John Roswech is on a mission to direct market North Dakota beef to consumers. For many years, the east coast native worked in the technology industry selling e-commerce software. Roswech first became familiar with the state 20 years ago on a pheasant hunting trip. Eventually, he made a permanent move in 2011 and purchased a farmstead with pastureland. After the move, Roswech asked himself on simple question: How can I provide for my family? That’s how South 40 Farms came to be. “When I started purchasing cattle a year ago, I did the math on 100, 200 and 300 head. The math didn’t work.” That’s when Roswech had the idea to build a local beef processing plant to sell northern raised beef to consumers in the coastal states. “I penciled out the math, again, and it started to add up if I could become vertically integrated. The other part of this plan to partner with local ranchers to help them sell directly to consumers.” The new 5,500 square foot beef processing facility broke ground on September 30 and will eventually be able to process over 150 head per day. The federally inspected facility hopes to open its doors on March 1, 2021. Learn more about South 40 Beef in this Red River Farm Network interview.