Missouri Beef Industry Council

May is Beef Month in Missouri

Missouri beef cattle industry representatives present Governor Matt Blunt with the Healthy Beef Cookbook in honor of May Beef Month. Left to right: Governor Blunt, Missouri Cattlemen’s Association president Merrel Breyer, producer Jimmy Long and son Jack, Missouri Beef Industry Council staff member Dawn Thurnau, and MBIC board member David "Blue" Geier.

May is Beef Month in Missouri. Representatives of both the Missouri Beef Industry Council and the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association were recently at the state capitol to receive the official proclamation from Governor Matt Blunt.

Cole Camp cattleman Jimmy Long and his eight-year-old son Jack helped to present Governor Blunt with a copy of the Healthy Beef Cookbook during the proclamation.

"We are number two in cow-calf production and this proclamation is the recognition of the fact that we are one of the leading agricultural industries in the state of Missouri," Long said.

Missouri Beef Industry Council board member David "Blue" Geier of California said it helps to have the governor’s support for the industry.

"I think the governor realizes the importance of agriculture, not just beef, but all aspects of agriculture,” Geier said. "It’s important to the Missouri economy all the way through."

The beef cattle industry is a $1.5 billion industry in the state of Missouri and the state has nearly 4.5 million total head of cattle on about 68,000 farms.

Missouri Cattlemen’s Association president Merrel Breyer of Richland said consumers in Missouri will be seeing many beef specials in May to celebrate Beef Month.

"I know many of the grocery stores have taken May as their month to really highlight beef in the meat case," he said. "It gives us a good focus to really bring the product out in front of the public."

According to Missouri Beef Industry Council executive director John Kleiboeker, the promotion of May Beef Month brings all segments of the beef cattle industry together.

"It certainly gives a lot more credibility to our efforts in promoting and educating folks about beef and it’s great to be able to partner with the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association and the Missouri Cattlemen’s foundation, our two sister organizations, with the same primary objective – to get more people to pay attention to the cattle industry and to eat more beef."

Kleiboeker says May was chosen for Beef Month in Missouri because it marks the start of summer grilling season.

"May is a wonderful time of the year, things begin to warm up, the grass gets green, a lot of baby calves being born," he said. "But even more important, from a beef consumption stand point, is the fact that we have Memorial Day coming up and people begin pulling their barbeque grills out."

Missouri is also one of the leading states for purebred cattle; the registered stock that provides the genetic base for commercial cow herds. The top beef cattle production counties are Polk, Barry, Texas, Lawrence, Howell, Bates, Johnson, Newton, Nodaway, Dade and Greene.