Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kara Smith. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Kara , thanks for joining us today. Let’s jump to the end – what do you want to be remembered for?

As you can imagine, when you are the 5th generation on the family ranch, the legacy is quite deep. Hence, the responsibility of passing that on to our girls (generation six) is one that’s not taken lightly.

The original homestead site is a half a mile from where my husband, the girls and I call home today. My family came out to Colorado during the Enlarged Homestead Act of the early 1900s. My great, great grandfather settled here because the grass was as tall as his horse’s belly. Each time I drive down the dirt road past that set of trees, something reignites inside of me knowing the history and the future ahead.

Generations before me have withstood drought, war, economic crisis, and likely any other challenge we can dream up. My challenges come in the form of regulatory risk, water availability, land management, but I strive for the result to be the same… being afforded the opportunity to pass the ranch on to the 6th generation. My desire is that my children know I did right by the land, the animals, and my family so they are able to make the choice to continue this way of life into the seventh generation.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My story starts by being the 2nd born rancher’s daughter. Dad wanted boys, he got two girls. Growing up, I did not realize the ranching world was primarily a male-dominated world. My sister and I were dad’s most trusted ranch hands. We were involved in every aspect of ranch life, from feeding calves in the cold, blowing snow to gathering cattle horseback in the summer heat.

The ranching way of life and beef industry chose me at birth. When it was time to choose a career path, I chose it. All roads of my education and private industry work led to keeping cattle healthy, allowing them to thrive and ultimately producing a high-quality beef product to sustain lives. A life must end for us to live and thrive. Producing cattle with that end in mind, makes me humble in my respect for them and ensures our caretaking practices are always top notch to honor that sacrifice. Our customers have found solace in knowing who and how their beef was produced. They can be proud of what they bring to the table, while we remain honored to provide it to them.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Authenticity. We strive to be authentic in all that we do. If you have questions about the industry or our beef, just ask. A direct line to us in on the top of the website. In that, my husband handles all our customer service and does a stellar job of fielding interactions directly with our customers. This level of service complimented with the high-quality beef product we send directly to our customers door sets us apart.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

We bootstrapped the formation of Colorado Craft Beef. The idea of this new business stemmed from a conversation with my dad on a rainy summer day after moving cattle. My husband and I asked him if we could run the ranch the same way he has for the past 30 years and to our surprise he said “no, you have to find a different way.” Not due to mismanagement in any way, but a difference in banking rules, high cost of entrance and the risk of financial catastrophe with the high capital involved in the industry.

From there, we brainstormed how we innovate to stay viable for the next generation. That’s how my vision of connecting consumers to a beef experience starting at the ranch came about. In essence, we changed from a commodity driven price taking model to honing in on quality and value backed model that helps us and our customers.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://coloradocraftbeef.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coloradocraftbeef/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coloradocraftbeef
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/coloradocraftbeef
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/colocraftbeef
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzAEju_SX9C4r5W6PWTOUGQ

Image Credits
Landscape Views-For the West and Wild Photo Summer Sausage- Wise Men Company