Every year, the ranchers of Arthur County, Nebraska, combine forces to assist one another with more than 20 brandings. From weaning and shipping calves to school carpooling and family emergencies, the cattle community comes together when need is great.
"It’s about surviving as an industry. It’s about coming together and working as a team. We don’t see each other as competitors,” says rancher Audra Allen. “We see each other as allies in the beef community."
Matt Allen rides the pastures of the Sandhills in Nebraska.
Matt and his wife, Audra, operate Whitewater Beef, a seventh-generation ranch in the Nebraska Sandhills (www.whitewaterbeef.com). Along with their three children, they carry on the legacy Matt’s great-great grandfather John T. Stewart began in 1884. Back in those days, cowboys rounded up wild steeds and earned lucrative bounties for captured studs. The horse ranch has transformed many a time since — from Longhorns and Longhorn crosses in the 1920s, to Herefords from the ’50s to mid-70s. It wasn’t until the 1990s that the Allens landed on an Angus and Charolais herd. Today, they breed terminal crosses from Charolais bulls and Angus cows, re-supplying their mother cow herd with Angus bulls on Angus mothers.
Beef to the Rescue
Building on their commercial program, they have yet again transformed to offer a direct-to-consumer beef program. The idea developed in early 2020 to help their friends get beef. Most of their friends’ local grocers had no supply, while some implemented a limit of 1 pound of beef per family. It was only natural that Audra and Matt jumped at the opportunity to support their friends.
“I said to Matt and my father-in-law Stewart, ‘Give me 10 of our spayed heifers and we’ll see if we can sell them,’"Audra remembers.
Stewart Allen, father of Matt Allen, greets a foal. Whitewater Beef was once a horse ranch over 100 years ago.
At the time, she posted a video of her family health-checking cows, which racked over 10,000 views. This was a preview of the success to come: Years later, Whitewater Beef now sells more than 130 cattle per year directly to consumers, meat markets and restaurants in 28 states. The key to maintaining their success in the retail sector is producing quality beef and doing it consistently.
“We’re very particular about who we butcher with,” says Audra. “We use USDA processors, and we’re certified with the state of Nebraska to sell to consumers. We follow all the steps to get our licensing. We’re also certified and inspected by the state to hold product on-hand.”
Audra Allen of Whitewater Beef loads mineral onto a truck bed, readying for another day.
On the live-animal side, the Whitewater Beef cattle are backed by Beef Quality Assurance, Non-Hormone Treated Cattle and CARE certifications. This has improved marketability. CARE, in particular, has opened new avenues to sell to foreign markets.
Most importantly, these certifications help tell a transparent story to customers about how their beef is raised. A credible story is paired with customer service to help buyers select cuts and make the best purchasing decisions.
“The public doesn’t know a lot about the anatomy of an animal, for example, so we help them understand anything we can,” Matt says. “We’re always adapting, and really believe in customer service.”
“We try to be black and white, upfront and honest,” Audra adds.
At the end of the day, the Whitewater Beef family stands on the values ranchers have upheld for generations: family, community, quality, and consistency.
“We wear many hats on any given day. Dad or mom hat, boss hat, beef lady hat. It’s a juggling act,” Audra says. “But without our family and community, we wouldn’t be able to survive.”
The Allen family of Whitewater Beef. Matt and Audra Allen with their children Kegan, 15 (left), Kirsten, 11 (middle) and Kaleb, 13 (right).