With some of his 600 head of cattle looking on, Rolling Hills Angus Farm owner Chris Derks, left, explains some of the operation of the King City , Mo., farm to Rick Pinkerman, Bethany, and Jim Norwood, Weston, during Missouri Agriculture’s Lunch and Learn Series on Tuesday. Missouri cattlemen send more than 1.5 billion pounds of beef to market annually, making beef production a major segment in agriculture.

KING CITY, Mo. — With costs rising, beef producers who hope to remain profitable must find their niche in a tough market.

Chris and Cas Derks showed how they make their all-natural Angus herd successful in rural Gentry County during the Missouri Agriculture Lunch and Learn Series on Tuesday.

For the Derks family, all-natural means the cattle never receive hormones or antibiotics, eat a vegetarian diet and receive humane treatment. So when the family works cattle, they can’t use the trusty old electric cattle prod.

“Do we have a Hot Shot? Yes we do, and it’s hanging up on the wall. My dad asks ‘Why don’t you put some batteries in that thing so we can use it?’”

Auditors occasionally check to make sure the Derks’ herd meets all-natural standards, but for the most part, the label depends on a signed affidavit. The signature says it’s all-natural Angus beef, and the customers choose whether to believe it.

“It’s all about how much your name is worth, and our name is worth an awful lot to us,” Mr. Derks said.

The extra work is worthwhile, as buyers pay a premium for all-natural beef. Customers from as far away as Japan have visited the farm in search of quality beef.

The origins of each animal on the farm can be easily traced. All 600 cows in the Derks’ herd trace back to 40 heifers purchased 50 years ago. All artificial insemination comes from one bull, and the bulls purchased for the farm are all brothers that come from that same sire. The result: cattle that Mr. Derks said he cannot tell apart without brands and ear tags.

“They’re just like peas in a pod,” Mr. Derks said. “We try to make them as uniform as possible.”

Purebred cattle are prominent in Missouri, which leads the nation in purebred beef production, according to John Kleiboeker of the Missouri Beef Industry Council. Several breed associations have their national headquarters in Missouri, including the American Angus Association in St. Joseph.

In all, Missouri producers bring a total of 1.4 billion pounds of beef into the market each year.

Clinton Thomas can be reached at clintonthomas@npgco.com.