Beef prices have increased over 50% since 2020, causing restaurants and stores to raise their prices. America’s beef cattle herd is the smallest in 75 years, in part because of drought. Beef prices tumbling from too much available meat further discouraged ranchers from replenishing their herds. But in recent weeks — between mid-July and mid-August — shoppers only bought 0.2% more ground beef than a year ago. But Miller says his goal is to feed people, not fool them — and his customers might understand, he adds, as they too are seeing record beef prices at the grocery store.