The Fayette School District received more than 500 pounds of locally raised beef last week through the state’s MO Beef Kids program. 

Randy and Sondra Conklin of Rocking C Ranch donated 515 pounds of hamburger to the district.  

“We donate to this amazing program so kids can eat more beef more often,” said Sondra Conklin. She and her husband love all things beef. “You can’t beat a good steak.”

“Through the MO Beef Kids program, students are provided locally raised beef and education about the industry,” stated Heather Conrow, Livestock Specialist with MU Extension of Howard County. Conrow went on to explain community members are able to contribute to the program through animal or monetary contributions. “When members of the community contribute towards the sponsorship of the processing, the schools get the beef at no cost,” according to Conrow. To date, Howard County producers have donated 8,013 pounds, equaling 56,091 servings of beef for the schools in the county.   

MO Beef Kids is a partnership between the school districts, the Howard County Cattlemen’s Association, MU Extension in Howard County, the Missouri Beef Industry Council, and the Missouri Department of Agriculture’s Missouri Grown program. All beef is produced and donated by local cattle producers and processed through Mizzou Meat Market in Columbia.

For more information about the program or to make an animal or monetary contribution, contact MU Extension in Howard County at 660-248-2272 or Heather Conrow at hconrow@missouri.edu.