While dairy cows provide milk that is made into cheese, yogurt and other delicious dairy products, beef cows are raised primarily for meat. Cattle and beef production represent the largest single segment of American agriculture. According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service there are 360,000 beef cows in the state of Minnesota.
Cattle farmers are committed to caring for their animals, giving them proper nutrition and handling them in a respectful way. Many cattle farmers use management practices influenced by the Beef Quality Assurance program, a national program that provides guidelines for proper management techniques of beef cattle production.
Beef is an excellent source of vitamin B12, zinc and protein. It is also one of the best food sources for iron, a mineral lacking especially in the diets of many women and children. It’s also healthy choice since there are 29 cuts of beef that meet government guidelines for lean.
But beef cows provide more than steak. According to the Minnesota Beef Council, a 1,000-pound steer will provide about 430 pounds of edible meat. The rest of the weight is sold as by-products such as leather, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, food products and many others.
For more information about beef, visit www.mnbeef.org or www.explorebeef.org.
The answer to the question in the previous blog post is 20 miles per hour.
Here’s the next question:
How many cowhides does it take to supply the National Football League with enough leather to produce footballs for one season?
Comment with your guess. The answer will be given in the next blog post.
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