She Took Over the Ranch and Built a Beef Business with Candy Baca

A ranch can change overnight, and so can your role in it. We’re joined by Candy Baca, a sixth-generation rancher east of Las Vegas, New Mexico, who stepped in after an unexpected loss and built a direct-to-consumer beef program to keep her family operation strong. She shares what it’s like moving from a traditional cow-calf routine to selling local beef to real families who want to know the story behind their food.

We dig into what “regenerative agriculture” looks like on the ground in New Mexico: pasture rotation, soil health, working with natural forage, and planning for drought and snow. Candy also gets candid about the parts nobody glamorizes, like paperwork, marketing, and the constant pressure of doing business with a small team. On herd health, we talk genetics, vaccinations, and why prevention planning matters, including staying alert to threats like New World screwworm.

If you’ve ever wondered how buying beef direct works, Candy breaks down the customer side too: cut sheets, finished weights, rail weights, customization, and why dry aging changes yields while improving tenderness and flavor. She also tells a powerful customer story that captures the real impact of buying local and supporting family ranchers across New Mexico.

If this conversation helps you see beef differently, subscribe to Behind the Burger, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the people and practices behind New Mexico beef.

Thanks for tuning in to Behind the Burger!
Stay connected with us — follow @NMBEEF on TikTok and Instagram, New Mexico Beef Council on Facebook and visit nmbeef.com for recipes, nutrition info, a local beef directory and more.

Transcript

Welcome And Meet Candy Baca

Carollann Romo 0:05

Welcome back to another episode of Behind the Burger. I'm Carolyn Romo, the Executive Director for the New Mexico Beef Council, and I'm here with Candy Baca. Very excited. We've been talking about it for a long time. To start off, will you introduce yourself and maybe talk about your background?

SPEAKER_00 0:22

Yes, ma'am. So first of all, thank you so much for having me. I appreciate it. It's quite an honor to be on the Beef Podcast. I watch it all the time.

Carollann Romo 0:31

Oh, thank you.

SPEAKER_00 0:32

And um, so just as you mentioned, my name is Candy Baca. Um, it's Candace Baca, and I go by Candy. And um we uh ranch about 26 miles east of Las Vegas, New Mexico, and have been there for generations. Um, you know, took over the ranch, not in the most ideal way. It was um because of unexpected death, and that was in 21. But since then um we created a beef program to make it self-sustainable, and here we are today.

Carollann Romo 1:01

Absolutely. Well, what a what a great thing that you were able to kind of continue the legacy despite the the sad circumstances.

SPEAKER_00 1:09

Thank you, thank you. Yeah, beef um was not something that we had ever done, you know, even as a child. I always remember, of course, we had our own beef, our own lamb, etc. But um as far as being beef producers, uh we were commercial. And so um this direct to consumer side is something that is is new and you learn every day.

Six Generations Of Ranch History

Carollann Romo 1:32

Absolutely, no doubt. We'll talk about some of those learnings. Um well kind of tell us the history of the operation. I know you mentioned you you took over in 2021, but I'm sure there's some some history too.

SPEAKER_00 1:44

Yes, ma'am. So, like a lot of uh New Mexican ranchers and farmers, um, we started out with sheep. And so I I don't know how far back I um as far as you know the great great grandparents' names um and all that, I uh wish I did, but as far as ancestry is concerned, I'm sixth generation, my son is seventh, and uh beef came into the picture I guess about four generations ago. And so um since then it's uh been a cow calf operation and um you know your your animals and your your crop head off in the fall and you just kind of hit repeat. And uh so we are first generation beef producers and um again just it's it's something that if you had asked me, you know, six years ago, or if you had told me that I was gonna be a beef producer today on a beef podcast, I would have I would have denied it with every thread in me.

Carollann Romo 2:48

Yeah, yeah. But the uh the so the cattle was always in the plan, but that selling beef is a new thing.

SPEAKER_00 2:54

Yes, ma'am.

Carollann Romo 2:55

Um so so tell me about your cattle. Um uh how how do New Mexico's landscapes and climate shape how you manage cattle?

