Raised Right with The Spells

What does it really take to raise American beef—and why is it getting harder for family ranches to survive? Ben Spell sits down at Ladder Ranch in Wyoming with Eamon O’Toole, a fifth-generation rancher whose family has worked the land for 145 years. Together, they go behind the scenes of American ranching, from raising cattle and caring for the land to the economics, drought, rising costs, imported beef, and the challenges facing the next generation of ranchers. This isn't just a conversation about beef. It's about family, work ethic, stewardship, legacy, and preserving a way of life that most Americans will never experience firsthand—but all of us depend on. Eamon shares what it actually costs to raise cattle, why drought makes growing the national herd so difficult, why access to land is becoming a major barrier for young ranchers, and what he believes consumers should understand about where their beef comes from. They also tackle the questions surrounding imported beef, traceability, Country of Origin Labeling, and what happens when imported meat enters the American beef supply chain. And at the end, Ammon answers the question at the heart of this podcast: What does it mean to be Raised Right? “Having the right values and work ethic...and you want to be a contributing member of society.” ABOUT RAISED RIGHT Raised Right with Ben & Corley Spell is about what it takes to build a life worth passing down—from marriage, faith and raising four kids to building Good Ranchers and fighting for American agriculture. :headphones: Listen to Raised Right: Available wherever you listen to podcasts. :cut_of_meat: GOOD RANCHERS Good Ranchers is committed to bringing families 100% American meat while supporting the American farmers and ranchers who raise it. :studio_microphone: EAMON O’TOOLE / LADDER RANCH Learn more about Eamon O’Toole, Ladder Ranch, and his work in American agriculture: @ otooleeamon :calling: Follow Raised Right: Instagram: @ raisedrightpod YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFEjG4KI6MuY&si=S6nGOPvP0P1SWA4S Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/raised-right-with-the-spells/id6808347358

Why is beef so expensive—and will importing more beef actually fix the problem? In the first episode of Raised Right with the Spells, Ben and Corley Spell take on the beef-price crisis, America’s shrinking cattle herd, the push to import 300,000 metric tons of beef, and the fight for country-of-origin labeling. But this conversation is about much more than the price of a pound of ground beef. Ben and Corley Spell explain why cattle can't simply be produced overnight, why American ranchers need confidence to rebuild their herds, and why a short-term price fix may not solve a decades-old problem. They also talk about food security, American agriculture, consumer choice, faith, stewardship, and what it means to leave a stronger food system for the next generation. IN THIS EPISODE: • Why beef prices are so high • What imported beef can—and can't—solve • Why America's cattle herd has been shrinking • Why country-of-origin labeling matters • The challenges facing independent American ranchers • How concentrated beef processing affects the market • What consumers can do to support American agriculture • Why food security is about more than what's on your grocery bill • The role of faith and stewardship in protecting what we pass down Subscribe to Raised Right for more conversations about the things that matter most—and what we're leaving behind for our kids. #RaisedRight #GoodRanchers #AmericanAgriculture #BeefPrices #AmericanRanchers

We’ve spent years behind the guest mic. Now it’s our turn. @ben_spell and @corleyspell are officially taking the mic with Raised Right Podcast. We’re talking faith, family, marriage, food, building @goodranchers and the convictions that have shaped all of it. The stories we’ve shared before. The ones we haven’t. And plenty of conversations we think are worth having. Welcome to Raised Right with The Spells.