051104 Certified Beef Program Successful

South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds and others dined on beef raised, processed and approved through the South Dakota Certified Beef program. The event, held at a Sioux Falls restaurant, featured four beef items. Approximately 130 invited guests and walk-in customers showcased what Hudson-area cattleman John Haverhals said is a South Dakota tradition.

"We've been doing it forever - raising the best beef," Haverhals said. His company, Marshall John's Beef, provided the filet mignon, New York strip, rib-eye steak, and top sirloin cuts for the dinner.

The intent of the fledgling program, proposed by Rounds and approved by the Legislature earlier this year, is to produce quality beef for consumers by electronically tracking cattle from birth through slaughter to ensure requirements of the program are met.

Only cattle born in South Dakota, raised under the guidelines and processed at state-approved meat lockers or packing plants will get the state seal of approval. It will meet increasing consumer demand for beef that is tasty and of good quality and give producers premium prices, Rounds said.

Some processors and producers, including Haverhals, have been taking customer orders for certified beef, but the dinner was the first offering in a restaurant, complete with banners and promotional items.

Sixty-three cattle raisers - from cow-calf operations to feedlots - have been licensed for the program and certification is pending for 14 others, said Kara Nagel, of the state Department of Agriculture.

Four processing plants have been licensed for the program and several others are in the process. Rounds said more of the meat will become common on restaurant menus as processing capacity increases.

Source: Meat Processing Magazine

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