SPEAKER_00 3:02

Well, um it has a it's it's actually the main deciding factor in how we manage uh not just our cattle but our land. Um I'm a firm believer that if the soil is healthy, then the rest is just kind of a domino effect. And so um I I almost hate to say these two words, regenerative agriculture. It's just so trendy, but um really we've been doing it um our whole lives and before it was, you know, cool and a trend. And so that's what we do. We rotate pasture, um, we uh everything is natural on the ranch. Um, as far as our program, you know, we don't implement um AI as far as our artificial insemination um at this point, and that's nothing against anybody who does. Everybody does uh what their own program allows. But um we really try to cater to the natural forage and uh just as far as what we have out there, that's what we give them for supplements and of course whenever we have snow on the ground.

Carollann Romo 4:09

Yeah, absolutely. And and you talk about regenerative agriculture. Um, while it is trendy and sometimes um, you know, confusing or vague, it it's it's exactly what ranchers do, right? Many ranchers, even you know, the largest ranchers a lot of times are practicing things that are regenerative. We just maybe didn't have the label for it always. Yes, ma'am. Um but it w what a great way to be, right? Giving care to the land and and uh regenerating, you know, grasslands and all of that.

SPEAKER_00 4:36

Yes, ma'am. It's it's almost like um, you know, this one big umbrella and all these different practices fall under it. And some have been ancient, some are new, uh, some include a lot of technology now with uh with the other AI, you know. Um and so we're just we're glad to be part of it.

Paperwork And Wearing Every Hat

Carollann Romo 4:54

Absolutely, absolutely. Um what's one of the biggest challenges you face um on either side of the business, from the cattle to to the beef?

SPEAKER_00 5:03

Paperwork.

Carollann Romo 5:06

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 5:07

I uh personally, my struggle. I the paperwork, I just wish that it would secretly get done at night and everything I needed was there in the morning. Unfortunately, you know, paperwork is a huge part of an operation and um it's what keeps the ball rolling. And so um, but if I had to pick my least favorite, um it would be attrition. You know, that's just an ugly side of of of every everything. I don't care what industry you're in.

Carollann Romo 5:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:37

And so um that's you know one of the challenges, and it's something that we definitely try to mitigate on the ranch.

Carollann Romo 5:45

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, I'd I would love um as we're recording this, it's you know, kind of tax season, right? And so I think every every person or every American can understand paperwork today specifically. Of course, once we yeah, once we publish it, it'll be past tax season and we can all uh you know uh have a beer and a steak about it and enjoy. Yeah. Enjoy, but yeah, I think uh that paperwork resonates with all of us, right? Paperwork's tough. And and you know, you want to be a cowboy, you want to be a salesperson. Those those are the maybe fun jobs. Yes. But the the amount you spend pushing paper is pretty crazy, right?

SPEAKER_00 6:22

Teaching myself marketing, yeah, you know, small operations like us. I mean, I've I've seen it over and over and heard it over and over where one person, I mean, we wear so many hats, you know, CEO, um, the janitor, um I'm the the CFO, and uh I'm also the the marketing director.

Carollann Romo 6:43

So and sometimes a plumber, probably. And sometimes the plumber. Right? It's it's uh multifaceted.

Herd Health Vaccines And Prevention

SPEAKER_00 6:48

Yes, ma'am.

Carollann Romo 6:49

Um what um can you share an example of how you care for your cattle and their well-being?

SPEAKER_00 6:56

Yes, ma'am. Um well I think that everything that we do every single day goes into their care from um starting at the paperwork to ensuring um that even their genetics are, you know, that we're not crossing um definitely no inbreeding. That's a that's something big because um what because we retain all of our our heifers. And so, you know, we're we're in that slim little area where you have to rotate them out um back to supplements, um, you know, through droughts. Um the the coat of an animal will tell us a lot, um, mostly what they're um deficient in. But um gosh, I mean the list goes on. Um vaccinations. Um you know, uh a lot of people maybe they'd like to have their vax-free meat or whatever, but uh I'm sorry, without especially those initial vaccinations, um, you know, we maybe might not have as much beef to eat. And so um I believe that's a critical part of a program. And um and then the health of the land, because without the health of your soil, you have no forage and you have nothing.

