Independent Rancher Steven McBee Jr. Builds Direct-to-Consumer Meat Empire Amid $500 Million National Investment in Small-Scale Processing

For most ranchers, the toughest challenge isn’t raising cattle—it’s what happens after they leave the farm. Once livestock move through another’s hands, control and profitability slip away. Processing, distribution, and the majority of profits often belong to intermediaries.

Steven McBee Jr. refused to adhere to that model. While federal efforts allocate up to $500 million to bolster small and midsize meat processors, this 33-year-old rancher spent the last decade bypassing the bottleneck entirely.

Credit: Steven McBee Jr.

“Everyone advises raising cattle, selling into the commodity system, and accepting the given price,” McBee explains. “We questioned that. Control over our future required owning what comes next.”

This philosophy fueled McBee Farm & Cattle Co. on a first-generation Gallatin, Missouri, family farm without inherited land or livestock. Their story—documented in The McBee Dynasty: Real American Cowboys (2024)—showcases raw, unfiltered progress amid equipment failures and setbacks.

“We wanted authenticity,” McBee states. “Every lesson—good or bad—reveals the daily battle farmers face.”

The U.S. meatpacking landscape underscores this struggle: four firms controlled 85% of beef processing by 2020, leaving independents with limited options. Rising costs and climate volatility compound challenges. McBee’s solution? A snack stick.

Credit: Steven McBee Jr.

Starting in 2017, the snack concept evolved to require expertise beyond farming. “We became novices at everything,” McBee admits. A 2020 brand launch validated demand, leading to a 2022 facility and 2023 acquisition of their own processing plant—earning federal inspection and SQF certification.

Today, products ship via McBeeFarms.com and occupy retail shelves in 13 states. The Gallatin, Missouri, expansion will add 25 full-time jobs, supporting over 30 existing workers.

The company also invests in community: distributing snacks to schools and hosting Kids in the Outdoors programs for underserved Kansas City youth. Upcoming projects include a men’s retreat focusing on mental health and outdoor engagement.

“McBee proves family farms thrive with modern business models,” McBee says. “Our rhythm remains unchanged. Even as we grow, we work side by side and dine together nightly. Future generations needn’t reinvent—we’ve already built the blueprint.”

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