COLUMBIA STATION, Ohio — This is one of the busiest times of year for local butcher shops as grilling season gets underway.

What You Need To Know

  • Beef, pork, and poutry prices are rising across the country

  • Local butcher shops in Ohio like Gibbs Butcher Block are having to raise their prices to match the market

  • The average price of ground beef in April was a record $5.80, up 50% from 2019

Jim Dixon has owned Gibbs Butcher Block in Columbia Station for 26 years.

"This is a community store that really feeds off of our locals," Dixon said. “Everything we touch, everything is done every day. The ground meats every day, the steaks every day. It’s fresh, it’s different.” 

Dixon’s butcher shop like many others across the state is concerned about the impact that record high beef prices will have on their businesses. 

“Unfortunately, we have to raise ours, we go with the market," Dixon said. "Things are considerably more expensive than they have been in the past few years.”

Ground Beef is considered one of the more affordable cuts of meat but has surged to $5.80 per pound, which is up more than 50%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Garth Ruff is a field specialist in beef cattle production at The Ohio State University and said shrinking cattle herds are the main cause of the price jump.

“It all has to do with the number of cattle in our herd here in the United States," Ruff said. "We’re looking at the smallest cowherd in 60 years. A lot of that is driven by drought.” 

The rising prices won’t just impact beef at summer cookouts, poultry and pork prices are also expected to rise due to several factors including an increase in production costs and a decrease in labor.

“If we look at how prices have increased, the margin between beef and pork and beef and poultry has stayed steady until recently," Ruff said. "Everything’s kind of coming up.”

For grilling this summer, Ruff recommends trying different types of meat for the most bang for your buck.

“There’s value in the lesser-known cuts of steak," said Ruff. "Flat iron steaks are one that comes to mind, highly marbled, super tender and more affordable than a ribeye or a strip steak.”

As for Dixon, he hopes Gibbs Butcher Block’s all-local selection will continue to help his business in the face of record-high prices.

“All our chicken, whole chickens, the wings, they’re all from local sources," Dixon said. "The bacon’s local. Of course, our sausage products are local. It’s very important to these local communities and it makes a huge difference in sales.”