Carollann Romo 8:49

Yeah, absolutely. The the vaccinations one is a is a hard question because we we we understand that that you know some consumers might choose a certain way, some producers might choose a certain way, and and like you said, we support we support all ranchers. We we appreciate the the um differences and similarities in in a lot of ranching. Um and then in some ways, you know, the vaccines make a lot of sense that that we can prevent for prevent diseases that that no longer impact cattle because we have vaccines. Yes, we can just ma'am. We can you know help with your death loss, which I think is what you were referring to when you say attrition, right? Exactly. Um literally keeping cattle alive sometimes sometimes the vaccines can help.

SPEAKER_00 9:28

Literally, and and you know, um kind of on the since we're on the subject of vaccinations, this new world screw or this thing is scary and um it's there. It's it's not a potential, it's there. And so I think that also having good biodiversity programs and plans in place. Um one thing that I I take away a lot from cattle growers is um how I mean, you know, these are my words, but basically an ounce of uh prevention is worth more than a pound of cure. So having all of these emergency plans in place, whether it's a fire contingency or or or just whatever, the New World Screwworm plan could really save your operation because in the heat of the moment, how sane are we to formulate a whole plan and think about, you know, all of our neighbors that we can call? I I know that I wouldn't be able to.

What People Miss About New Mexico

Carollann Romo 10:28

Absolutely. Yeah, having a plan is is a great, great thing. Um that's why I have a fire blanket under my sink, right? At the at the stove. I don't plan on a fire, um, but I plan at what to do if there's a problem. Um and then New Mexico Cattle Growers have have been doing a lot of the stuff and the New Mexico Livestock Board, the New Mexico State Vet, Dr. Hollock. Yes, um all of their all of their conversations about preventing and and that new world screwworm. Um definitely uh the source of information would be the livestock board and the cattle growers for if you guys have questions. But absolutely it's something that that um cattlemen and cattle women of New Mexico and all of these southern states are gonna have to think about this summer and plan for. Plan for the possibility.

SPEAKER_00 11:11

Yes, ma'am.

Carollann Romo 11:12

Uh absolutely. So everything everything we do is is uh for the cattle's health and well-being, right? So many decisions to make and um all of that. What's one thing y most people don't realize about raising beef in New Mexico?

SPEAKER_00 11:26

Hmm. One thing about raising beef in New Mexico, um, well, we are a state, first and foremost. No, I'm just kidding.

Carollann Romo 11:36

No, I love that because we do have we do have listeners from other states, and and I've lived in other states, and when you tell them you're from New Mexico, they go, Where? You don't see but really? And we're like, no, no, no. It's a state. It's over there.

SPEAKER_00 11:49

It exists.

Carollann Romo 11:49

In between Arizona and Texas, quite large, yeah, quite important.

SPEAKER_00 11:52

Yeah, we have a state cookie and all that stuff.

Carollann Romo 11:55

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, lots of great things.

SPEAKER_00 11:57

No, but on a serious note, um, oof, I think that a lot of people don't realize how many beef producers are in New Mexico. Um, your neighbor, your family, I guarantee you that you know somebody that knows a beef producer or is one. Um, and so I think that it's really important that all of us support each other and keep that in mind because um sometimes I see competition or um oh I see this a lot, the grass-fed, um grass finished versus grain finished and and all this and that. And for me, it's like the bread aisle. There's enough for everybody to eat, there's enough brands to, you know, supply the demand, and um we just all need to, I think, help each other. And um, but uh I would definitely say that most people don't realize how many beef producers are in this state.

Starting Direct To Consumer Beef

Carollann Romo 12:55

It's a very important part of our economy. I know we go to schools often and we talk to them. One of my favorite trivia questions is is the um, you know, basically how important is beef to our state, and you know, what's the biggest agricultural product? And usually I'm looking at the you know, gross domestic products, so it's kind of value. And number one is dairy, according to you know the the data that I can I got. Number one is dairy, and then number two is beef. Well, that means cows, specifically cattle, are so important to New Mexico and our agriculture industry and our whole industry, jobs and uh, you know, all of these things that that add up to the importance of cattle in our state. And so I agree. I fully support that. Yes, fully support that statement. Uh and as you're driving through our you know, beautiful highways and roads in New Mexico, you're often passing ranchers doing business, doing, doing work. Um, and if you blink, you miss it. Yes. It's really special.

SPEAKER_00 13:49

We're very local.

