Here's the Beef!

Washington Ag Today December 13, 2010 About 500 families in Yakima and 250 families in Spokane received beef round roasts late last week thanks to the efforts of Washington’s beef industry and its Beef Counts program. The beef was distributed to needy families through Second Harvest food banks.

Ron Reyer, President of the Washington Cattle Feeders Association and also general manager of El Oro feedlot at Moses Lake, helped hand out the beef.

Reyer: “It is very special to be able to be involved in Beef Counts and be able to contribute and donate. The whole industry really. To be involved and help these people that are struggling in these times that we have. It is really a great event and really take a lot of price in doing it.”

The round roasts were processed and packaged by Agri Beef’s Washington Beef facility in Toppenish. And Agri Beef’s Ric Stott helped out in the distribution line in Spokane.

Stott: “You hear a lot of comments of now I know what I am going to have for my Christmas dinner a real payoff.”

So far, the Beef Counts program has contributed 75-thousand dollars worth of beef to Second Harvest, which translates to over ten-thousand family-size portions or nearly 31-thousand pounds of product.

Other cattle industry groups involved in Beef Counts are the Washington Cattlemen’s Association, the Cattlewomen, The Washington Beef Commission and the Washington Livestock Marketing Association. You can learn more and make a donation at www.beefcounts.org

I’m Bob Hoff and that’s Washington Ag Today on Northwest Aginfo Net.