This Steak-Sharing Startup Targets Foodies Looking for High-End Beef

Crowd Cow delivers premium beef from small, independent farms to foodies nationwide. “People are looking for more clarity about what they’re eating,” says co-founder Ethan Lowry. The company sells one cow at a time, offering shares to customers who’ve signed up for email alerts via Crowd Cow’s website.

① The Farm
Bob and Kate Boyce have been running the Lil’ Ponderosa, a 185-acre farm in Carlisle, Pa., for about 30 years. The farmers, who signed on to supply Crowd Cow in June, own more than 200 purebred Black Angus cattle that are fed grass from birth to harvest. “We’re breeding for the strongest traits possible,” Bob says. “Consistency is one of the biggest problems in the beef business.” The startup lets farmers avoid the sometimes tedious and time-consuming work that goes into selling cows at markets or to high-end restaurants.