HerdDogg, the agtech innovator that focuses on shifting the value of meat back to the producer, announced the availability of the HerdDogg Traceability Program. By offering a solution that includes premise-based Bluetooth 5 animal sensor tags, wireless readers, and easy-to-develop data sets linked to a physical QR code, HerdDogg enables the QR ‘code of custody’ that tracks local producers’ livestock from pasture to plate. With this solution, HerdDogg aims to increase transparency and trust of American beef and bison for consumers while empowering producers to build brand and animal value—and boost their margins.

“Everyone wants to know where their food comes from, what care was given to the animal, the food miles it traveled, and how locally that meat was raised. It’s clear that informed consumers will pay a premium for a product they can trust,” said Melissa Brandao, HerdDogg’s founder and chief revenue officer. “The problem is that the Big Meat industry is not set up to provide that information. The system in place today is structured to channel all meat through a monolithic operation that obscures provenance details from consumers and diverts profit from ranchers. We want to fix that.”

HerdDogg is on a mission to introduce innovation, traceability and transparency to meat production by supporting the interests of quality-focused producers. The HerdDogg Traceability Program, which is currently being piloted in Wyoming, tracks and preserves the true value of locally grown livestock so that ranchers can retain a larger percentage of the profits.

In Wyoming, for example, just one-third of the beef supply needs are met by local producers, the remainder is trucked in from out-of-state suppliers. Paradoxically, while beef is the #2 industry in the state, 50% of the economic value of that industry leaves the state. By working shoulder-to-shoulder with Wyoming producers, HerdDogg is aiming to create a model for food traceability and transparency that can deliver value for ranchers and consumers nationwide.

“HerdDogg tags generate automated data sets that are layered on with additional data collected by the producers, protocols and programs within the ranch. All that data, along with insights into the region, breed, and flavor profiles are encapsulated in a QR code, which can then be accessed in much the same way today as you access a menu on your phone in a restaurant,” added Brandao.

HerdDogg is perfecting the system in Wyoming to ready it for national release, and has been working closely with the Lockhart Cattle Company, a sixth-generation, family-owned and family-operated ranch located in Wyoming. Lockhart produces top-quality, grass-fed beef to sell locally with an operation that “looks a lot like it did in 1950,” according to Chase Lockhart.

“The key to our business is to increase buyer awareness by telling the story of our family legacy and our commitment to the welfare of our animals here in Jackson Hole. When people pick our meats in the grocery store, the QR code tells that story by providing details about our operation and the care we put into sustainably raising grass-fed beef. That message reaches beyond our region and builds customer loyalty because they know that the Lockhart brand means quality,” said Lockhart.

The HerdDogg Traceability Program is currently open to Wyoming producers, packers, processors and sale barns. To learn more, please visit www.herddogg.com/traceability.