May Beef Month Tribute

05-01-2014 in Cattle

By: Adelai Swanson, CSIF Intern

The month of May not only ushers in spring planting, graduations, and summer plans, but also Beef Month! Take the time to enjoy the beautiful weather and put some beef on the grill!  As you prepare for summer picnics and family gatherings try a new recipe and add beef to your celebration menu.

Beef is a good source of nutrients essential for maintaining a healthy lifestyle such as iron, zinc, vitamin B12 and vitamin B6.   A 3-once serving of lean beef provides close to 50% of the Daily Value for protein while only counting for 150 calories.

Consuming beef is not only part of a healthy diet, but also a healthy and growing industry sector of Iowa’s economy.  The Iowa beef industry creates almost 40,000 jobs and ranks tenth in the number of beef cattle produced, which accounts for $5.1 billion in business activity for the state.  The significant impact made by Iowa’s beef industry proves that beef is no longer just what’s for dinner.

Cattlemen are good stewards of the land and environment.  They are constantly incorporating new technology on their farm to improve cattle care and comfort, while lessening their environmental footprint.  According to Dr. Jude Capper’s research published in the Journal of Animal Science, grain-finished beef, compared to grass-finished beef, requires 45 percent less land, 76 percent less water, and 49 percent less feed.  Consequently, producing grain-finished beef results in 51 percent less manure and 42 percent fewer carbon emissions. Iowa beef producers are focused on raising high quality beef efficiently and sustainably.

The next time you are in the grocery store make a healthy choice and support Iowa’s beef producers.  Beef is more than just what’s for dinner.  Visit www.iabeef.org for more information.

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