8. Tina Timmerman of Oberg Brothers Natural Beef
Lessons Learned Transitioning to USDA Inspection and How to Build a Good Relationship with Your Processor
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show notes
Episode Description:
In this BONUS episode Farm Walks Podcast, we talk about niche meat-marketing with life-long farmer Tina Timmerman of Oberg Brothers Natural Beef in Tonasket, WA. Tina shares the thought process behind transitioning some of their processing to USDA Inspection and outlines important tips to building a positive relationship with your processor. We also go into some of the challenges and opportunities of selling beef at farmers markets. Later in the episode, we talk with Kira Olsen of Smokey Ridge Meats about the processing side of the value-chain, including tips for building a good relationship with your processor.
Born and raised in Okanogan County, Tina Timmerman has enjoyed living on her family owned ranch with her husband Mark Timmerman. Her father and uncle started Oberg Brothers Ranch, raising cattle off the land their grandparents homesteaded. Currently the ranch is operated by the fourth and fifth generations, Mark and Tina along with their son Sean and his wife Heather. Starting in 2000 they created Oberg Brothers Natural Beef, and began selling not only Custom Exempt beef, but also USDA Beef to natural food stores, farmers markets, and restaurants. They dry land farm and the cattle graze on the natural grasses of their property, forest service land, and DNR land. The ranch is BQA certified (Beef Quality Assurance), providing quality ranch management to ensure humanely raised, safe and healthy cattle and grass fed beef for their customers.
Learn More About Farm Walks:
Visit farmwalks.org to learn more about the history of Farm Walks and our pivot to a podcast and stay tuned in for the release of new episodes and interviews! You can even submit questions to farmers through the ASK A FARMER page.
Contributors:
The Farm Walks Podcast is collaboratively organized by WSU Extension, Tilth Alliance and WSU Food Systems. This episode is generously supported by the Methow Conservancy with funds from the USDA Rural Business Development Grant program. And, WA MEAT UP - a collaborative project of WSU and the WSDA - WA Meat Up was created to catalyze collaboration and entrepreneurship along the niche meat supply chain in WA State. Learn more and join the WA MEAT UP network online at wameatup.com
Production Team:
Podcast hosted by Farmer Nicole Witham @farmernicole
Behind the scenes logistics and general wrangling by Erin Murphy and Teri Rakusin
Theme Music is, “Soil of Mississippi” by Abakis @abakismusic
Farm Walks website, logo, and pod art by Riled Up Goats @riledupgoats
Audio engineering and editing by Aaron Mason
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MORE LINKS
Questions about raising and selling meat in Washington State? Check out these resources:
WSDA Regulations for selling beef, pork, lamb, goat, and other meat.
USDA FSIS Summary of Federal Inspection Requirements for Meat Products
Tina talks about developing water programs with FSA. Find more information about that and other programs at the list of FSA Conservation Programs.
Visit Tina and Oberg Brothers Natural Beef at the Wenatchee Valley Farmers Market.