Letter from Jim Scanga
Nutrition – March 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine
[Editor’s note: Jim Scanga called to share some thoughts he had regarding Hal Walter’s recent column, “A Regional Answer to the Food-Supply Questions.” Upon realizing that Jim had much to say on this issue, we asked him to write a letter to the magazine and he agreed. Thank you, Jim, for this thought-provoking rebuttal.]
Thousands of cattle are calved and raised in Central Colorado each year. Most are sold at auction for either breeding stock or to be finished on corn and grain products in feedlots. Regional ranchers have known for decades that trying to market their animals directly to consumers would not only be a merchandising challenge but also an inefficient enterprise considering the low volume of animals that a rancher can sell in this manner. After all, selling directly to the consumer would create a whole new business with a whole different set of problems.