What’s really happening with beef right now? Why do prices feel volatile, headlines feel confusing, and farmers feel squeezed, even as demand stays strong?

In this episode of One Bite is Everything, I’m joined by Dave Fischer, founder of Fischer Farms, for a wide-ranging and deeply honest conversation about the modern beef system and the quiet forces shaping what ends up on our plates.

Dave brings a rare perspective. He’s a lifelong farmer and a former industrial engineer who spent years working in global supply chain management before returning to the land. That combination allows him to see what most of us can’t: how efficiency, consolidation, and scale have reshaped beef production, often at the expense of quality, resilience, and farmer power.

We talk about:

1. Why beef prices rise and fall and why rebuilding the national herd takes years, not months
2. How consolidation in processing leaves farmers as price takers instead of price makers
3. What really drives methane emissions and why soil biology matters more than headlines suggest
4. How quality signals disappear as beef moves through the industrial supply chain
5. Why regional, mid-scale food systems are essential if we want resilience and transparency
6. What it actually takes to sell high-quality beef to restaurants, schools, and institutions

This conversation isn’t about nostalgia or purity tests. It’s about systems. It’s about understanding how our food quietly became industrialized while many of us weren’t paying attention and why lived experience from farmers on the front lines is essential if we’re going to fix what’s broken.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by conflicting messages about beef, climate, health, or food policy, this episode will help you connect the dots and ask better questions.

Because one bite really is everything.

Use code ONEBITE here for $25 off your first order

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👏 The OBIE Team

Dana DiPrima, host & producer

Sonia Dhillon, co-producer & editor

Russell Chapa, sound engineer & original music

One Bite is Everything was selected to join Heritage Radio Network, home to the most influential voices in food.