Produced with Pride in Pennsylvania - Beef

Produced with Pride in Pennsylvania BEEF



BEEF Produced with Pride in Pennsylvania Written by Tonya Wible Book Design by Lorraine Potochney-Kobold

BEEF Produced with Pride in Pennsylvania Produced with Pride in Pennsylvania: Beef is made possible by a partnership between the Pennsylvania Beef Council, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and the Pennsylvania Friends of Agriculture Foundation. 205 South Juliana Street 510 South 31st Street Bedford, PA 15522 Camp Hill, PA 17011 www.pabeef.org www.pafbfriends.org Mission: Mission: Be a unified voice for our beef & The preservation and promotion veal partners by sharing their legacy of commitment with the of agriculture, the largest of the families enjoying dinner with us. Commonwealth’s industries. Accompanying lesson plans available at www.pfb.com/education and www.pabeef.org Content: Tonya Wible Book Design: Lorraine Potochney-Kobold Photographs: Canstock, istock, Michelle Kunjappu, Lorraine Potochney-Kobold, PA Farm Bureau Pennsylvania Commodity Map: Holly Cohick and Tonya Wible, for Pennsylvania Friends of Ag Foundation Proofreaders: Dr.Tara Felix, Jim Hogue, Cheryl Fairbairn, Melanie Barkley, Michelle Kunjappu, Jeanne Mueller, PA Beef Council Staff © 2018 PA Friends of Agriculture Foundation PO Box 8736 • Camp Hill PA, 17001 ISBN: 978-0-692-10109-4 Printed in the United States of America using soy ink.

Table of Contents What is Agriculture?...............................................................................................................2 PA Agriculture Commodity Map.........................................................................................4 Cattle: Beef and Dairy...........................................................................................................6 Breeds of Cattle......................................................................................................................8 Beef’s Nutritional Value...................................................................................................... 10 A Valued Resource............................................................................................................... 12 Cow-Calf Operation........................................................................................................... 14 Stocker/Backgrounder Operation.................................................................................... 16 Animal Care.......................................................................................................................... 18 Feedlot Operation............................................................................................................... 20 Finishing Options................................................................................................................. 22 Caring for the Land............................................................................................................. 24 Wasting Little........................................................................................................................ 26 Glossary................................................................................................................................. 28 Image Credits........................................................................................................................ 30 Produced with Pride in PA: Beef 1

What is Agriculture? Agriculture is, and always has been, an important part of Pennsylvania’s story. Agriculture is growing crops or raising animals on the land. There are over 58,000 farms in Pennsylvania where livestock, or farm animals, are raised and plants are grown to provide us with our food and other products. No two farms in Pennsylvania look the same; some are big, some are small, some focus on one agricultural commodity, and some raise a variety of animals and crops. While each farm may be different, 97% of all Pennsylvania farms are family owned and operated. Most of these farms have been in the family for many generations. Our farmers take pride in the work they do to care for their animals and the plants they grow to provide us with a variety of agricultural products. 2 Produced with Pride in PA: Beef

“Living on a family farm involves lots of hard work, but is one of the most rewarding ways of life. Yes, thare are days where you work hard in the hot summer sun instead of going to a pool party with your friends. But while you’re working hard, you are working next to your parents, siblings and even your grandparents, aunts and uncles. Working time easily becomes family time; baling hay can become dodge ball and mucking stalls can become a contest. And after the work is done, you get the satisfaction of knowing what you have done has made a difference and you can see your hard work pay off in the health of the ”land and animals you tended. Katie Ursitti-Anderson granddaughter of Dick McElhaney, Beef Producer, Grove City, PA Produced with Pride in PA: Beef 3

Pennsylvania’s Top Three Agriculture Commodities by County Commodity Key Each county’s top three agricultural prodcuts are represented by an icon. Cattle/Beef Dairy/Milk ChristmasTrees Fruits Corn Floriculture Honey Mushrooms Hay Hogs/Pork Vegetables Horticulture Maple Syrup Poultry/Eggs Soybeans Map by Holly Cohick *Map data interpreted from the 2012 Census of Agriculture completed by the United States Department of Agriculture-National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Diverse Ag





Cattle: Beef and Dairy You don’t have to travel far in Pennsylvania to see cattle dotting the landscape. In Pennsylvania, cattle are raised and cared for by farmers for different purposes. Farmers raise beef cattle to provide a quality meat supply, while dairy cows are raised to produce milk. While both beef and dairy cattle have similar characteristics as bovine animals, they also have distinct differences in their appearance and traits. Some of these differences are genetic, received from their parents, but others are due to how they use the energy and nutrients obtained from their food. The energy beef cattle get from their food is put towards gaining weight and body mass. Dairy cows put most of their energy into producing milk.

