A Consumer’s Perception of Beef
Aimee Tice is stay at home mom and cooking enthusiast in Nebraska who chooses to feed her family beef day in and day out. Aimee shares why she chooses to feed her family beef and how it fits into their lifestyle along with her thoughts about buying local. Aimee’s honesty allows beef producers to better understand what matters to the consumer and how they can best connect with people outside of the beef production community.
Tice, her husband and 3 kids live in eastern Nebraska. She went to school for dietetics but currently stays at home with her family. Aimee grew up in a rural community and was used to raising her own meat. While her dad worked construction, they also raised their own hogs and farmed too. She was used to having homegrown meat in her freezer and wants her kids to have this same experience. “When I was little, I legit did not know that meat came from the grocery store. I thought you went out to the freezer full of meat wrapped in white butcher paper with red stamps and picked what you were going to eat for the week. So, I guess I've always had local meat whether it was our own or from neighbors.”, said Tice.
As a mom, Tice is focused on feeding her family the most nutritious meals possible. For her, this means staying away from as many preservatives and pre-packaged foods as possible. “Before I had kids, I wasn't as concerned about where my food came from. Now, as a mom, it's really important to me. I really like to support local on all levels. like I buy my eggs, beef and chicken from local producers.”, said Tice. Aimee also has a garden and tries to get her kids excited about eating fresh foods.
Tice is also an avid cook and grew up with a mom who prepared many meals as opposed to eating out. Tice wants this for her family too. Tice’s favorite beef cut to cook is a roast. She chooses roast because it is consistently good no matter how she prepares it. It is an easy and convenient cut of beef to cook and allows her to use the leftovers for sandwiches and other meals. Another motivation for Tice to continue feeding her family beef is that it meets the needs of her family. Her husband has lost and kept off 140 lbs through clean eating. Her daughter also has sensitivities to dairy. Beef serves as a great protein source that can be fed to her entire family.
You can hear the excitement in Tice’s voice when she speaks about cooking and feeding her family, so it is only fitting that she used the COVID time period to start sharing online and connecting with others in Nebraska. “I had a lot of friends who I think they can boil water, but like they can't do much else besides like spaghetti or macaroni and cheese. We were on lockdown, so I couldn’t go over to their houses and cook. But I knew I could reach them online and decided to start the Facebook group ‘What’s for Dinner Nebraska’.”, said Tice. This group has served as a fun and informal place for Nebraskans to connect, share recipes and teach each other new cooking techniques.
Tice comes from an agriculture background and was familiar with beef before she started buying directly from Oak Barn Beef. However, she says her friends have different views on beef due to their lack of experience with cooking it. “I think most people are familiar with hamburger and feel like it is a nice go to that is versatile. But I think when it kind of comes down to like, even a roast or nice steak people get a little nervous. They are worried about screwing up expensive cuts of beef.”, said Tice.
Tice encourages other consumers who are not involved in beef production to support local farmers and ranchers and buy beef. She says the investment in a deep freeze and making the effort to even split a beef with another family is worth it when you look the quality protein source you can include in your family meals.
Tice is a great example of someone who supports beef and the American dream. Her honest perspective about beef and willingness to share this with her friends and the world is positively impact the beef industry as we know it today.
