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From the Desk of Dr. Halley: MO Beef for MO Kids

By Halley, Heath on October 10, 2019

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Good morning, as with most mornings, I’m viewing the weather through my office window.  It is a dark gray October morning with the rain pelting down. We have continued to do podcasts regarding our beef donation program. I thought I would take a moment and share some information regarding this program and how much beef we use in our kitchen.

When we started our beef donation program in July we set a goal for 10 beef donations.  Annually, our lunch ladies prepare nearly 6,000 pounds of ground beef. Each beef averages about 350 pounds of ground beef.  So, if we reach our goal of 10 beef donations, we will have received about 3,500 pounds of ground beef.  

The district pays for the cost of processing, which averages between $350-$400 depending upon the age and size of the animal that has been slaughtered.  So as you can see, if you do the math, we are spending about $1.00 to $1.14 per pound of locally grown and donated beef. When we purchase meat through our wholesaler we are charged $2.12 per pound. So, for the same 350 pounds of ground meat, we are saving roughly $392.  

The financial savings are nice but are secondary to having locally raised beef. The quality of the meat is much better.  Something many of us from Putnam County take for granted, knowing from birth to slaughter where that animal has been and how it has been cared for. Placing a spotlight on our local producers has been very gratifying. I enjoy visiting local producers and hopefully educating many along the way.

To date, we have had 6 beef donated to our school lunch program.  We also have commitments from 3 more local producers. All donations can be a tax deduction for the producer or others making donations to the program.  There are other ways someone can be involved if interested in participating. Money can be donated to the school for covering the cost of processing. Individuals could contact a local producer and purchase an animal to be donated as well. If that is of interest, please reach out to me and I will put you in touch with someone.

Our Putnam County R-I School Board of Education so strongly believe in the program, that they personally have donated the money to cover the cost of the first processing fee of $350.

I hope this has been helpful in better understanding the process and program that has been implemented. 

Sincerely, 

Heath