Where’s the Beef?
It’s in downtown Dow City, Iowa, direct from the Garrett family’s farm
Farm-to-fork takes on a whole new meaning within a block or two in downtown Dow City. From Ettleman’s Town and Country convenience store along Highway 30 to GLC Beef and O’Meara’s restaurant on Franklin Street, it’s easy to find plenty of homegrown beef here.
“It’s vertical integration a small town,” said Amber Garrett, 49, who spearheads the GLC Beef shop, which her family built in 2022. The shop sells a variety of beef products direct to consumers, much like a meat locker. “Everything we sell at GLC Beef, the convenience store and O’Meara’s is our beef.”
Need a quick meal? Stop at Ettleman’s for grilled hamburgers, BBQ beef brisket sandwiches, meatloaf, tater tot casserole and more—along with to-go meal boxes during busy seasons on the farm. Want to enjoy a steak dinner or juicy burgers in a relaxed setting? O’Meara’s is the place to go.
Stocking up for grilling season? Top sellers at GLC Beef include ground beef; ribeyes; Kansas City Strip steaks (also known as bone-in New York Strips); filets; pre-cooked, sliced brisket; Ancestral Blend (a ground-beef blend that includes 10% heart and liver), beef sticks and massive tomahawk steaks, which GLC Beef stocks year-round. “The tomahawks are especially popular for Father’s Day gifts,” added Garrett, whose husband, Kelly, is a devoted steak connoisseur.
The Garrett family, including Kelly, 50, and sons Connor (“Vern”), 26, and Cael (“Cheese”), 22, raise Black Angus cattle. They run about 550 cow-calf pairs and calve year-round. They use no hormones, antibiotics or implants to produce the beef they sell through their various businesses. “Our cattle are pasture raised and finished on a diverse ration that’s about half corn,” Amber Garrett said. “You can drive 4.5 miles out of Dow City to see the cattle.”
Growing a diverse agribusiness enterprise
The Garrett’s diverse farming enterprises weren’t part of a grand plan when Kelly and Amber married in 1997. The various businesses evolved over time.
Today, the Garretts run a 7,000 acre no-till farming operation that includes corn, soybeans and winter wheat in western Iowa. Kelly Garrett’s focus on soil conservation, yield stability and innovation has led to multiple honors from the National Corn Growers Association, including top yield honors in the no-till irrigated competition. In 2020, he became the first farmer in the nation to sell carbon credits to a corporate buyer.
Kelly Garrett also co-founded XtremeAg, an online platform filled with educational videos and other resources to help progressive farmers improve the sustainability of their farming operations. In addition, he owns Garrett Trucking and is part of Integrated Ag Solutions, an innovative soil management company. “One thing led to the next,” Amber Garrett said.
Selling beef directly to consumers was a natural extension of the Garrett’s cattle business. Even Ettleman’s convenience store fits the paradigm.
“That station is very important to our family, our community and our trucking business,” Kelly Garrett said. “That’s where we buy fuel for our fleet. We also think we have the best lunch in any gas station around. We use GLC Beef in the home-cooked meals we serve.”
Ettleman’s convenience store, which has been part of the Dow City community for nearly 70 years, also has family ties. Kenny and Margaret Ettleman established the small business, which included a café and a motel in years past. When the business’s previous owners, Ace and Marilyn Ettleman (Kelly Garrett’s aunt and uncle) were ready to slow down, the Garrett family purchased the business.
A similar situation led them to purchase O’Meara’s restaurant in 2025, when Kelly Garrett’s aunt (Connie Garrett) was ready to step away from the business. The restaurant and convenience store showcase meat from GLC Beef, which serves area customers and also ships beef to customers across the country and in Canada. “Christmas is our extra busy time for shipping,” said Amber Garrett, who added that GLC Beef offers gift certificates.
Some customers appreciate GLC Beef’s more unique cuts, including hanger steaks (a flavorful, tender cut). GLC Beef also offers chuck-eye steak, teres major steak (also known as the shoulder tender or petit tender) and Denver Steaks—three options that offer an affordable way for customers to enjoy high-quality steak more often. “I call those three ‘daily steaks,’” Amber Garrett said.
On August 31, Garrett Land and Cattle is sponsoring the third-annual Tri-Tip BBQ Contest as part of Dow City Fun Days. First place wins $800, second place earns $400, and third place gets $200. The contest is held in memory of the Garrett’s son Colin, who died in an accident in 2023. Meat for the competition is provided by GLC Beef.
Putting the beef to the test
Not only are GLC Beef’s products home-grown, but recent tests prove this beef is exceptionally nutrient-dense, as well.
“What makes our beef different? It’s all in the nutrients,” said Amber Garrett, a registered nurse who worked at the Crawford County Memorial Hospital in Denison before taking a more active role in the family’s agribusiness enterprises.
Lab analysis from Utah State University shows the mineral content (calcium, magnesium, and B2) of GLC Beef is higher than both grass-and grain-fed beef.
“The nutrient-dense crops we raise produce more nutrient-dense beef,” Amber Garrett said. “We believe in building health from the soil up, with help from our friends at Calibrated Agronomy. After all, corn is just a big grass—and when we grow it right, we raise beef that’s packed with vitamins and minerals for your health.”
GLC Beef options tend to have lower omega 6 levels, compared to the grain-fed benchmark, and they’re similar to the grass-fed benchmark. Omega-6 fatty acids can contribute to inflammation in the body.
What about omega 3 fatty acids, which are known to promote heart and brain health? GLC Beef shows higher concentrations of omega 3 content, compared to the grain-fed benchmark but lower than the grass-fed benchmark (because fresh pasture/forage is rich in omega 3s). Tests also proved that GLC Beef samples (including the ribeye, ground beef and Ancestral Blend) are high for animals finished on feed. This illustrates the high-quality feed that the animals are receiving, the Utah State study reported.
In addition, GLC Beef Products have a more balanced omega 6 to omega 3 ratio than the grain-fed benchmark. They also come close to the ideal ratio seen in grass-fed options. Typically, such favorable omega 6:3 ratios are not observed in animals on feed. A balanced omega 6 to omega 3 ratio can contribute to reduced risk of chronic diseases.
In addition, GLC Beef showed notably higher levels of Vitamin B2 (riboflavin), which supports energy production and cellular function, and Vitamin B3 (niacin), which helps convert food into energy and supports the nervous system. Don’t forget Vitamin B12, which is important for red blood cell formation and neurological function. Vitamin B12 is most abundant in GLC Beef Ancestral Blend, surpassing the benchmarks.
If that weren’t enough, GLC Beef provides calcium, iron and magnesium levels that also surpass the benchmarks. Zinc levels were consistent across all samples. (Zinc boosts immune function and supports wound healing.)
GLC Beef’s fat content falls below the grain-fed beef benchmark and more closely aligns with the grass-fed beef benchmark. GLC Beef Ribeye had the highest protein content, rising above the grass-fed benchmark. “We’re proud of how far we’ve come, but we’re excited to keep learning and improving,” Amber Garrett said.
GLC Beef makes weekly deliveries to customers in Des Moines, Omaha and Sioux City, plus they have a delivery route to area cafes and convenience stores. “The Dairy Sweet in Dunlap gets 250 pounds of ground beef each week,” Amber Garrett said.
Providing this high-quality beef to customers allows the Garrett family to support rural Iowa, she added. “It’s about keeping multi-generational businesses strong, serving the community and getting to meet great people.”
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