Milk is the primary product from dairy cows. However, the dairy industry in Pennsylvania, as well as across the United States, is part of beef production. Since milk production relies on female dairy cows, the male calves, called bulls, on a dairy farm can be sold to veal producers as special fed veal. This means when these animals reach 500-600 pounds, they become part of the meat supply chain. When a dairy cow is no longer able to effectively produce milk, they will enter our food supply as a source of beef. “ Dairy and beef production are similar in that farmers carefully feed and respectfully care for the animals that produce our food. Dairy cattle are like high-performance race cars that need the best of care and lots of feed. Beef cattle are more like no-frills SUVs. They are durable, reliable ”and require less feed and work. John Ligo, former Dairy Producer, now Beef Producer Grove City, PA Produced with Pride in PA: Beef 7

Breeds of Cattle There are over 800 breeds of cattle. One breed isn’t better than another, however, each breed has particular qualities or characteristics that make it more suitable for either dairy or beef farms. Certain breeds, like Holsteins, Jerseys and Guernseys, are better at producing milk. Other breeds, like Angus, Herefords and Shorthorns, are better at quickly gaining weight for meat production. Farmers choose the breed, or mix of breeds, that best meet the needs of their farm. While there are over 120 breeds of beef cattle in the United States, certain breeds are more popular in Pennsylvania due to our climate and style of farming. Because of their efficiency in utilizing resources and meeting consumer needs, some preferred breeds in Pennsylvania include, but are not limited to: Angus, Hereford, Simmental, Shorthorn, and Charolais.These breeds can tolerate the change of season and are able to utilize the lush grasses found in Pennsylvania. 8 Produced with Pride in PA: Beef

“A cow is a cow is a cow of course, but what makes a cow the cow of choice? The Angus breed is my breed of choice. The Angus cow is medium size, has excellent ”instincts at protecting her baby calf, is naturally hornless and is a good provider of milk for her baby calf. Dr. Erskine Cash Retired Professor of Animal Science Penn State University Produced with Pride in PA: Beef 9

Beef ’s Nutritional Value No matter which breed of beef cattle a farmer chooses to raise, all beef cattle are raised and cared for specifically to produce meat for people to consume. Beef cattle provide us with beef products like steak, roasts, and ground beef for hamburger. Ground beef is the most consumed form of beef since it can be used to make many different dishes. Whichever way beef is prepared and eaten, it provides ten essential nutrients.Three of these nutrients, Zinc, Iron, and Protein, are often referred to as ZIP. Zinc helps our immune system and keeps us from getting sick. Iron helps our blood get the oxygen we need. Our bodies need protein to develop muscles. Beef is also known for being a good source of B-vitamins which help our bodies make and use energy. Beef farmers take great pride in knowing that they are providing a safe, nutritious, and quality meat product for their consumers. 10 Produced with Pride in PA: Beef

“ Beef provides a safe, healthy source of zinc, iron and protein, but it is also so much more. Beef provides ”an enjoyable eating experience for the whole family. Dr. Tara Felix Penn State Extension Beef Specialist State College, PA Produced with Pride in PA: Beef 11

A Valued Resource Beef cattle are a renewable natural resource that are useful to humans, but to the beef farmer, their cattle are also a precious resource. Beef farmers rely on their cattle for their livelihood. They take great care to ensure they are raising healthy cattle. The farmer knows that healthy animals are the key to a nutritious and safe food source. They are committed to providing the best care for their cattle at all stages of their life cycle. It takes about 16-18 months for beef cattle to reach market weight, meaning they weigh enough to be sold for their meat. While some beef operations in Pennsylvania handle all parts of beef production during the life cycle of the beef cattle, it is very common for a beef animal to have multiple farmers caring for it over the course of its life. Beef production typically involves three different types of beef operations: Cow-Calf, Stocker/Backgrounder, and Feedlot. 12 Produced with Pride in PA: Beef

