May is Missouri Beef Month; how you can support farmers in the Ozarks

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) – May is Missouri Beef Month, and there are plenty of ways you can support local farmers to celebrate the month-long holiday.

Governor Mike Parson declared it Missouri Beef Month at the beginning of the month.

According to his proclamation, Missouri farmers and ranchers are a driving force in the state’s economy. The state maintains nearly four million head of cattle annually on more than 50,000 farms. This major feat boosts the economy and creates tens of thousands of jobs for the state.

Missouri is one of the biggest exporters of beef in the nation, and May is a great time to celebrate and thank a farmer according to Tom Kissee, the owner of Springfield Livestock Marketing Center.

“I just think it’s great that we support it and raise awareness for how many cattle there are here in our country,” said Kissee. “What it really means to Southwest Missouri families. This is their livelihood, and they do a great job at it.”

There are plenty of great ways to celebrate Missouri Beef Month. You can shop locally for beef. Whether that be at a farmers market, from the farmer directly, or from a processing plant, buying local gives back to the economy.

Along with that, just supporting local farmers is a great way to give back.

“I think you just need to be positive about your neighbors raising beef and support them. Either at a local farmers market or also local processing plants that sell beef,” said Kissee. “But there’s a lot of beef raised right here, and there’s no use to go anywhere else.”

Beef Month runs for the whole month of May, so there’s a whole month to support beef farmers and what they do for the state’s economy.

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