Bedford – The Pennsylvania Beef Council (PBC) in cooperation with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association through the Federation Initiative Fund, provided 25 school foodservice professionals that influence nearly 70,000 students, an up-close look at the Pennsylvania Beef Community. The immersion event hosted a chapter group of the larger School Nutrition Association of Pennsylvania (SNAPa). The group spent the day at Herr Angus Farm, a division of Herr Foods, a family owned snack food company that is located in Nottingham, PA. The farm offers both cow/calf and feedlot aspects for tour attendees to gain a better understanding of the cattle lifecycle. The farm has the one-time capacity to feed 600 head of cattle and also is home 150 brood cows.
The event kicked off on Thursday, October 13, as PBC staff led attendees through an educational session on the Beef Checkoff Program and beef nutrition basics. After building a foundation of the beef community and beef as a powerful protein, Dennis Byrne; Farm Manager at Herr Angus, took the group on a farm tour. The tour provided the deep history of the farm and the best management farm practices that go into their daily tasks while caring for the cattle.
Attendees thoroughly enjoyed a beef brisket lunch followed a candid Q&A session with industry experts. Panelists included Dennis Byrne, Farm Manager, Jim Hogue; Beef Nutritionist & co-owner with Agri-Basics, Inc. and Dr. Michaela Kristula; Chief Veterinarian, Field Service, University of Pennsylvania, School of Veterinary Medicine. Tour attendees rounded out the day by Chef Dan D’Angelo, Chef Instructor at the Art Institute of Philadelphia, demonstrating both a cooking and cutting demo. The demonstration focused on recipes that are specifically designed for K-12 school foodservice featuring a beef stir-fry and beef sloppy joe.
Pre and post-tour survey results showed a positive attitude shift in beef’s favorability with all participants citing they feel the positives of beef outweigh the negative. “Thank you for all your efforts and what a nice experience,” commented Eileen Bellew, MA., RD., Director of Foodservice Marple Newtown School District. “What an opportunity to learn the roles of the farmer, veterinarian, and cattle nutritionist above all else how beef can be incorporated into healthy and enjoyable school meals.”
The beef immersion event strived to engage participants and decision makers in the various segments of the beef industry. Our goal is to be a trusted voice for beef and make a positive impression on how beef is raised today. Nichole Hockenberry, PBC Director of Channel Marketing and Communications, remarked, “We feel that this positive and memorable experience will make a great impact on the thoughts and future purchasing decisions surrounding beef and beef products in the school foodservice setting for those that attended.”
To learn more about the Pennsylvania Beef Council, visit www.pabeef.org. For more information about beef foodservice, visit www.beeffoodservice.org.
Media Contact: Nichole Hockenberry, 814-623-2698; nhockenberry@pabeef.org.
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The Pennsylvania Beef Council is a producer-controlled and funded organization, which administers the Beef Checkoff Program in Pennsylvania. The Beef Checkoff Program assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. Checkoff revenues may be used for promotion, education and research programs to improve the marketing climate for beef.
Source: The Pennsylvania Beef Council