Direct marketing by Colorado beef producers is a growing opportunity that leverages interest in local foods and demand for more food market options There are several strategies producers can adopt to direct market beef, all with different market strategies and new risks to consider Communities will likely benefit from more direct marketed beef if it allows more of the food dollar to stay with farms (and processors) in their region but policy leaders should consider how to help mitigate risks producer face in these markets Introduction and Background Since 2020, an increasing number of producers are realizing how reliant the cattle processing sector is on the 4 largest cattle processors which has led to an increase of smaller meat processing facilities and direct to consumer beef (Miller 2022).…