Carollann Romo 13:51

Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. And like you said, there's a lot of options, there's a lot of producers. We have, I think we have more than 80 options on the local beef directory. Oh wow. You guys being one of them. Um, and I I think that's a special thing that that folks can find local beef and local producers. And hopefully they're finding the podcast for for the story so they can get to know you all.

SPEAKER_00 14:11

Yes, no, you guys put out a lot of resources, and that list is one of them. So thank you.

Carollann Romo 14:15

We hope, we hope. We're trying, uh trying to serve you all better. Um, what led led you to selling beef directly? So you kind of already mentioned it and kind of you know hinted at that, but tell us about l the uh process of starting to sell beef.

SPEAKER_00 14:31

Well, um, you know, sometimes I just dream real big. And as you should. Thank you. This was real big. I just uh, you know, lost my dad, and um what I did was signed up to be a cowbell, signed up for cattle growers. I was at the uh joint stock convention, let's see, December of 21, and I came out of there ready to conquer the world because I saw all of y'all that had already done it, were doing it, and everybody in the world offered me their help and resources if if I chose to dive in. So I chose to dive in. Um, but with that being said, in my mind, I was going to find, you know, three to five restaurants. Um at the time I wasn't really crunching the numbers on on how much beef they would need, but uh I thought that it would just be real easy peasy. I would find the restaurants and then I would supply them and that would be it. Well, you know, as I learned about USDA and just all of these other specifics, um I I realized that we had a shortage of, and maybe it's not too much of a shortage, but where I'm located, it just wasn't really feasible. Um, and also, you know, like for instance, uh a processor up north, I believe at the time his wait list was three and a half years, and so he didn't even really have a wait list to the wait list at that point. Um not excuse me, not his wait list, but that's how far out he was taking dates. Right, right, right. So he wasn't even bothering with a wait list. And so, long story short, um kind of found out about direct to consumer. Um, what I did was I basically stalked out 10 ranches across the nation. And um I just kind of educated myself for six months. Um in December I went a whole went ahead and and called my processor, made dates for January on a Hail Mary, and the rest is history. And we just learn along the way. And um one thing is um, you know, I've come across um people that are just so generous with their information, with their contacts. Um there's also gatekeeping. Um, so we we make it our mission to never gatekeep. I don't ever want to gatekeep. And if somebody ever catches me gatekeeping, please call me out because uh it life's too short and the industry, every industry is hard. And if we can just help pick up somebody or um, you know, answer a question that maybe's been stumping them for a month, why not?

Cut Sheets Dry Aging And Yields

Carollann Romo 17:14

Absolutely, absolutely. I I actually sat in the same chair uh recording a different podcast and we and I mentioned it that I have a friend who has a um is a keynote speaker, a really excellent keynote speaker. Her name's Marky Hegemon Jones, and she has a speech about being a gate getter. And she's absolutely inspired me. She has a small operation that does direct to consumer in California, and absolutely we gotta be gate getters, right?

SPEAKER_00 17:37

Gategetters.

Carollann Romo 17:38

I love that. I mean, I don't really want to be the person in the passenger seat that has to get the gate, but I do want to be a gate getter when it comes to inspiring others and and um sharing information because what a what a great way to be. So all credit to Marky on the on the saying, but a beautiful analogy. Yeah, yeah, absolutely, absolutely. We want to be sharing information. Um so what questions do customers ask most often when buying beef?

SPEAKER_00 18:04

Oh, there's a lot of questions. A lot of questions about the cut sheets. Um customers they really want to know if they can go and look at their animal.

Carollann Romo 18:12

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_00 18:12

Um they let's see, a lot of questions about um finished weights. Okay. Um, you know, um, a lot of questions about the customizations. Um questions even about the rail weights. Yeah. And, you know, um lit like sitting there and explaining to people what dry aging is and how the loss literally just dissipates into thin air and it's normal.

Carollann Romo 18:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:44

You know, but you get this tender beef and why and explaining the enzymes. Um they have all kinds of cool questions. Um, honestly, through my customers is how I've learned.

Carollann Romo 18:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:55

You know?

Carollann Romo 18:56

That's beautiful. We uh we actually are working on a resource, so we got really excited when you said that because we're working on a resource that you can give to customers that there was an there was a older one um and we just updated it with the help of um we uh we get to use the team of a serv they're called a service desk at National Cattlemen's Beef Association through our federation membership. Um so it's all on the checkoff side and they help create um stuff. So anyways, I digress. The resource is about that, about the aging, about how long it might take, how much meat you're gonna get from this amount of thing and why and all the cuts. So we'll have to get you some of those.

