Beef from Pasture to Plate

Transcription

1 Beef from Pasture to Plate

2 Do you ever wonder Where your Cheeseburger came from?

3 Beef- A Long History The earliest introduction of beef cattle to the country was in the 1500 s via Mexico. These cattle came north to what is now the southern United States, and some of their relatives are still around today!

4 Beef Glossary What is a Cow? An individual female bovine animal that has produced a calf Heifer? A young female bovine that has not produced its first calf Bull? Bovine male that is physically mature Steer? Bovine male that cannot reproduce Calf? A physically immature bovine animal

5 Cattle vs. Cows Cattle Group of bovine animals Cow Female bovine Calf Baby bovine Bull Male bovine

6 Dairy vs. Beef Cattle Dairy cow= milk Beef cow= meat

7 Cattle Breeds There are lots of different kinds of Cattle Some are Dairy types and others are Beef types They are called Breeds

8 Cattle are... Solar Powered 4 wheel drive Forage Bio Digesters! That means, cattle graze on grasses and rangelands plants and use the energy from them!

9 How Cows Work Beef comes from amazing animals cattle Cattle eat grass and turn it into highly nutritious beef, which people enjoy Cow is a ruminant Stomach has four chambers Ferment grass, which is mostly cellulose, and turn it into protein and fat Beef is the muscle that s produced from the process

10 Today there are almost 100 million beef animals and 800,000 beef cattle producers in the U.S. Most of the cattle operations are family owned.

11 Cattle Industry in Idaho There are: 2.11 Million Cattle in Idaho 529,366 dairy cows 7,700 beef farming & ranching families 77% raise 500 or more cattle! 800 dairy farms

12 The Beef Supply Chain Cow/Calf Seed Stock Stocker Feedlot Packer Processor Retailer Foodservice Consumer 800,000 2, % % 280,000,00 0

13 Ranchers, Farmers & Cowboys Caretakers of cattle

14 The Ranch Home of beef cattle Provides food, space and water Allows ranchers to take care of cattle

15 Stewards of the Land Ranchers depend on healthy, natural resources for their livelihood and therefore place high value on stewardship of the land.

16 Cattle Enhance the Environment Grazing animals on land unsuitable for crop production more than doubles the land area that can be used to produce food in this country. Cattle grazing minimizes the invasion of non native plant species and to minimize the risk of wildfires by decreasing the amount of flammable material on the land.

17 Cattle Care Ranchers are in the business of caring for cattle. From assisting with calving at midnight to checking on grazing cattle at the crack of dawn, proper animal care is essential to the livelihood of the producer.

18 Safe Beef Starts with Healthy Cattle Treating sick cattle is a science that beef producers take seriously. Producers work closely with veterinarians to promptly detect and treat animals with the type of and amount of medication. Overusing antibiotics doesn t benefit cattle health and doesn t make good business sense. Producers and veterinarians take great care to provide the most efficient treatment for returning an animal to good health.

19 Out to Pasture Cattle live the majority of their lives in pastures. Many of the cattle used for beef will be taken out of the pasture when they are 12 to 18 months old. Some producers keep their cattle on the range to produce grass finished beef.

20 Animal Marketing When cattle are ready for market they are sold through a livestock auction market, which transfers ownership to the next level in the production chain. There are 815 fixed auction facilities in the U.S. From the market the cattle are then fed according to the desired finished product. Some will go to feedlots, while others will be put out to pasture.

21 Feedlots At months of age cattle are taken to a feedlot. The cattle are carefully unloaded and led through processing where they are tagged, vaccinated and entered into the operation s record keeping system.

22 Life in the Feedlot Cattle are in pens of 100 animals and have about 125 to 250 square feet of room per animal Spend four to six months in the feedlot Fed a scientifically formulated ration averaging 70 percent to 90 percent grain, and have constant access to water Water and air quality are monitored and managed in feedlots daily Feedlots have to ensure they are in compliance with strict EPA regulations

23 Feedlot Health and Tracking Sick cattle may be given antibiotics and moved into a separate hospital pen away from their herdmates for treatment This prevents the spread of illness and allows feedlot operators to closely monitor the animal s health Cattle do not enter the food supply until antibiotics have left their system

24 Beef Packing Process After cattle have been fed they are then sold to a meat packing plant when they are 18 to 22 months old and weigh between 1,000 to 1,250 pounds.

25 Supermarkets and Restaurants Beef is Shipped to lots of different places so you can buy it! Grocery Stores Quick Service Restaurants Restaurants

26 All Beef Is...

27 Beef Can Be...

28 Nutritious Beef A 3 ounce serving of lean beef contributes less than 10 percent of calories to a 2,000 calorie daily diet, yet it s an excellent source of protein, zinc, vitamin B 12, selenium and phosphorus; and is a good source of niacin, vitamin B 6, iron, and riboflavin.

29 Working Together By working together the cattle farmers, ranchers, consumers, and government agencies have helped make our beef supply the safest in the world!

30 From Pasture to Plate: The Legacy Continues Kids on today s farms and ranches hope someday to continue the great legacy of producing high quality beef, just like the generations before them. By protecting their land and the health of their animals, the food growing families of today will be able to continue this American tradition.

31 It is more than just a job for beef producers, it s s a way of life.

32 Brought to you by the Idaho Beef Council

33 Additional Resources & Lesson Suggestions Upper Elementary: Have a local Farmer/Rancher who raises cattle come and speak to the class Talk about the process that was discussed. Ask for feedback on what new things students learned Write a 1 page paper about what they learned. Have students incorporate their own experiences with what they know and have learned about the cattle production process.