Jones County Cattlemen plan Beef Month activities

   “As cattlemen, our full-time job is to raise cattle. In our spare time, we promote our product,” says Doug Kurt, Jones County Cattlemen president.

   Jones County Cattlemen (JCC), founded in 1938, is “all about beef,” and its primary focuses include: beef promotion, industry education, and membership development.

   In celebration of “Beef Month” in Iowa, the Jones County Cattlemen would like to highlight its involvement in Jones County and surrounding counties.

   The cattlemen frequently grill at community events. In January, Jones County Cattlemen head east for the Jackson County Cattlemen’s banquet. The annual gathering features ribeye steaks, which are prepared by Jones County Cattlemen. The organization also grills for the Dubuque County Cattlemen’s banquet, area churches, and Midwest celebrities, including AgriTalk’s Chip Flory and The Big Show’s Andy Petersen.

   Then in March, the JCC hosts their annual banquet. The event, which is open to members and non-members alike, reflects upon and celebrates the beef cattle industry. Recognition is also given to a cattle producer who is active within the beef industry, and students receive scholarships to help them further their education. Following its banquet, JCC hosts a marketing meeting, which provides key market insight to its producer members.

   As spring rolls around, JCC pulls the grill out of storage and prepares for grilling season. JCC proudly supports other community-based organizations, including a couple dedicated to similar causes such as Ducks Unlimited and Pheasants Forever. The organization prioritizes giving, and assists the communities it serves by donating $1,500 in beef certificates to five area food banks.

   As mentioned earlier, Gov. Kim Reynolds proclaimed May as “Beef Month” in Iowa. To celebrate, Jones County Cattlemen mimicked Iowa’s Best Burger Contest, and named The Grove Bar & Grill, in Scotch Grove, as Jones County’s Best Burger. The organization encourages the public to dine at all local eateries serving beef during May Beef Month. Additionally, JCC recognized N&N Trailers as our 2022 Friend of the Industry. The Nagel Family, which owns N&N Trailers, has been a tremendous supporter of JCC and a proponent of youth involvement at the county level.

   During the summer months, JCC hosts a Performance Beef Show. The show brings in around 30 to 40 head of cattle. On July 4, you can find JCC handing out beef sticks at parades in the area, including Cascade, Monticello and Oxford Junction. Additionally, it plans to hand out beef sticks to beef show participants and onlookers at the Wyoming Fair. It also hands out beef sticks during the parade and donate $1,500 worth of beef to the fair’s food stand. And of course, the JCC will be at the Great Jones County Fair in late July. The public is encouraged to attend the 4-H Beef Show, 4-H Beef Stand, and/or Prime Steer Show. The Prime Steer Show is open to anyone with a market-ready steer, and the top prize is $1,000. JCC proudly supplies the 4-H Food Stand with all of the beef it serves during the fair, and hands out beef sticks to those attending the beef show.

   Other events to look forward to include our member appreciation golf outing and cattle handling clinic. People can attend one or both of those events in August.

   As a reminder, JCC will start accepting applications for its Heifer Program in early September. The program, designed for students in grades 7, 8, 9, 10, or 11, provides one individual with three bred heifers. Upon completion of the program, the recipient will pay us for 80 percent of the initial cost of the heifers and retain ownership of his or her herd. Lilly Stoll of Monticello is our 2021 Jones County Heifer Program recipient.

   The public is encouraged to support the JCC in a variety of ways this month, Whether it be at a farm-to-table dinner or local locker, they encourage people to buy their beef in Jones County during May Beef Month. To learn more about JCC, follow it on Facebook.