SPEAKER_00 19:31

Oh, please do. Yeah. Their questions are all about the yields at the different points.

Carollann Romo 19:36

It's a yield, it's a it's a yield resource, so we're we're excited about those. So we'll get those. And um and shout out to uh to Joe Madrid. He he was the one who kind of asked for uh for more of those, and so we updated them. So awesome. Yeah, we're excited to get you those. Thank you. Um and if any uh direct-to-consumer producers are listening to, we can get get them to them as well. And or or processors or anyone, honestly, we've got the resources. Um well cool. Well, I think that's really neat to learn from your customers and and uh you become an expert on topics that you never thought you would, probably.

When Customers Change Everything

SPEAKER_00 20:07

Exactly, exactly. Learning new terminology. Um you know, because then I'd go and ask my butcher questions and he'd be like, Well, this is actually called, you know, the hot rail weight um or you know, whatever. Yeah, all the things. Going through the tour and um yeah, it's it's its own language.

Carollann Romo 20:26

Absolutely, absolutely. And and I always say, you know, thank you for for the story you're telling to consumers because you know it's my job, right? I get paid to be at the New Mexico Beef Council. We're supposed to promote and teach consumers while you're out there doing it. So thank you for for that work.

SPEAKER_00 20:41

Um with your support because you guys do support us a lot. Oh, good. So I'm very grateful for that.

Carollann Romo 20:47

Absolutely. We're happy to. Um what's what's the most rewarding part of the business, whether it be, you know, the the cattle, the beef, uh, the industry as a whole, what's what's the most rewarding thing?

SPEAKER_00 21:00

Um there's a lot of rewarding things um because because you're doing it, you're doing it with your family. Um, it's a dream that in my case I wasn't really sure I was gonna be able to do. Um, but I have a little short, a little quick short story about a customer who um she had very severe, I guess I'll call them allergies. I don't really know diagnoses and all that stuff. But um she had very severe allergies to beef. And she um she had never bought direct to consumer. She was having issues with beef for years. And when I say issues, I'm talking um inflammation, indigestion, um, you know, all the IBS, um, just all the the gnarly stuff that that that we when something just doesn't agree with us. Um so it, you know, it was almost like when somebody is lactose intolerant.

Carollann Romo 22:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:02

So that's how she was with beef. Well, anyways, fast forward. Um she missed her beef, she grew up on it, doesn't know when her body decided to switch it up on her. But um, she was a primary consumer of um, you know, I don't I don't want to throw anybody under the bus here, just of a of a huge corporation where a lot of us buy a lot of our groceries, aka Wally World. And so, anyways, um, you know, she had never really bought meat or anything outside of her grocery run, so I decided to buy direct consumer. From us. Um her husband and my dad knew each other back in the day. So, you know, she came straight to us. Well, long story short, um, she can eat beef again. And I don't have the answer. I don't know why. Um it's just it's when she called me up that day and she's like, Look, when you're about to sell out, I want to, you know, please let me know. Like, don't don't ever let yourself sell out without me getting on a list to get a beef from you every single year.

Carollann Romo 23:01

Yeah.

Beefmaster Bull Collaboration Plans

SPEAKER_00 23:01

And so, and and she told me why. And um, it just it made me pretty emotional because um to think that I have a product that somebody can now eat that they weren't able to, um, and and and I don't think it would be just my product. I think she could get uh I think she could get a beef off any ranch in New Mexico and she'd be fine. It's just something, you know, something about the commercial process or the packaging or all of the above that her body just will not put up with anymore. So that so that was very rewarding for me. You know, um uh hearing a success story, I guess.

Carollann Romo 23:40

Absolutely. That's that it that sounds very rewarding. Yes. Um I love that. So what's something you're excited about right now in your operation?

SPEAKER_00 23:49

Well, all I'm gonna say is beef master. It's a bull, and um we are actually collaborating with another ranch. Um, it was a kind of a win-win situation, and um, you know, everything just kind of fell into place. And I believe when things happen organically like that, they're meant to be. So we're working together through the end of the year, and um it's a beef master bull. I mean, the you know, it's in the name. So we're super excited. I can't wait to see what kind of calves that this bull throws. Um we're just uh it's it's a waiting game at this point. But um he just got on the ranch last week, and so um I'll definitely have to to let you know how that goes.

