meet your neighbors Submitted Photos
Providing Opportunity By Julie Turner-Crawford
Missouri Prime Beef Packers spearheads a Missouri-born, grown, finished and processed beef program The Ozarks has a reputation for being cattle country. Thousands of acres of for the Show Me Beef program, allowing some producers to finish their cattle for pastureland, an abundance of forages and a generally favorable climate make the area the first time. “Those Prime and Choice cattle are what our partners are asking for,” Jay exideal for cattle. However, cattle born on operations in the Ozarks generally don’t stay in plained, adding that cattle must be on feed for at least 150 days. “Some of our the Ozarks. Instead, calves are sent to out-of-state feedyards and packers. When Missouri Prime Beef Packers came to Pleasant Hope, Mo., that tend began farmers produce those cookie-cutter calves we look for. “We give producers the opportunity to really see what their cattle can do. We aren’t to change. With the promise of processing as many as 500 head a day and the promotion of a Missouri-born, raised, finished and processed beef program, work looking for grass-fed cattle. We’re looking for good, fat cattle.” Missouri Prime and Show Me Beef has quality-specific requirements, such as ribeye began on a defunct hog processing facility. In early 2021, Missouri Prime opened the renovated facility and has met or ex- area, carcass weight, marbling and age, but are not breed-specific. All breeds, except dairy ceeded production goals. It has also launched Show Me Beef into 1,700 retailers in breeds, are a part of the Show Me Beef program. “It Show Me Beef, so it’s a brand choice, not a breed,” Jay said. Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas and Oklahoma. After harvest, Missouri Prime team members break down a beef carcass into primals. “This is a shift in the mindset,” Hyrum Egbert, Missouri Prime CEO, said. “Typ“That’s the chuck, rounds, rib and loin,” Hyrum explained. “Workers will then start ically, this is an industry that is very segmented. You have the cow/calf producer, the feeder, the plant, then the down-the-road processing. We are bringing that breaking it down that subprimal. We aren’t going to cut steaks; it will be a whole ribeye. Then we will put it in a Show Me box and send that out to SGC Foodservice, our parttogether.” ner, and to Price Cutter. They will cut it and put it out in the case.” Working directly with producers, Missouri Prime, which employs about Missouri Prime works with about 100 farmers and ranchers through the Show 350 people, sources grain-finished, Prime- and Choice-grade cattle from Me Beef program. Missouri producers for the Show Me Beef Program. “That might be a guy who has 40 cows,” Jay said. “Some might buy Mis“We are one of the largest cow states in the nation, and there are a lot of Pleasant souri-born and raised cattle, then finish them. The guy who wants to finish good genetics here, but it’s just trying to get them to stay here,” Jay Holmes, Hope, Mo. out 10 to 15 head has an outlet now for those Prime and Choice animals.” vice president of procurement, said. “There hasn’t been a reason to stay “We are in the infancy stages of the program,” Hyrum said of Show here before. To go those directions, you have to have a full pot. Here, you Me Beef. “These relationships that Jay and Clay (Barnhouse, director can have a pot load or a gooseneck.” of procurement) are building with farmers and ranchers are long-term. Jay works with producers to determine which calves will make the grade
8
Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com
MAY 2, 2022