“ We really love growing up on a farm because it gives us the opportunities that we wouldn’t have as city girls. We show our cattle at national fairs. The first step to being a champion starts at home. If you just leave your cow alone and think that you will win on show day, you will find out very easily that isn’t true. You have to work every day to ”win. We have learned that success comes with hard work ... brushing our cows really pays off in the end. Addison & Emma Heeter daughters of Dustin Heeter, Beef Producer Clarksburg, PA Produced with Pride in PA: Beef 13

Cow-Calf Operation Farmers with a cow-calf operation are the beginning of beef production. On cow-calf farms, female cattle are raised, bred and cared for as they wait nine months to have their calf. Cows can have one calf a year. Many Pennsylvania beef farmers try to time the birth of all of their calves in the spring. This is the best time for the beef farmer to be able to care for these newly born calves. Usually the cow gives birth to her calf without any assistance, but the farmer keeps close watch over the cows during the calving time in case a cow needs help. Newborn calves usually weigh around 75 pounds and are able to walk and nurse from their mother shortly after they are born. Once the calf is born, the farmer completes a health check, just like doctors do for human babies. Most calves in Pennsylvania are given a tag in their ear which gives them a unique identification number. The ear tag may provide information on their birth date, mother, and/or father. This allows beef producers to keep track of the animals throughout their lives. A calf will spend about six months with its mother on the cow-calf operation. During this time, they drink their mother’s milk while learning to eat grasses. Around six months, the cow will naturally start to wean her calf off her milk by pushing it away. Beef farmers will often separate calves from their mothers at this time. They may sell them to other beef farmers with stocker/ backgrounder operations. Even if they sell most of their calves, cow-calf operations will often retain a portion of their female calves to raise and breed to have more calves. 14 Produced with Pride in PA: Beef

“ Spring and fall are the most exciting times on our farm! This is the time of year when we welcome all the new baby calves. Our mama cows are the experts at natural calf births. Cows usually deliver ”their baby calves in the natural habitat of their grassy fields without our assistance. Dennis Byrne, Beef Producer Nottingham, PA Produced with Pride in PA: Beef 15

Stocker/Backgrounder A calf may go to a stocker/backgrounder operation when it is weaned and no longer needs its mother’s milk. When a calf arrives at a stocker/backgrounder operation, it usually weighs around 500 pounds. Beef farmers who are stockers/backgrounders focus on caring for the cattle and making sure they are healthy and gaining weight. Stocker cattle, as they are sometimes referred to at this stage, mostly eat grasses. Cattle are ruminants which allow them to be able to eat and digest grasses which humans and other animals can’t. Farmers provide the grass by letting the cows graze in pastures. When fresh grass isn’t available, hay, dried and baled grasses, or silage may also be fed to the cattle. “My Farm, Annabelle Grazing Farm, is a 65 acre no-till grass farm on which I graze 100 cattle. I do not own the cattle, but I work for other cattle owners to provide grass and water to help the cattle gain up to two pounds a day. We move the cattle each day to new grass before they can eat the grass shorter than 3 to 4 inches. This prevents overgrazing the grass. Once I fenced and developed a water system, it ”takes less than one hour a day to manage 100 cattle. Gary Yeaney, Beef Producer Mayport, PA 16 Produced with Pride in PA: Beef

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Animal Care It is important to farmers to make sure their animals have appropriate shelter to protect them from extreme weather conditions. While a lot of beef farmers in Pennsylvania have barns to provide shelter for their animals, many cattle in Pennsylvania and across the nation are born and live most of their lives outside. Cattle in the outdoors find shelter from their environment by using hills and valleys for windbreaks and trees for shade. Beef farmers will closely monitor their cattle and make at least a daily trip to their barns or pastures to check on their cattle. They make sure they have constant access to clean water and a plentiful food supply. Farmers will check their fences to make sure their cattle are kept safely in the pasture and watch to make sure there are no predators trying to harm their cattle. Beef farmers will also watch to see that none of the cattle are sick. Many diseases that were once very common in beef production have been eliminated with careful management and standard practices. However, just like people can get sick, cattle can also get sick. It is important for the farmer to notice the signs of a sick animal. Sometimes they may need to bring in a veterinarian so they can help the animal get better quickly and prevent the sickness from spreading to the other animals. 18 Produced with Pride in PA: Beef

