CF CATTLE COMPANY: BEEF MARKETING SIMPLIFIED
Written By:
Emma Alexander
CF Cattle Company overlooks a horizon made for sunsets near Ava in Agri-Ready Designated Douglas County. This generational cow-calf ranch is a family owned and operated partnership that includes Rancel and Janie Clark and their son, Tanner, and his wife Kerre. Meaningful beef marketing lets consumers know that producers care about them. It also connects consumers to the farms, ranches, and families who are supported by every beef purchase. The Clarks believe that the key to marketing today is to include their “tomorrow”.
Marketing Modelers
The CF ranch is home to about 250 commercial black Angus cows. CF herds calve in the spring and fall. Weaned calves are raised as replacements, sold as breeding stock, or sold through traditional markets. The Clarks expanded their direct-to-consumer efforts to offer retail cuts in 2022, making local sales at their agribusiness, Shrable Fertilizer and Feed located near Seymour. Some of the secrets to successful CF sales aren’t secrets at all-they are part of the family brand. Flint (12), Tenley (10), and Dalley (8), Tanner and Kerre’s children, are almost always present on the ranch or at the store, pitching in and doing their part in the family business.
Making it Real and Reel
The Clark family welcomes consumers to CF Cattle Company through Facebook and Instagram social media platforms; the theme of each post is family. Consumers experience a glimpse of real ranch life in posts most often created by Kerre. Consumers ride along in video reels as the Clarks feed cows in snowpack, tag new calves at sunset, or take a ride with Montee-the ranch’s fluffy friend. The Clark kids choose cows before cartoons and get to grow up working side by side with their parents.
Trust Through Transparency
Tanner, Kerre, Flint, Tenley, and Dalley are a team. Kids don’t just say the darndest things-they are also known for telling it like it is which makes them great at transparent marketing. The Clark family builds trust with consistent messages from dependable interactions. Flint highlights new or timely products with 12-year-old flair while Tenley pauses during her segments, “Tenley From the Tailgate”, to answer questions about ranch work. As time goes by, consumers are building a relationship with the CF brand, the Clark Family, Tanner and Kerre, but also with Flint, Tenley, and Dalley as the future of the beef industry. If the Clark kids choose to take over the ranch, the skills and relationships they are building today will become a part of the family business succession plan.
Proactive Authenticity
The Clark family lives out their values because a written list of standards doesn’t get the job done. They don’t tell a story about how they work together from dawn until done, the story is shown as Flint, Tenley, and Dalley fill buckets, sort cows, make hay to feed cows, and more. Not much is more authentic than a business that tests and proves their own products. CF marketing includes beef cut cooking videos and personal trials of their beef tallow skin care products.
A Promise of Sustainability
The Clarks’ marketing messages let consumers know that the natural resources entrusted to them today will continue to be in good hands with the next generation. The responsible methods Tanner and Kerre use to raise beef will be learned by Flint, Tenley, and Dalley. And if they choose to become beef ranchers someday, they will know how to continue the work ethic of those methods. Thanks to families like the Clarks, consumers can count on more than just delicious and nutritious beef in the future, they can rest assured that there will continue to be responsible producers to raise it.
More About the Clark Family
Tanner and Kerre are founding members of the Ava FFA Booster Club, serve on the Douglas County Farm Bureau board, and are past members of the Missouri and American Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Committees. Tanner is the Region 3 representative to the Missouri Beef Industry Council. He is a deacon of the Fordland church of Christ congregation. Missouri FFA Association, Missouri Farm Bureau, and the Missouri Beef Industry Council are partners of Missouri Farmers Care.
Agri-Ready Designated Douglas County
Agriculture, including food, feed and forestry, contributes $35.6 millionin value-added products, $99.5 million in output, nearly 1,200 jobs, and adds $58.9 million to household incomes in Douglas Countyaccording to the 2021 Missouri Economic Contribution of Agriculture and Forestry Study.
What is Agri-Ready County Designation?
Agri-Ready County Designation is a voluntary program that recognizes counties committed to supporting and growing their agricultural industry. To qualify, a county must agree to support agricultural stewardship, growth, and economic interests. The designation helps counties promote themselves as agricultural hubs, attracting and supporting agribusiness. More information can be found at https://mofarmerscare.com/agri-ready-county-designation/
More Missouri Marketing Tools
Complimentary directory resources help Missouri beef producers and consumers connect. Missouri Grown, a program of Missouri’s Department of Agriculture, identifies and promotes Missouri-made and grown items supporting local farmers and the local economy. Buy Missouri is an economic development initiative that actively promotes the products that are grown, manufactured, processed, or made in Missouri. The Missouri Meat Producer Directory is hosted by Missouri Farm Bureau. This directory lists producers by county that sell beef, pork, lamb, and poultry directly to consumers.