South Jersey Livestock
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The South Jersey Livestock initiative brings together livestock producers, processors, restaurants, retailers, community partners, and consumers to strengthen the entire local beef supply chain. Through producer education, cooperative partnerships, processing solutions, distribution opportunities, and regional branding, we're building a stronger future for beef, pork, and lamb production in South Jersey.
Co-Op Members
Welcome, Co-op members! Access your dedicated hub for the latest cooperative news, educational resources, upcoming events, industry updates, and valuable tools to support your livestock operation. Stay informed, connected, and engaged as we work together to strengthen South Jersey's livestock industry.
Join the Co-Op. Strengthen Local Agriculture.
Be part of something bigger! The South Jersey Livestock Cooperative is bringing together farmers, ranchers, businesses, and industry partners to strengthen our region's livestock industry through education, collaboration, and new market opportunities. Membership is free, with optional opportunities to contribute financially and help support our growing initiatives. Together, we're building a stronger future for South Jersey agriculture.
Eat Local Beef. Support Local Ranchers.
Looking for locally raised beef?
Shop directly from South Jersey cattlemen and know exactly where your food comes from.​​​
Add your ranch.
Are you a local cattle producer and don’t see your farm listed? Submit your information here to be added to our directory.
Advisory Board
South Jersey Preservation is an independent organization structured around a simple approach: identify gaps and build solutions. Rather than maintaining standing committees for every issue, we bring together targeted advisory teams based on the specific challenge at hand. Each advisor is selected for the subject-matter expertise, experience, or relationships needed to help move that initiative forward.
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For the South Jersey Cattlemen’s Cooperative, that means bringing together expertise in cattle production, genetics, processing, nutrition, distribution, business, government, and regional development. This model allows South Jersey Preservation to remain agile - bringing the right people to the table, developing practical solutions, and moving efficiently from identified need to strategy to execution.
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Identify the gap. Assemble the expertise. Build the solution. Execute.
Processing and Fabrication
Michael Bierig
Michael Bierig is a generational South Jersey meat processor with extensive experience in livestock processing and the operational side of bringing locally raised meat from the farm to market.
Michael provides an important processor perspective, helping the Cooperative develop a practical pathway from producer to processor to market while working to strengthen the local processing infrastructure needed to support a growing South Jersey beef industry.
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Ranching and Pasture Management
Grant Harris
Grant Harris is a generational South Jersey cattleman with extensive hands-on experience raising high-quality beef. His expertise includes cattle genetics, breeding selection, pasture and grazing management, and nutrition - all critical factors in producing consistent beef quality, marbling, flavor, and performance.
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Grant brings a producer’s perspective to the Cooperative’s quality standards and educational programs, helping fellow cattlemen understand how decisions made from genetics through finishing can improve both the quality and value of the beef they raise.
SJP Founder and Director
Jennifer Kugler
Jennifer Kugler is the Director of South Jersey Preservation and helps guide the strategy, growth, and execution of the South Jersey Cattlemen’s Cooperative. Having grown up on a farm, Jennifer brings a personal understanding of agriculture together with a professional background in compliance and risk management, project management, strategy, and program execution.
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Jennifer focuses on keeping the initiative moving from ideas to action - helping organize efforts, build partnerships, identify opportunities, manage priorities, and provide the structure needed to support the Cooperative’s long-term growth and success.
Fabrication and Distribution
Ray Rastelli
Ray Rastelli Jr. is the founder and president of Rastelli Food Group, a South Jersey-based family business that he grew from a small neighborhood butcher shop into a vertically integrated global food company with USDA-inspected processing, fabrication, distribution, retail, foodservice, and direct-to-consumer operations.
Over nearly five decades, Ray has built extensive experience in meat processing, beef quality, food safety, distribution, and bringing premium products to market.
Imports and Agriculture
Fred Sorbello
Fred Sorbello brings a valuable combination of hands-on farming experience and international agricultural business knowledge to the South Jersey Cattlemen’s Cooperative.
As both a farmer and global importer, Fred understands agriculture from two important perspectives - the realities producers face on the farm and the larger supply chains, markets, and economics that influence how agricultural products move and compete.
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Policy and Growth
Daniel Timmerman
Daniel Timmerman brings a valuable combination of local government experience, legal knowledge, and regional economic development insight to the South Jersey Cattlemen’s Cooperative.
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​Daniel helps connect the initiative with local government, businesses, community organizations, and potential regional partners, supporting the long-term goal of building a stronger and more sustainable cattle and beef industry in South Jersey.
Explore South Jersey Beef
Our Strategic Pillars
Cattleman Success
Helping farms become more profitable and sustainable.
Processing & Infrastructure
Expanding local processing capacity and strengthening the regional supply chain.
Market Development
Connecting producers with restaurants, retailers, institutions, and consumers.
Regional Identity
Building South Jersey Beef into a trusted regional brand.
Mission Statement
Strengthening family farms through collaboration, education, market development, and regional partnerships while building a resilient local beef industry that preserves South Jersey's agricultural heritage, supports rural economies, and connects communities with locally raised beef.