Carollann Romo 24:40

Yeah, that is very exciting, and that collaboration with another local rancher is special. Um, and and um and then Beefmaster too, just just for the listeners, if you're not as familiar, Beefmaster is just another breed of cattle, right? So just another breed. Um it has, aren't they red? They've got some Brahma influence in them. Exactly.

The Transport Lesson That Hurt

SPEAKER_00 25:01

Yes, ma'am. So that you know, a little bit of the floppy ears, um, solid as solid as can be, you know, like a rock. And so that's kind of what we're going after, maybe to fill in some of those voids. And so we're we're putting him on Charlet, red Angus, and black Inus. And uh we're just real excited. We we want to see what this this big red boy can do. Um he's only two and he's uh he's ready to work. He was he was ready to work the minute he got off the trailer. So he's just um he's young. Like I said, he's absolutely beautiful. So I'd like to give a shout out to um if I may, absolutely please do. I was hoping you would. Yes, to um I always want to call them Rivera Farms, but it's uh our double bar ranch. And um we just want to say we're so excited for the collaboration and and thank you. And we just we look really forward to see, you know, where this is gonna go and to share the pictures and the yield because if this is something that can beef up, beef up everybody's yield, why not?

Carollann Romo 26:04

Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. Well, congratulations and and good luck on that.

SPEAKER_00 26:07

Thank you.

Carollann Romo 26:08

That's really exciting. Um tell us about a hard lesson you've learned along the way.

SPEAKER_00 26:13

Okay, well, this one is a little embarrassing, but I'm willing to share my embarrassment for you know, if somebody else can pick up something from it. It's another little story. Do we have time?

Carollann Romo 26:24

Absolutely. Everything is recording too, right? We're still okay.

unknown 26:27

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 26:28

Um, so and then I'll be quick. It's it's uh you'll you'll get the punchline quick. But, you know, like I said, um walked out of the uh joint stock convention in December with the confidence of a queen ready to conquer the beef world, thinking I was gonna be in restaurants, and so um, you know, fast forward to July, and now I'm all of a sudden a humble direct to consumer producer. And um I ended up scheduling July. I scheduled a whole year worth of harvest harvests, one animal a month, and um, I think we were on about month eight, and just my butcher, I love my butcher, Mr. Hadamios, um, him and his sons and his wife, they're a family um operation, and they're just they're amazing. And this is what I mean by people that don't gatekeep. He could have easily never told me anything, but um just in a mentor fashion, he pulled me aside and he just, you know, as kindly and with as much grace as he could, he just gently shared with me that I was the only one bringing in one animal a month and paying for transport every single month for only one animal, and um, that if I would just do him a favor and just, you know, go home and just maybe think about it, crunch the numbers. Of course I didn't have to go home. I didn't even make it to my car I before I was crunching the numbers, and I knew immediately what he was telling me. And so even if I were to cut that in half and go every other month, now I'd be splitting my transport in half. And um it's quite a long ways. You're talking east of Las Vegas, New Mexico, two Los Lunas. So that was uh that was a great lesson for me. It was um a monetary lesson, it was something that I can share with with everybody. Um uh I guess I guess that I had dotted so many I's and crossed so many T's, at some point I just checked out and stopped thinking. I'm not really sure how that got by me.

Advice Gratitude And Ranch Life

Carollann Romo 28:34

Oh no, I I feel that sounds like an easy m mistake or easy lesson to learn, you know. When even when you said it, I I I took me a second of uh Especially fuel prices nowadays. Um so may I ask how often you do it now?

SPEAKER_00 28:50

Are you sure um so we went from from there, we went to six, six a year, then we moved to four, and then now we do two.

Carollann Romo 28:57

Oh yeah. Okay, so you've you've uh really listened and and adjusted.

SPEAKER_00 29:02

Really streamlined. So what we'll do is we'll do a spring and then we'll do a fall, right after the summer hay.

Carollann Romo 29:07

Yeah, absolutely. And then you're only two sets of trumpeters. Oh yes. I love that. I love that. Well, well, thank you for sharing and being willing to willing to share. Yes. Um, what's the best piece of advice you've ever received?

