It’s National Beef Month! It’s time to honor our cattle producers and their contributions to the food supply chain and our economy.
According to the USDA, animal food sources contributed $258.5 billion to the U.S. economy in 2022, with cattle accounting for $86.1 billion.
The total beef production in the United States is estimated to be 26.96 billion pounds for 2023. That’s a lot of burgers.
Here are a couple of reasons why I plan to celebrate National Beef Month:
I love cows. As I travel the Ozarks, cows catch my attention. Certain cows catch my eye on my “normal routes.” I’m a sucker for roans and love the variation of patterns. If I see a set of “fancy females,” no matter the color or breed, I look them over, too. I can’t help it; I love cows.
Nothing beats home-raised beef. We just got a beef back from the processor, and as I write this, two big Porterhouse steaks are thawing for supper tonight. Bill said there would be no need for sides because one steak would take up the whole plate. Steaks like this make me glad I have never been a vegetarian or a vegan.
My dad is known for taking a Jersey steer and turning it into Grade A Prime beef; this steer is no exception. Don’t judge Jersey beef until you have had well-raised Jersey beef, by the way. Quality beef is quality beef, no matter the breed.
Unfortunately, the U.S. beef industry continues to face many challenges.
Some opponents of animal agriculture continue to claim that lab-created beef is a better choice. How can something created with a petri dish or a 3-D printer be better for you? And just what’s in this fake meat?
For lab-grown beef, scientists use cattle stem cells and add some amino acids and carbohydrates to help muscle cells “multiply and grow.” Once grown, the muscle fibers become a “meat that resembles ground beef.” Sounds tasty, right? I want my beef grown by God, grass and grain.
The cattle industry is blamed for climate change through the emission of greenhouse gases, such as methane, nitrous oxide, and carbon dioxide. Some groups claim ruminant livestock causes 7 to 18 percent of global methane emissions from human-related activities. I am skeptical of many of the arguments of climate change and greenhouse gas emissions.
Los Angeles, Calif., Chicago, and New York City are listed as areas with the most greenhouse gas emissions, yet, somehow, agriculture is more damaging to the planet. I don’t see how a few hundred cows running on a few hundred acres is worse than more than 8 million people clustered onto less than 200,00 acres.
If you look at stocking ratios in the Ozarks, you can run up to two pairs per acre, depending on forage conditions. In New York City, each person has about 530 square feet; that’s not much.
I will never change the minds of those who think the cattle industry is destructive to the environment. I learned long ago there is no need to argue with people who always think they are right. I also don’t see anyone changing my mind about eating beef or other meat.
I might not change any minds, but for those who think lab-created “beef” is healthy and tasty, you’ve never had a steak as big as a dinner plate from Jersey fed by my dad.
Julie Turner-Crawford is a native of Dallas County, Mo., where she grew up on her family’s farm. She is a graduate of Missouri State University. To contact Julie, call 1-866-532-1960 or by email at [email protected].
