*By Madison Alworth* The butchery start-up Crowd Cow wants to revolutionize the way Americans buy meat. The company sells beef from "craft beef purveyors," also known as small farmers. "They are doing it the right way and raising cattle with flavors that are unique to that particular farm," said Joe Heitzberg, co-founder and CEO of Crowd Cow. "The environment they're on, the soil, the many kinds of grasses, and of course, the over 300 breeds of cattle that exist," it all affects how the beef tastes. Craft Cow offers a wide variety of natural beef for customers to choose from on its website, including 100 percent grass-fed, grass-finished, grain-finished, and A5 Wagyu from Japan. Customers choose the cow and the cut they want. After an entire cow has been accounted for, Crowd Cow ships the beef directly from the ranch to customers. Packages of beef around 6 lbs. start at $89 and reach as high as $120. Crowd Cow has raised $8 million in Series A funding, led by Madrona Ventures. Some of the Series A investment also came from the actor Ashton Kutcher. Heitzeberg said that Kutcher reached out in an email. "He said something like 'I'm aware of you guys. I'm interested in what you're doing. I don't know if you know, but I'm an Iowa farm boy and I worked at a butcher shop at one point. And I just really dig it and we should talk," Heitzberg recalled. For full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/getting-a-crowd-together-to-buy-a-cow).

Share:
More In Business
Al Sharpton to lead pro-DEI march through Wall Street
The Rev. Al Sharpton is set to lead a protest march on Wall Street to urge corporate America to resist the Trump administration’s campaign to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The New York civil rights leader will join clergy, labor and community leaders Thursday in a demonstration through Manhattan’s Financial District that’s timed with the anniversary of the Civil Rights-era March on Washington in 1963. Sharpton called DEI the “civil rights fight of our generation." He and other Black leaders have called for boycotting American retailers that scaled backed policies and programs aimed at bolstering diversity and reducing discrimination in their ranks.
A US tariff exemption for small orders ends Friday. It’s a big deal.
Low-value imports are losing their duty-free status in the U.S. this week as part of President Donald Trump's agenda for making the nation less dependent on foreign goods. A widely used customs exemption for international shipments worth $800 or less is set to end starting on Friday. Trump already ended the “de minimis” rule for inexpensive items sent from China and Hong Kong, but having to pay import taxes on small parcels from everywhere else likely will be a big change for some small businesses and online shoppers. Purchases that previously entered the U.S. without needing to clear customs will be subject to the origin country’s tariff rate, which can range from 10% to 50%.
Southwest Airlines’ new policy will affect plus-size travelers. Here’s how
Southwest Airlines will soon require plus-size travelers to pay for an extra seat in advance if they can't fit within the armrests of one seat. This change is part of several updates the airline is making. The new rule starts on Jan. 27, the same day Southwest begins assigning seats. Currently, plus-size passengers can pay for an extra seat in advance and later get a refund, or request a free extra seat at the airport. Under the new policy, refunds are still possible but not guaranteed. Southwest said in a statement it is updating policies to prepare for assigned seating next year.
Load More