McDonalds riding wave of beef’s popularity, price

Phillips feed lot owner says comfort, consistency puts pounds on calves 

  • Francis McDonald stands in front of one of many cattle pens at the feed lot he and his brother, John, operate with the help of their sons near Phillips. Although they’re paying more for feeder calves these days because of the shortage caused by recent droughts in cow country, they’re also enjoying higher prices for their finished product due in part to the current popularity of beef.
    Francis McDonald stands in front of one of many cattle pens at the feed lot he and his brother, John, operate with the help of their sons near Phillips. Although they’re paying more for feeder calves these days because of the shortage caused by recent droughts in cow country, they’re also enjoying higher prices for their finished product due in part to the current popularity of beef.
    For Phillips cattlemen Francis and John McDonald, beef is not only what’s for dinner, it’s what’s trending in ag these days. The two brothers, along with four of their sons, operate the F.J.M. Farms cattle feedlot located several miles northeast of Phillips along the Platte River. Working seven days a week the six men feed more than 5,000 feeder calves every day, working to put a...

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