--- title: "40 Years Later: The Evolving Demand for Value-Added Beef" description: Explore 40 years of Samson and the beef industry—from traceability, NHTC and Verified Natural, to major market moves throughout the decades. image: https://samson-inc.com/hubfs/006_Muellers25-1.jpg --- [Skip to content](https://samson-inc.com/blog/40-years-in-the-cattle-industry-the-evolving-demand-for-value-added-beef#main-content) [![Samson Logo](https://samson-inc.com/hs-fs/hubfs/samson_logo.jpg?width=200&height=92&name=samson_logo.jpg)](https://samson-inc.com/) - [Process Verified Program](https://samson-inc.com/samson-process-verified-programs) Show submenu for Process Verified Program - [PVP Information](https://samson-inc.com/samson-process-verified-programs) - [Documents](https://samson-inc.com/samson-documents) - [Tag Lookup](https://samson-inc.com/tag-lookup) - [On-Premise Verification](https://samson-inc.com/on-premise-verification) - [SMART+](https://samson-inc.com/smart-programs) Show submenu for SMART+ - [SMART+ Program](https://samson-inc.com/samson-smart-plus) - [EcoSmart Beef](https://samson-inc.com/ecosmart-beef) - [Advertise](https://samson-inc.com/cattle-marketing-page) Show submenu for Advertise - [Program Cattle for Sale](https://samson-inc.com/program-cattle-for-sale) - [Buyers In Search of Cattle](https://samson-inc.com/buyers-searching-for-program-cattle) - About Show submenu for About - [Approved NHTC & SVN Feedlots](https://samson-inc.com/hubfs/NHTC%20Feedlot%20Suppliers.pdf?hsLang=en) - [Approved Auction Markets](https://samson-inc.com/hubfs/Approved%20Auction%20Markets-1.pdf?hsLang=en) - [Program News & Tips](https://samson-inc.com/blog) - [Meet the Team](https://samson-inc.com/meet-the-samson-staff) Open main navigation Close main navigation - [Process Verified Program](https://samson-inc.com/samson-process-verified-programs) Show submenu for Process Verified Program - [PVP Information](https://samson-inc.com/samson-process-verified-programs) - [Documents](https://samson-inc.com/samson-documents) - [Tag Lookup](https://samson-inc.com/tag-lookup) - [On-Premise Verification](https://samson-inc.com/on-premise-verification) - [SMART+](https://samson-inc.com/smart-programs) Show submenu for SMART+ - [SMART+ Program](https://samson-inc.com/samson-smart-plus) - [EcoSmart Beef](https://samson-inc.com/ecosmart-beef) - [Advertise](https://samson-inc.com/cattle-marketing-page) Show submenu for Advertise - [Program Cattle for Sale](https://samson-inc.com/program-cattle-for-sale) - [Buyers In Search of Cattle](https://samson-inc.com/buyers-searching-for-program-cattle) - About Show submenu for About - [Approved NHTC & SVN Feedlots](https://samson-inc.com/hubfs/NHTC%20Feedlot%20Suppliers.pdf?hsLang=en) - [Approved Auction Markets](https://samson-inc.com/hubfs/Approved%20Auction%20Markets-1.pdf?hsLang=en) - [Program News & Tips](https://samson-inc.com/blog) - [Meet the Team](https://samson-inc.com/meet-the-samson-staff) Aug 27, 2026, 1:39:55 PM # 40 Years Later: The Evolving Demand for Value-Added Beef [Samson Communications Team](https://samson-inc.com/blog/author/samson-communications-team) Share: [facebook-f icon](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://samson-inc.com/blog/40-years-in-the-cattle-industry-the-evolving-demand-for-value-added-beef) [linkedin-in icon](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://samson-inc.com/blog/40-years-in-the-cattle-industry-the-evolving-demand-for-value-added-beef) [Twitter icon](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://samson-inc.com/blog/40-years-in-the-cattle-industry-the-evolving-demand-for-value-added-beef) [pinterest-p icon](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/link/?url=https://samson-inc.com/blog/40-years-in-the-cattle-industry-the-evolving-demand-for-value-added-beef) [envelope icon](mailto:?body=https://samson-inc.com/blog/40-years-in-the-cattle-industry-the-evolving-demand-for-value-added-beef) # A Look Back at 40 Years in the Beef Industry![The Mueller Family](https://samson-inc.com/hs-fs/hubfs/006_Muellers25-1.jpg?width=500&height=333&name=006_Muellers25-1.jpg) It’s Beef Bash week, and as we celebrate 40 years in the beef business, we’re taking a look back at where Samson, LLC began, how the