On Aug. 21, President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that for the next 90 days hewould ease tariffs on up to 300,000 metric tons of ground beef imported into the United States.
Trumpsigned an executive order
formalizing the move Aug. 26. The deal includes allowing foreign ground beef exporters to sell their product at a 25% discount in exchange for not paying U.S. out-of-quota tariffs on foreign beef.Following Trump's announcement, the Tennessee Farm Bureau put out a statement saying it was "frustrated" with Trump's move.
"Tennessee cattle producers understand the importance of affordable prices, but rebuilding the US cattle herd takes time. Making short-term, quick responses to long-term challenges will hurt Tennessee cattle producers,
especially during a time when strong prices for beef are the sole bright spot of the US agricultural economy," TFB President Eric Mayberry said in an official statement released on Aug. 22.
The Tennessee Cattlemen's Association was also unhappy withTrump's decision.
"Increasing imports of government-subsidized, below-market beef risks weakening producer confidence at the very time we need cattlemen investing in herd expansion," TCA's Executive Vice President Dale Parker said.
With multiple cattle and farming organizations inTennessee feeling frustrated by Trump easing imported beef tariffs and the influx of imported beef, here are 10 local East Tennessee farms that sell their beef products.
Bales Family Farm, New Market, Tennessee
Bales Family Farm is owned and operated by third-generation farmers in New Market. The farm's beef is pasture-raised. The farm sells both beef and pork products, which are available for pickup at 1009 Whitaker Road. Products are usually ready within 24 hours of an order being placed.
Bryant Beef, Dandridge, Tennessee
Bryant Beef specializes in raising livestock to aid in herd expansion for both itself and other farmers, according to its website.
Products from Bryant Beef are available both for pickup at 1202 Zirkle Road and for delivery. Customers are able to schedule a delivery day for products from beef to dog treats that the farm sells.
Dudash Farms, New Market, Tennessee
Dudash Farms has been operating in Jefferson County since 2005, according to its website. The farm's products are available year-round at Martha's Market and available seasonally at the Dandridge Farmers Market from April 11 to Oct. 17.
Dudash Farms also delivers to Jefferson County and other surrounding counties. In addition to beef products, it also offers pork products.
The Farm at Spring Creek, Greeneville, Tennessee
The Farm at Spring Creek began operating in the 1990s under Lyle and Jeanne Weems and is now operated by their grandson and wife, third-generation farmers TJ and Erin Turner, according to the farm's website.
Although based in Greeneville, The Farm at Spring Creek says it ships almost anywhere in the United States. In addition to standard cuts of beef, the farm offers "Beef Box Monthly Subscriptions" so customers can have a scheduled monthly delivery.
Holston Beef Company, Sullivan County, Tennessee
Holston Beef Company, like many other local options, is owned and operated by multi-generational farmers. The "lush pastures of the Appalachian Highlands" have some of the best grass in the world for cows to graze, according to Holston Beef Company's website.
The farm normally sells at the Kingsport Farmers Market and offers lamb, bison, and other meats in addition to beef products. An online store will be launching soon, according to the website.
Riverview Family Farm, West Knoxville, Tennessee
Riverview Family Farm is over two centuries old, dating back to 1801, and has remained in the Williams family for six generations. The farm has produced a number of products throughout its history, but now specializes in Black Angus beef, according to its website.
To purchase beef from Riverview Family Farm, customers will need to fill out a beef ordering form. In addition to selling local beef products, the farm began operating as an event venue in 2012.
Sideline Farms, Chuckey, Tennessee
Another older farm, Sideline Farms has been operating since 1858. Hay and dairy heifers are raised alongside Angus and Limousin cattle at this 190-acre farm in the Pleasant Vale community of Chuckey, according to Sideline Farms' website.
The farm gives customers purchase options like buying beef from a quarter of a cow, a half of a cow, or a whole cow. It also has pay-per-pound options of popular cuts like filet mignon and New York strip steaks if buying a whole cow isn't for you.
Smelcer's Farm, Seymour, Tennessee
All beef at Smelcer's Farm is antibiotic, artificial hormone and preservative free, according to its website. The farm offers both grain and grass-fed cattle, all of which are raised on the farm's property in Seymour.
Products like ground beef, steaks, stew, cube steak roasts, bones and others are sold by Smelcer's Farm, which posts what it has available on its Facebook page. There is also a contact form on its website.
Smoky Mountain Cattle Co., Maryville, Tennessee
Smoky Mountain Cattle Co. was founded in 2019 by Matt Vick, who grew up on a cattle farm and has a "deep passion for sustainable agriculture and a commitment to producing the highest quality beef," according to the website.
This Maryville farm specializes in full-blood Japanese Black Wagyu cattle and offers several products, which it says are the "pinnacle of beef quality" that are available for delivery.
Windswept Farm, Delano, Tennessee
Windswept Farm in McMinn County dates back to 1832, but it wasn't until 2022 that the owners bought two red Wagyu bulls, expanded their cattle herd and began offering beef for local families to buy, according to its website.
All of Windswept Farm's products are from grass-fed cattle, and the farm has an online store where people can purchase beef products. The farm says it will contact customers after receiving an order so it can arrange delivery fulfillment.
Why did Trump ease tariffs on imported beef?
Cattle herd numbers in the United States are the lowest they have been in 75 years. Ranchers had to cut their herds after a drought lasting several years caused grazing land to burn up, according to USA TODAY. There has also been an increase in feed costs that has reduced cattle herds.
The low U.S. cattle stock drove up beef prices by over 122% in the last five years, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.
In his Truth Social post, Trump said the ease on imported beef tariffs would lower costs while U.S. ranchers rebuilt their herds.
"Today, I concluded a deal to substantially lower the price of ground beef for working American families. As everyone knows, under President Biden, beef prices soared at their fastest rate and the American beef herd fell to its smallest size in modern history," Trump's post said.
Afton Pratt covers trending news for The Knoxville News Sentinel and Tennessee. She can be reached at ampratt@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Want local beef? Here are 10 East Tennessee farms selling it amid Trump's import push
