Many years ago, I took a trip to New Zealand with a group of Missouri farmers. We took over coolers of our American beef as a gift. One night at dinner, we cooked it up alongside some of their beef that they had been touting. Guess which one was left over after dinner?

That’s right. The folks from New Zealand were far more interested in our American beef.

The taste, the marbling, the tenderness…simply put, American beef is better.

For years, Missouri cattle producers have endured difficult markets with low profits. That’s turned around a bit lately, but the reality is that the price you pay at the store isn’t all going to the farmer. In fact, much of it goes to one of the big four beef processors who control 85% of the market. Our nation’s cattle herd is at a historic low, and folks are leaving the cattle business because all the work they put in doesn’t seem worth it for the return.

While I believe bringing down the cost of living for American families is important, we can’t do it at the …