“ Our cows are our livelihood. Even though a cow can be very self-sufficient, we work to ensure our cows are well-fed, healhty and have a comfortable and stress-free home. Communication with cattle is important. When we take the time to listen and look at them, they will tell us what they need or want. In the spring, we clip off our cows’ long, dirty winter-hair coats so they will feel better and be cool when the weather turns hot. ”It’s important to us to have comfortable cows. Paul Slayton, Beef Producer Bedford , PA Produced with Pride in PA: Beef 19

Feedlot Operation After 3-6 months at the stocker/backgrounder operation, beef cattle weigh around 800-900 pounds and are transported to a feedlot operation for the final step in raising beef. Feedlot operators focus on growing the cattle to market weight. Beef farmers often work closely with a livestock nutritionist who helps ensure their animals are receiving well-balanced diets built around the crops available to that specific operator. Cattle are natural recyclers. Food products that don’t meet the standards for human consumption can be included in beef cattle’s diet. Food by-products can be high in carbohydrates (starch and sugar), fat, fiber and protein, which are good energy and nutrient sources for beef cattle. They can replace some of the grain in the diet. The farmer works with an animal nutritionist to utilize the nutritional value of these left-over food production items as they develop a balanced feed ration for their cattle. What would have normally become waste is part of the balanced nutrition plan for the cattle in a feedlot. With nearly 50 food manufacturers, Pennsylvania is known as the snack capital of the world. When snacks are produced, some of the raw materials and lower quality finished products can be fed to cattle. Pennsylvania’s beef producers are able to take these unusable materials from these snack companies and use them to help meet the nutritional needs of their cattle. Some examples of these by-products are potato peels from potato chip companies, low quality finished products from all types of snack food manufacturers and bakeries, damaged pasta, and chocolate from candy manufacturers. While feedlots are much smaller than pasture areas, they are designed to provide cattle with enough space to move around without spending extra energy finding a food source. Farmers work to keep the feedlots clean and comfortable by removing manure and controlling pests, like flies. Cattle are kept in pens with other cattle of the same age and size and at the same stage of finishing. They will rotate the cattle through different pens in the barn until they are ready for market. Beef cattle will spend around 4-6 months in a feedlot. When they reach market weight, 1,300-1,400 pounds, they are sold and sent to packing plants where their meat and by-products are harvested. 20 Produced with Pride in PA: Beef

“ We feed 800 head of Angus cattle in our feedlot at one time. We check the cattle daily to make sure they are all healthy. It is very important to have fresh air flowing through the barn. We regularly clean the water bowls so the cattle have fresh water to drink. Straw bedding is used to keep the pens dry and the cattle ”comfortable. We feed the cattle two times a day, in the early morning and in the late afternoon. Darwin Nissley, Feedlot Operation Owner Mount Joy, PA Produced with Pride in PA: Beef 21

Finishing Options Finishing refers to the last few months of beef production, when cattle in feedlots are getting to market weight. All beef cattle spend approximately 2/3 of their lives on grass in pastures, but the finishing process can be different based on producer resources. Some farmers choose to finish on a grass diet, while others choose to finish on a diet of grains. Grain-finished beef is the most commonly produced beef. In the feedlot, the cattle are fed a balanced diet of grains, dried grasses, vitamins, and minerals to optimize weight gain and the marbling, or the fine flecks of fat, in the meat. Grass-finished beef refers to beef that have been fed only grasses their entire lives, including during the finishing process. Each style of finishing has its own benefits and one type of finishing isn’t better than another. Having different finishing styles available gives choices to both farmers and consumers. It’s a choice by the farmer as to what best meets the needs of their farm. It’s a choice by the consumer as to their preference in any possible flavor differences they perceive. “ An animal nutritionist is very similar to the school dietician that puts together the ingredients for school meals. There are certain nutritional requirements that need to be met. At feeding time, farmers will follow a recipe that tells them how many pounds of each ingredient to feed, so that the animals will get a well-balanced, consistent meal every time. Beef cattle can utilize a wide variety of feeds because of their ruminent digestive system, so we are able to feed them many ingredients that ”people, pigs and poultry can’t eat. Jim Hogue, Beef Nutritionist Elizabethtown, PA 22 Produced with Pride in PA: Beef

