©Derek Sample written and illustrated by Derek Sample. Derek@ABPmag.com
Some weeks ago in Riverton, Wyoming, a quiet minute held in the celebrity judge’s room at the Rendezvous City Beef Roundup. Then we could hear one of the judges asking Tyler McCann, founder of this event, “Can we try cut #13 again?” The rest of the judges also piped up, discussing how they kept thinking of entry #13 and wanted more. That night, the competition's winner was a clear choice: #13 was awarded the title of “Best Beef in the West,” or as a few judges later confessed, “probably in the whole country!" Sawmill Creek Farms. Richmond, MI -
looked at each other, and we’ve been drinking coffee all our lives, and we learned so much that day. So, we That evening, Tyler announced that the beef was a Holstein cut from Sawmill Creek Farms in Richmond, said, if we’re not doing this with beef, we’re stupid. So, they started it as a state-wide event, which grew to be Michigan. Everybody was impressed. Tyler heard of very popular, “We need to highlight our beef productheir growing Farm to Table operation and contacters and ultimately make sure that people are aware of ed the owners, Sarah and Nick Knust, to ask if they how to access them.” Well, word got out, and everywanted to enter his Best Beef competition. Sarah said she hadn’t ever done anything like this before but then body wanted in. Beef producers called Tyler from said, “Why not?” I talked with Sarah for about an hour all over the country, “This is amazing, and we don’t understand how you’re doing this. We couldn’t do this and discovered that she and her husband were runin our state. Can we compete?” ning a small operation that’s…not so small anymore. The Roundup now has two “Best Beef ” competiIt's snowballing in such a great way that they keep expanding to keep up with the demand. More on that tions. The first is the “Open Division,” with 21 entries from 15 states as far east as New York and New Jersey. in a minute… The prize winners will be chosen by celebrity judges Local rancher Tyler McCann created this event about 5 years ago, which has grown uncommonly fast who are professionals and/or avid beef eaters with a significant presence in the local area. The next is the while celebrating everything beef. It all started when “Wyoming Division,” which, for VIP ticket holders, Tyler and his wife were at a coffee roasters festival was the dinner during the Roundup. This consisted where they had one of those “aha” moments, “We 22
AMERICAN BEEF PRODUCER
November 2023