SPEAKER_00 29:21

Oof, there's a few of them. Um this one, hands down, an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure. Um, wake up every day and thank the good Lord and not just thank him, but be grateful for the life that we're allowed to live. Um, a lot of people they want to be cowboys and cowgirls. Um, and so the fact that we really get to do that, and especially in a state like New Mexico, where that's just that's been the way of life forever, forever and a day. Um you know, somebody reminding me to treasure that. Uh, I really try to do that every single day. Um what else? Just to care for your animals. Care for your animals and take care of them, and they will take care of you. Um, those words are not uh couldn't be more true.

Carollann Romo 30:16

Absolutely. I think I've heard you say that and others say that. Take care of them, they'll take care of you.

SPEAKER_00 30:21

Yeah, it's definitely a circle. It's uh kind of like a kind of like a good vehicle.

Carollann Romo 30:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 30:25

You know?

Carollann Romo 30:26

Yep, gotta take care of her a little. Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 30:29

Put some love into them and they'll take care of you.

Carollann Romo 30:31

Yeah, absolutely. That's that's uh both relatable and and true. Yes, um what's something people might not know about you outside of the beef business?

SPEAKER_00 30:42

Oh, outside of the beef business, um, I will share that it's kind of a fun fact that both my parents um are gener or were are generational ranchers, and uh they both had um some honky tonk bars back in the day in rural New Mexico. My mom's side was in Rociada, New Mexico, and then my dad's side was in Trujillo, New Mexico. Um, so that was just really strange for my parents to come together, and they both had such a similar They both had families that owned a bar. Owned a bar and and started out with sheep. And so that was cool. Um, and then as far as me personally, um not a lot of people know. I used to work on helicopters. I was an electrician on helicopters in the Navy.

Carollann Romo 31:34

Oh my goodness.

SPEAKER_00 31:35

And um, so I'm a very technical person and that's why sometimes I'll read a question and I read it completely different than I than how it's intended. But um yeah, those are some fun facts.

Carollann Romo 31:49

Yeah, those are very interesting. I I feel like being an electrician on on a cattle operation is very handy, probably.

SPEAKER_00 31:58

It it comes in handy. A lot of things are um aptitude, I guess. It just comes, you know.

Carollann Romo 32:04

Yeah, you like uh my my dear friend says everything is figure out. Yes, I bet it's a lot more figure outable when you know electrician and you already know the tools and everything. Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 32:15

Yes, ma'am.

Carollann Romo 32:16

I love that. I love that. That's really thank you. Um is there oh, so this is kind of one of my favorites. Um, why do you do what you do when it's hard, when it's learning curves, when you know the restaurant dream didn't work necessarily. Why do you keep going?

Why Buying Local Beef Matters

SPEAKER_00 32:32

Well, definitely for both the past generations and the future. I mean, that's that's my answer in a nutshell. I um I really, really miss my past generations. Um and uh my son is 19, so I'm really looking forward to future generations. And I just I'm here somewhere stuck in the middle, and I just want to uh leave with more than I was given and and or in better shape. You know, it doesn't necessarily have to be quantity, just just better, better than it was. Um, and so and and for my future grandkids, I will do anything, and I'm already doing everything for them.

Carollann Romo 33:21

That's perfect. That's a great answer for for both the past and the future generations. That's very special.

SPEAKER_00 33:26

Thank you, ma'am. Thank you.

Carollann Romo 33:28

No better, no better inspiration, in my opinion. Um, is there anything you'd like people to better understand about the beef industry or or even just buying beef directly from a producer?

SPEAKER_00 33:39

Yes, I would like to remind people that you are helping out a family, a small local family, not the big four, you know, not huge corporations, um, like Albertson's Smith, Costco, and nothing against these places. You know, I hit them up every Saturday too. But when it comes to beef and um anything that you can, I think just just buying local, you're really making an impact for that family. Um for some people you are the yes to their dream. And um for others, you are the yes to them being able to pay the light bill. And um, you know, for others you're allowing a legacy to to move forward. And for others, you're allowing them to start that legacy. So just buy local, like I said, here in New Mexico, we're everywhere.

