From Butcher Block to Table

November 1, 2022

Brothers’ butcher show meets the meat needs of ranchers and consumers

By Dianna Troyer

Brothers McCrae, left, and Teigan Myers started Myers Bros Meat Co. to fill the community’s need for a local butcher service.

Photos by Carollee Egbert

If only someone would someday open a local butcher shop near Wells, it would enable local ranchers to have their livestock processed close to home for themselves and their friends. Raised on the Broken Circle Cattle Co. ranch about 20 miles west of Wells in Starr Valley, McCrae Myers and his younger brother, Teigan, heard the comments from local residents while growing up.

“There’s always been a need for butchers in Elko County. A lot of ranchers haul their livestock to butchers in the Twin Falls area,” McCrae says of the 4-hour round trip.

The brothers recently granted local residents’ wishes. They became the “someone,” and their “someday” started in March when they launched their small butcher shop on the family ranch, calling it Myers Bros Meat Co.

“We’re here for livestock producers and to support Nevada agriculture,” McCrae says. “Most customers are ranchers who want beef for their own families, or they sell beef directly to their friends and neighbors.”

The brothers have not advertised.

“We haven’t had time to advertise because we’re too busy cutting meat five days a week, 12 hours a day,” McCrae says. “We’re planning to expand, so we’ll need to hire someone to wrap meat as we grow.”

Generally, they process 4 lambs and 4 pigs on Mondays and 3 head of beef the rest of the week.

Teigan Myers, shown butchering, and his brother, McRae, completed 900 hours of training to open their local butcher business.

“We’re booked about three months out with people from Ruby Valley to Clover Valley,” Teigan says. “People are willing to wait.”

They say their business has been bustling for a couple of reasons. The pasture-to-plate movement gained popularity when the COVID-19 pandemic caused disruptions to meat processing plants and the consumer market. Also recent inflation has increased meat prices at stores.

“People realize that instead of buying meat in the grocery store, it’s cheaper to just buy a half or whole beef directly from a rancher, have it processed and freeze it,” McCrae says.

Depending on the demand, Teigan says they will raise some Black Angus crosses on the ranch and process them for customers.

The Myers brothers learned their craft at Bridgerland Technical College in Logan, Utah, where they graduated with certificates in meat services.

“It was an intense 900-hour program,” Teigan says.

McCrae, 26, was familiar with the technical college’s meat program. He had taken some classes there while earning his undergraduate degree in animal science from Utah State University in Logan.

“Learning how to make the different cuts of meat has always interested me,” McCrae says. “In high school, our ag teacher and FFA adviser, Don Noorda, taught us about it, too.”

McCrae says after graduating from USU and working for a feedlot, he realized he wanted to be self-employed.

“I asked myself what I’d like to do and remembered those meat science classes,” McCrae says. “And there was definitely a need for a butcher shop.”

Brothers Teigan, left, and McCrae are expanding their business by building a processing plant.

He persuaded Teigan, 24, to be his partner.

After graduating from the technical college program, they bought 2 refrigerated containers and put them on the ranch.

“We modified and retrofitted them, so they have water,” Teigan says. “We use one for cutting the meat, and the other to hang meat.”

With a steady flow of customers, the brothers decided to expand and build a 40-foot-by-60-foot processing plant.

“We’re hoping the walls are up by November,” McCrae says. “We look forward to serving our community’s needs.”

For information about the McCrae brothers’ shop, call 775-340-5190.