The New American Dream
Role:
Creator
Producer

Davis Mountains Organic Beef - Pilot 2
Jack Dees and Rocky Beavers
Texas, USA
written by Kristin King-Ries

Jack Dees is a fourth generation cattle rancher from West Texas and an old fashioned
guy. He’s lived all his life outside of Big Horn, a town of 3000. He’s quick to say
he’s not a very exciting person. “Yes ma’am, I’m just a rancher.” His goal has always
been to provide the best product he can. I asked what he would have said if someone
told him earlier in his career that he was going to raise organic beef and he
laughed. “I would have thought they were a little eccentric maybe.” But that’s exactly
what happened.

Jack learned about organics in 1996 when his brother-in-law was diagnosed with M.S. 
The doctor took the brother-in-law off conventional meats because the added hormones, steroids, and antibiotics could harm his already compromised immune system. There were
organic foods available in the US at the time but no organic beef. So Jack set aside
one cow for his brother-in-law that wouldn’t be treated with additives, grain fed and processed in a certified organic plant. Word spread among people with special dietary
needs, and soon Jack was setting aside a whole bunch of organic cattle. He did research
to find out if the chemicals and fertilizers on conventional grain were passed through
to the beef, and when the research was inconclusive, he went further and switched to
organic feed. ‘In a sense, these people trusted me with their lives…I took that
responsibility very seriously.’

Dees noticed organic meat also tasted better, the way it did when he was growing up.
His goal has always been to provide the best product possible, and for that reason by
the late 90’s he switched his entire organization to organic. Not long after, a
rancher named Rocky Beavers went to Dees’ place to buy bulls. They had never met. Jack
advised Rocky not to pay a higher price for organic bulls unless he planned on
converting to organic. Dees must have been awfully convincing. Rocky not only bought
the bulls, he asked Jack to go into business together and form Davis Mountain Organic
Beef. The business has sold their product in every state in the union and Puerto Rico.

A conventional cow can never be converted to organic, even if it’s raised organically
from day one. There has to be an organic protocol in place for the mother by the second trimester in order for the calf to meet organic standards. Switching to organic
ranching means making changes at every level, and each change is time consuming and
costs the producer a premium. Ranchers pay extra for organic feed, organic feed lots,
organic processing plants and third party inspections. Even the truckers have to do
special cleaning and sign an affidavit before they can transport organic cattle and
processed meat. Conventional processing plants have to take apart every piece of
equipment and wipe it down with a vinegar solution that’s toxin-free. Over 90% of beef produced in this country comes from three giant companies and it’s hard to find a
processor who’s willing to process organic because the volume is comparatively small
and the costs are huge.

In spite of all the challenges, Dees thinks going organic is worth it. He worries about
the impact the steroids in conventional meat have on his grandkids. Dees agrees with
Fox New’s Dr. Manni, that you should buy organic milk for your kids, and if you can
afford it buy organic meat. He says if he’s going to be honest about it, the milk should
come first. ‘Organics transcends what an animal eats. I wouldn’t call it ethics exactly.
I don’t know what I’d call it.’

Dees sold his interest in Davis Mountains Organics a few years ago and works there now
as a consultant. He’s following one of his lifelong passions, breeding for excellence.
Scientist have identified genetic markers that determine tenderness, marbling, all kinds
of traits by examining the DNA in tail hair. Dees created a breeding program based on
this information and now helps other organizations do the same.

He sees tough times ahead for the organic beef industry. Due to increased demand the
price of organic beef has reached the point where few can afford it. Dees calls it ‘unlivable.’ The poultry people, the dairy people, so many people are going organic now
and all competing for the same feed. Organic corn, if you can find it in the volume you
need, costs $10 a bushel compared with conventional corn which costs about half. 
Organic meat producers also have to compete with producers of ‘all natural’ beef. Most consumers think natural means organic but it’s a completely different product. ‘Natural’
is based on how the animal processed, not what it eats. ‘You could feed a cow battery
acid and call it organic. Can give antibiotics and still be called natural. Every
animal in the united states technically can be classed as natural.’ Far lower standards
mean lower costs. Educating consumers about the difference is hard and as Dees says,
‘A lot of people are skeptical if you’ve got a dog in the fight.’