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Caring for the Land While the primary focus of beef farmers is on their beef cattle, they spend a lot of time caring for the land. Their livelihood depends on the natural resources of their farm, such as: access to clean water and productive land. In all aspects of beef production, practices are used to conserve and protect resources while minimizing the impact on the environment. With Pennsylvania being in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, our farmers are concerned with the impact their farming practices could have on the Chesapeake Bay. Farmers are diligent in using the best conservation practices available. One conservation practice often seen on beef farms is stream bank fencing. This protects stream banks from erosion by keeping cattle out of the streams. By developing a watering system, farmers provide their cattle the water they need without having them get into the stream. With rotational grazing, farmers move their cattle from pasture to pasture to prevent overgrazing and to allow grasses to regrow. Manure storage facilities are another practice used to prevent manure from getting into streams. 24 Produced with Pride in PA: Beef

“ The land is a farmer’s legacy. Many operations have been owned and operated by many generations of the same family. Farmers truly care for their land, livestock and the wildlife that live on their farms.The success of their operation is a reflection of the stewardship that they possess for these resources. A farmer feels the need to leave the land ”in better shape than when we started for his children, grandchildren, and all generations to come. Jana Malot, Beef Producer Harrisonville, PA Produced with Pride in PA: Beef 25

Wasting Little Not only do beef producers work to care for the environment, but meat processing is also done in such a way that there is little of the animal wasted. While market weight for beef cattle is around 1,300-1,400 pounds, about 600 pounds actually become a meat product. The rest of the beef animal becomes useful by-products. Beef by-products are found in building materials, like insulation and linoleum; household products, like lotions and deodorants; clothing items, like shoes and belts; and school supplies, like crayons and glue. When a beef animal is harvested, 9dTtyPhoe7aheynu%e!nrjonislsyueeluxarvntstaheentedyiimraotsebofnetyemehoafaauktfkeaeeprrnmsrp,jooreydoyorudsuacuwtcjcuathtiosncoytytmhhobaiauunty!rkyghoeaaubrv,oeoliukrbteepJltayeuhnnaleulCMspo1leaean2lmroe,t0t’vs0ooePw0rflaynceer of Uncl 26 Produced with Pride in PA: Beef

le “ It is a very long process to produce a pound of beef for consumers. From the time a heifer calf is born until her first calf is born, grown and ready for processing can be a period of 41/2 -5 years. The investment in time and resources like feed, water and energy is great. As producers, we want to make sure that every part of the cattle is used to benefit the ”consumers and nothing is wasted. Frank Stoltzfus, Beef Producer Elizabethtown, PA Produced with Pride in PA: Beef 27

Glossary agriculture growing crops or raising animals erosion wearing away of the land by forces on the land such as water, wind and ice bale bundle of tightly wrapped hay farmer someone who grows plants or raises bound with rope animals for food barn large farm building used as shelter feed ration the daily amount of carefully balanced for animals or for storing feed or nutritious feed for an animal developed equipment with a livestock nutritionist beef meat from cattle feedlot stage of beef production where livestock operation are fed, often in a penned area, beef cattle cattle raised for meat production to prepare them for market bovine an animal of the cattle family finishing the final phase of an animal’s growth breed specific group of animals with where cattle are fed to maximize the specific characteristics or traits meat production bulls male cattle genetics the study of heredity, where a parent passes certain traits onto their children by-product something that is produced as a grain small hard seeds from grassy cereal crop, result of making something else such as wheat, barley, oats or corn calf a male or female baby of a cow grain-finished meat that comes from cattle that have carbohydrates major source of energy mostly beef spent most of their lives eating grass in from sugars and starches in plants pasture before being fed a carefully balanced diet of grains in a feedlot the cattle large ruminant animals with hooves, and last 4-6 months of production possibly horns, raised for meat or milk grass-finished meat that comes from cattle that have commodity raw material or primary agricultural beef been fed only grasses their entire lives product that can be bought and sold graze to feed on grass in a pasture or field conserve to protect from harm or destruction harvest gather or collect cow female bovine animal that has given birth to a calf hay grass that has been cut, dried and usually baled to be used as food for animals cow-calf first phase in beef production where a operation permanent herd of cows iron essential mineral necessary for the is kept by a farmer or rancher transportation of oxygen to produce calves for later sale livestock animals that are kept and raised on a farm or ranch crop a plant that is grown as food, especially a grain, fruit or vegetable livestock person who specializes in nutrition and nutritionist dietary needs of animals dairy cows cattle raised for milk production ear tag plastic or metal object used for manure solid waste from animals identification of livestock manure containment area used to store or treat storage manure environment surroundings in which a person, facility animal or plant lives 28 Produced with Pride in PA: Beef

