US Foods® Austin connects customer chefs and the salesforce team from Kreuz Market with Worrell Enterprises LLC, Mason, Texas, owned by James, Shannon and Jarrett Worrell, for a firsthand ranch visit. The visit allowed the Kreuz team a chance to set foot in a pasture and to interact with livestock and provided further training and education.

The Worrells are fifth-generation Hereford breeders whose multifaceted operation consists of show and sale cattle and features artificial insemination and embryo facilities. For the Worrells, this opportunity allowed them not only to highlight Hereford pedigrees and the history of the breed but also to explain how genetics play a role in beef quality.

“I greatly appreciate that CHB [Certified Hereford Beef®] is working with producers to connect them to other segments of the industry and bridge the gap to tell the Hereford story and legacy,” Shannon Worrell says. “It’s amazing what people learn and walk away with after a ranch tour, especially when they are not in the agricultural industry.”

Andrew Dorsey, with US Foods, says this opportunity is important to connect the restaurants with the communities that raise and grow the food.

“By giving our customers and sellers a firsthand experience with a working Hereford ranch, they are able to speak form the heart about the unique Hereford (breed) that makes Certified Hereford Beef so great,” Dorsey says. “When we show people the wholesome nature of a ranching family, they can speak truth to people who want to spread falsehood about the beef industry. I also really appreciate all the hard work and dedication that it takes to raise these animals and now our team does, too.”