Educating local beef producers is a high priority in Shelby and Henry Counties. According to the 2012 Census of Agriculture, total beef animal sales yearly in the combined counties totals nearly $25 million, emphasizing the need for beef producers to take herd management and marketing decisions seriously.  Increasing consumer demand for locally sourced protein and Shelby and Henry Counties’ proximity to urban markets in Louisville and Frankfort, provide incentives for producers to seek out new ways to add value to their product.  With the availability of a nearby processing facility, Trackside Butcher Shoppe in Campbellsburg, more local cattleman are retaining ownership through the finishing stage and selling beef off the farm.

To learn more about the demand for local food in Louisville, the Department of Economic Development partnered with Seed Capital Kentucky, a Louisville non-profit organization, to study how much of Louisville's $2 billion annual food purchases were local. Karp Resources, a New York City-based food and agriculture consulting firm, designed, led and managed the Louisville Local Food Demand Analysis. The Analysis found that consumers and commercial buyers spend about $300 million annually on local food purchases, but were interested in buying more than double that amount of local food (louisvilleky.gov, 1/24/2019)

With these facts in mind, Agriculture Extension agents in Shelby and Henry Counties developed an educational series to address beef production and sales entitled Raising the Steaks.  This program offered producers of both grass-fed and grain-fed beef the opportunity to learn more about efficient production practices, carcass quality, product labeling and marketing.  Additionally, six local producers who have been involved with on-farm sales of beef for some time shared their knowledge and experience with the group.

In a post-survey, 88% of respondents strongly agreed or agreed that they better understand the slaughter process and labeling requirements for home-raised beef.  94% of respondents strongly agreed or agreed that they feel more confident making marketing decisions for their home-raised beef and 82% strongly agreed or agreed that as a result of this program they now have the knowledge needed to sell retail packaged beef.  Finally, 94% of respondents strongly agreed or agreed that as a result of this program they will increase the quality and/or efficiency of their home-raised beef.   

When asked the open-ended question “Did you learn specific skills or information that will benefit you?  What were they?” some responses included:

• Slaughter process, aging process, custom processing
• Took bits and pieces from every session
• Grading of beef by KY Proud-sponsored graders
• Trip to Trackside Butcher Shoppe was very informative
• Benefits of annual lespedeza 
• Marketing more for sales
• Yes, keeping animal longer
• Finishing as a conventional grain finish
• Picked up lots of information on putting on gains and what is a finished calf, the visit to Trackside was very informative 
• How to process the labels