beef industry has changed, and how we’ve evolved alongside it. Samson was founded in 1986 as a family-owned feedyard near Platte Center, Nebraska. Over the next four decades, our path followed many of the major changes in the beef industry. In 2001, Samson expanded into commodities brokerage and established Samson Premium Beef, a Source-Verified grid with JBS. The discovery of BSE in the United States in 2003 brought new export regulations and further demonstrated the importance of traceability and documented production practices. In 2005, Samson launched its Source, Age, NHTC, and Samson Verified Natural (SVN) programs, beginning a larger focus on verification and helping producers meet increasingly specific market requirements. The years that followed brought even more changes. International markets placed greater emphasis on age and production verification, while programs for Japan, Saudi Arabia, and China created new opportunities for cattle that could meet specific export requirements. Samson introduced its Vet Quality Assurance program in 2012 and added an Export Verification Program for China in 2017. The beef industry then faced another major disruption in 2020 as COVID-19 affected markets and the supply chain. Through each of these changes, one thing remained consistent: the market continued to evolve, and producers needed reliable ways to meet its requirements. ![\_Q9A9642](https://samson-inc.com/hs-fs/hubfs/_Q9A9642.jpg?width=300&height=200&name=_Q9A9642.jpg) Today, we’re seeing that evolution continue through growing demand for Program Cattle. Marketing commodity beef can be challenging for packers and wholesalers, and Value Added Beef is becoming an increasingly important part of the market. More specific claims and production attributes are being sought by end-users, creating legitimate demand for cattle that can be verified to meet those requirements. Programs such as NHTC and Verified Natural give producers an opportunity to participate in those markets and provide buyers with greater confidence in the attributes of the cattle they purchase. That’s where Third-Party Verification plays an important role. As beef programs become more specific, independent verification helps connect production practices to the claims being made about the finished product. At Samson, we’re proud to facilitate that process. Our role is to verify with integrity, provide confidence throughout the supply chain, and help producers participate in markets where verified attributes are valued. Our programs have continued to evolve with the industry. In 2024, Samson added verification for Lifetime Grass Fed, Domestic Hormone-Free, and Non-GMO claims. In 2025, we launched the SMART program to verify animal handling claims. These additions reflect the same principle that has guided Samson for 40 years: listen to what the market is asking for and build reliable verification around those demands. Forty years in, the beef industry looks very different from the one Samson entered in 1986. But our commitment to strong relationships, trusted partnerships, and adding value through verification has remained constant. We’re grateful to the producers, customers, partners, and friends who have been part of our story, and we’re excited to continue following where the market leads. ![Programs- Beef Bash 2026](https://samson-inc.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Programs-%20Beef%20Bash%202026.png?width=1275&height=1650&name=Programs-%20Beef%20Bash%202026.png)   [Promoting The Programs](https://samson-inc.com/blog/tag/promoting-the-programs) ## Related posts [![Program Cattle are the Smart Move](https://samson-inc.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Marketing%20Options-1.png?height=200&name=Marketing%20Options-1.png)](https://samson-inc.com/blog/program-cattle-a-reliable-strategy-in-changing-times) [Program Updates](https://samson-inc.com/blog/tag/program-updates) ## [Program Cattle: A Reliable Strategy in Changing Times](https://samson-inc.com/blog/program-cattle-a-reliable-strategy-in-changing-times) [Samson Communications Team](https://samson-inc.com/blog/author/samson-communications-team) Apr 30, 2025, 8:30:00 AM As summer sale season approaches, cattle producers across the country are getting ready to bring... [Read more](https://samson-inc.com/blog/program-cattle-a-reliable-strategy-in-changing-times) [![Samson Verified Cattle](https://samson-inc.