marbling fine flecks of fat within a piece of meat ruminant animals, like cattle, sheep and goats, that that enhance the flavor and juiciness can eat grass; ruminants have four of beef compartments in their stomach to help them digest grasses market final weight of the entire animal when weight ready to be harvested for meat shelter place giving protection from something harmful, like bad weather or danger natural something found in nature that is resource necessary or useful to humans silage plants that are cut and stored, without first being dried, to feed animals nurse to drink milk from their mother stocker/ nutrient substance that provides nourishment part of beef production where young backgrounder cattle are cared for and fed in essential for growth and maintenance operation preparation for a feed lot of life stream bank simple, effective way for farmers to packing place where livestock is processed and fencing improve the water quality of the streams plants meat products are packaged to be sold on their farm by installing fencing and pasture grassy, fenced in field where livestock crossings that limit livestock access to can eat and live stream banks pen small enclosure where animals are kept veal male dairy calf raised for its meat product something that is manufactured or veterinarian a doctor for animals refined for sale watershed area of land where all the water that falls in it drains into a common location protein nutrient found in food necessary for cell and muscle development wean separation of a calf from its mother at the appropriate age raw material basic material that can be used to make something windbreak something, usually row of trees, that provides shelter or protection from renewable able to return or be replaced naturally the wind rotational conservation practice used by farmers zinc essential mineral needed for the body’s grazing and ranchers where they move livestock immune system to work properly from pasture to pasture to prevent overgrazing and allow time for grasses to regrow Produced with Pride in PA: Beef 29

Image Credits Front cover: photo, Michelle Kunjappu, skipfarmlifephotos.com/wp/#home; all instances of prize ribbon, istockphoto.com/Nastco Title page:Ted Barbour, barbourgrassfedbeef.com 2: pumpkins, upper left, istock.com/rand22; sunflower field, middle left, photographer: Lorraine Potochney-Kobold; farm field, lower left, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau; apples, middle, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau 3: farm scene, top, istock.com/abriggs21; chicken, bottom left, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau; black angus, bottom right, Michelle Kunjappu Back of Page 5 foldout: from top right: black angus, Michelle Kunjappu; pigs, PA Farm Bureau; fish, Stephen Wagner; sheep, PA Farm Bureau; potatoes, PA Farm Bureau; tree farm, istock.com; horses, istock.com/JakezC; soybean field, istock/fotokostic; farmers market, istock.com/carterdaye; bees, istock.com/vikif; mushrooms 6-7: Michelle Kunjappu 8-9: cow, top left, istock.com/DaydreamsGirl; all other photos Michelle Kunjappu 10: steak, istock.com/Lisovskaya; hamburger, ©Can Stock Photo Inc. /nevodka 11: spaghetti and meatballs, ©Can Stock Photo Inc. /margouillat 12-17 Michelle Kunjappu 18: veterinarian, istock.com/monekeybusinessimages; all other photos, Michelle Kunjappu 19-25 Michelle Kunjappu 26: crayons, Lorraine Potochney-Kobold; baseball glove, istock.com/UnionStep 27: facial cream, istock.com/Ninell_Art; brush, Lorraine Potochney-Kobold; boots, istock.com/Kaluna 28: background of glossary:Ted Barbour, barbourgrassfedbeef.com Back cover: Michelle Kunjappu Every effort has been made to credit the copyright holders of the images reproduced in this book. Any omissions will be rectified in subsequent printings if notice is given to the publisher. 30 Produced with Pride in PA: Beef



BEEF in Pennsylvania