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Beef cattle and products are the fourth leading agricultural industry in California, according to the latest beef industry statistics. However, many livestock producers struggle to remain viable in conventional marketing operations due to a combination of high production costs, low productivity and low sale prices. Marketing niche livestock products, for example grass fed beef, free ranging poultry and pork, directly to local markets, is emerging as a viable alternative. Niche livestock products appeal to a growing market interested in paying premium prices for locally-produced food that has healthier qualities. Locally produced niche livestock products are limited in Central Valley Counties of California and some producers are seeing an opportunity to capture this market and improve economic viability, especially given their access to places like Yosemite. In the past, some producers set aside a few herd for niche marketing, but had problems securing reliable markets because most prefer producers that could supply products year round. To address this problem, we are facilitating ranchers to organize into a group so they can develop strategies to coordinate their production and sales to ultimately become competitive suppliers to larger markets. Informational and exploratory meetings were held with interested producers, discussed laws which regulate grass fed beef production, along with marketing standards for niche products. We continue exploring the ideal structure for the group (cooperative vs. individual brands) and identifying short- to long-term goals. Increasing visibility of grass fed beef, raised on California rangelands, will benefit and hopefully increase the use of rangelands for local beef production. With this poster we will share the challenges and lessons learned in this process to this point.