Carollann Romo 34:34

Absolutely. And and uh just because I represent all of all of the beef beef producers in the state, and I I will say you have to buy beef where you are too, right? We want you to um we want you to support these small families and local producers, and like you said, sometimes I I have to buy my beef at a grocery store, sometimes economically, sometimes convenience, um, and all of that. And by buying beef where you are at a restaurant, at a grocery store, it also helps you. It also helps every producer's, right? So we really want you to buy beef. Yes. And then and then and then today and in this moment I'll say, and we want you to buy beef from candy, but we also want you to buy beef from any one of our producers on our local beef directory and and all of that, that that buying beef supports a family.

SPEAKER_00 35:22

Yes, ma'am.

Carollann Romo 35:23

Um and that's that's absolutely the story that we like to tell. It does, right?

SPEAKER_00 35:27

Yes, ma'am. I feel that as long as people are buying beef, everybody's winning.

Carollann Romo 35:31

Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. And that's that's even just from my side. You can tell them to buy just from you, right? Um I have I I have to be uh agnostic in the in the sense that we support all beef, right? Yes. Um but absolutely you should tell people uh to support your family. Thank you. Um what advice would you give someone who wants to follow a similar path?

Favorite Cuts And Final Thanks

SPEAKER_00 35:52

I would say do it and don't wait. Uh you know, all these things that you're writing down, jotting down, and planning just start with your processors and schedule a date and make yourself a goal that uh or or s make yourself a date that that you cannot cancel and just hold yourself accountable and you'll be happy that you did.

Carollann Romo 36:16

That's great. Great advice. Um and uh and you're you're living proof that that just do it, right? You did it. Just do it, you just done it.

SPEAKER_00 36:25

Just leap. Just leap. And you'll figure it out along the way.

Carollann Romo 36:28

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 36:29

Life's passing us anyways.

Carollann Romo 36:30

Yeah, well, congratulations on on the fact that you did leap in 2021 and now here you are. Thank you, ma'am. Still still selling beef and and growing. Thank you. Um, so here's a fun question and kind of our final question. What's your current favorite way to eat beef?

SPEAKER_00 36:45

Well, I'm obsessed with chuckstake.

Carollann Romo 36:47

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 36:48

I think that it is just the hidden gem on that animal. Um, and I'm falling in love with oxtail.

Carollann Romo 36:56

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 36:57

So they're they're both kind of, you know, I mean chuck steak, the poor man's ribeye, and then oxtail, just this humble, humble, humble, humble cut. Absolutely. Um, then I'm I'm in love with them both.

Carollann Romo 37:11

Well, if you have recipes for those specific cuts, we'd love to put them on the website and we can link to them or pictures of when you've cooked them.

SPEAKER_00 37:17

Okay. I got all the above.

Carollann Romo 37:19

Yeah, good. That would be great. And then uh cool. Was was there anything else that you'd like to add? Um, maybe you know, we've talked about doing this for a while, something you wanted to make sure and get across. Anything else?

Follow Subscribe And Connect Online

SPEAKER_00 37:29

Um, I think the only thing I'd like to add is how grateful I am for the support from you guys. Um, I don't know, you know, the different demographics of people that are gonna be watching this, but I think it's important that everybody needs to know how supportive our beef council is. Thank you. Um you know, I'm talking packages for customers, um, questions, information. I have never called and either not had a call returned or you guys answered. So um I I think we covered a lot, and but I I I would really I want people to know that we don't have to do this alone. The support and the resources are there, and our beef council is amazing. And thank you for having me.

Carollann Romo 38:13

Oh, that's very gracious of you. Thank you. Well, thank you for agreeing to be on the podcast, to share what you know, what you do, um, and and most importantly, thank you for your commitment to help feed the world and to feed New Mexicans with high-quality protein.

SPEAKER_00 38:27

So thank you.

Carollann Romo 38:28

Yeah, thank you again, and and thanks for thanks to our listeners for listening to another podcast.

SPEAKER_00 38:34

It's been a pleasure.

Carollann Romo 38:36

Behind the Burger is produced by the New Mexico Beef Council to celebrate the people and stories behind New Mexico Beef. Thanks for listening. Follow the show so you never miss an episode and connect with us on social media for more behind the scenes stories and updates. You can find us on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube at NM Beef and on Facebook at NM Beef Council. We'll see you next time. And until then, beef, it's what's for dinner.