Fueling For Ironman Triathlon With Ostrich Meat!

A journey to South Africa inspired one Idaho native to bring a unique form of meat production back to the United States— ostrich farming!

According to Alex McCoy, “I was living in South Africa working in a totally different industry and I was training for an Ironman Triathlon, and this was my training food. So, one day I was craving red meat and wanted a big piece of beef. So I went into a restaurant in South Africa and instead of beef, there was ostrich on the menu. So, I said, ‘yeah, I’ll take some ostrich’ and this huge ostrich steak, it tasted just like beef. It was amazing. Satisfied by red meat craving. However, I felt great after eating it. I felt so light. In fact, I was like, ‘you know what? I’m just going to go for a run.’ I was training for a huge race at the time. So I went out and ran sixteen miles, like within an hour of eating this massive red meat steak, and from that moment on, I was hooked.”

McCoy says that experience inspired him to learn more about ostrich meat, ultimately leading him to leave his old career behind and work towards bringing ostrich to America!

Related Stories
Tyler Schuster is an ag industry advocate who mentors and supports the next generation, especially women finding their place in the cattle industry.
NCBA Chief Counsel Mary-Thomas Hart breaks down CAFO permits, EPA enforcement, and what cattle producers need to know as rules continue to evolve.
Rebuilding domestic textiles depends on automation and vertical integration, not tariffs or legacy manufacturing models.
RFD NEWS correspondent Frank McCaffrey spoke with U.S. Congressmen Henry Cuellar (D-TX) and John Rose (R-TN), who say bipartisan cooperation will be key to getting the Farm Bill to the president’s desk.
The EPA has approved over-the-top dicamba applications for the 2026 and 2027 growing seasons, outlining new rules that impact herbicide use for U.S. crop producers.
Top issues facing the beef industry took center stage at CattleCon this year in Nashville.