grass-fed and grass-finished Dexter cattle raised at Mahanaim Farms spend their entire lives on pasture rather than being moved to a grain-based feedlot diet for the final months before harvest. That difference affects how cattle grow and influences the flavor and texture of the finished beef.
“When you buy beef at the grocery store, you usually don’t know much about where the animal was raised or how it got there,” said Annmarie Wickham, director of marketing at Mahanaim Farms. “When someone buys from us, they can trace that cut back to a specific herd on a specific farm.”
Farm-to-consumer sourcing removes some of those unknowns by shortening the distance between the animal and the customer. Mahanaim Farms ships its beef directly from the farm and publicly documents its regenerative beef farming practices, giving customers more information about how the cattle are raised and how the land is managed.
As more beef of different origins moves through the supply chain, Mahanaim Farms gives shoppers another option. Visit MahanaimFarms.com to learn more about the farm’s 100% grass-fed and grass-finished Dexter beef and browse current cuts of dry-aged beef available for purchase.
¹www.wsj.com/politics/policy/u-s-to-boost-beef-imports-to-address-high-prices-trump-says
²www.ers.usda.gov/topics/animal-products/cattle-beef/market-outlook
