Governor Terry Branstad signed a proclamation on April 18 declaring May as Beef Month. May has long been celebrated as beef month, with the start of grilling season and a frequent time of year to see baby calfs. Local beef producer Kurt Dallmeyer attended that signing, currently serving as chairman of the political action committee of the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association. Locally he is the chairperson of the Washington County Cattlemen’s Association. Dallmeyer talks about the significance of beef, “Beef is one of those things that’s very nutritious and should be part of our diet, and a lot of people when they go to grill everybody loves to put a steak on the grill. I think part of the importance of May as beef month is kind of celebrating the fact that here in Iowa, we’re one of the lead producer states and we raise quality corn-fed beef.”

Dallmeyer also stated that beef is safe, pointing out to those wary of hormone implants, “The level of the implants that producers use in beef is very, very small. You would have to consume almost 400 pounds of implanted beef from an animal per day to equal the same amount of hormones that most women take in their birth control pills.”

The cattlemen started a “Single Source” class this year at the county fair, and they frequently take children on educational tours. Dallmeyer also said they enjoy the privilege of awarding scholarships to youth that have been involved in the cattle industry and hopefully in the future.