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Through%20it%20all%2c%20producers%20worked%20with%20Samson%20to%20navigate%20this%20complex%20landscape.%20When%20third-party%20verification%20through%20Samson%20is%20a%20constant%20in%20your%20operation%2c%20you%20can%20be%20flexible%20and%20ready%20to%20reac.png?height=200&name=Through%20it%20all%2c%20producers%20worked%20with%20Samson%20to%20navigate%20this%20complex%20landscape.%20When%20third-party%20verification%20through%20Samson%20is%20a%20constant%20in%20your%20operation%2c%20you%20can%20be%20flexible%20and%20ready%20to%20reac.png)](https://samson-inc.com/blog/built-for-todays-beef-industry-why-verified-cattle-are-a-smart-move-for-2026) [Tips from Samson](https://samson-inc.com/blog/tag/tips-from-samson) ## [Built for Today’s Beef Industry: Why Verified Cattle Are a Smart Move for 2026](https://samson-inc.com/blog/built-for-todays-beef-industry-why-verified-cattle-are-a-smart-move-for-2026) [Samson Communications Team](https://samson-inc.com/blog/author/samson-communications-team) Jan 8, 2026, 2:22:01 PM 2025 with Samson In a beef industry shaped by tighter supplies, global competition, and increasing... [Read more](https://samson-inc.com/blog/built-for-todays-beef-industry-why-verified-cattle-are-a-smart-move-for-2026) [![Understanding EID Tags](https://samson-inc.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Understanding%20EID%20Tags.png?height=200&name=Understanding%20EID%20Tags.png)](https://samson-inc.com/blog/understanding-eid-tags-840-tags-program-compliant-tags-and-standard-tags) [Program Updates](https://samson-inc.com/blog/tag/program-updates), [Tips from Samson](https://samson-inc.com/blog/tag/tips-from-samson) ## [Understanding EID Tags: 840 Tags, Program Compliant Tags, and Standard Tags](https://samson-inc.com/blog/understanding-eid-tags-840-tags-program-compliant-tags-and-standard-tags) [Samson Communications Team](https://samson-inc.com/blog/author/samson-communications-team) Nov 17, 2025, 3:05:08 PM All EID Tags are Not the Same [Read more](https://samson-inc.com/blog/understanding-eid-tags-840-tags-program-compliant-tags-and-standard-tags) facebook-f icon instagram icon - [Process Verified Program](https://samson-inc.com/samson-process-verified-programs) - [PVP Information](https://samson-inc.com/samson-process-verified-programs) - [Documents](https://samson-inc.com/samson-documents) - [Tag Lookup](https://samson-inc.com/tag-lookup) - [On-Premise Verification](https://samson-inc.com/on-premise-verification) - [SMART+](https://samson-inc.com/smart-programs) - [SMART+ Program](https://samson-inc.com/samson-smart-plus) - [EcoSmart Beef](https://samson-inc.com/ecosmart-beef) - [Advertise](https://samson-inc.com/cattle-marketing-page) - [Program Cattle for Sale](https://samson-inc.com/program-cattle-for-sale) - [Buyers In Search of Cattle](https://samson-inc.com/buyers-searching-for-program-cattle) - About - [Approved NHTC & SVN Feedlots](https://samson-inc.com/hubfs/NHTC%20Feedlot%20Suppliers.pdf?hsLang=en) - [Approved Auction Markets](https://samson-inc.com/hubfs/Approved%20Auction%20Markets-1.pdf?hsLang=en) - [Program News & Tips](https://samson-inc.com/blog) - [Meet the Team](https://samson-inc.com/meet-the-samson-staff) Phone: (402) 606-4096     Email: [contact@samson-inc.com](mailto:contact@samson-inc.com)     Fax: (402) 606-4161 --- 2204 14th Street, Columbus, NE 68601 Copyright © 2024, Samson, LLC. ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Samson Communications Team", "url" : "https://samson-inc.com/blog/author/samson-communications-team" }, "dateModified" : "2026-08-27T19:02:52.919Z", "datePublished" : "2026-08-27T18:39:55.000Z", "headline" : "40 Years Later: The Evolving Demand for Value-Added Beef", "image" : [ "https://samson-inc.com/hubfs/006_Muellers25-1.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://samson-inc.com/blog/40-years-in-the-cattle-industry-the-evolving-demand-for-value-added-beef", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://samson-inc.com/hubfs/samson_logo.jpg" }, "name" : "Samson, LLC" } } ```