The 40th Educational, Performance & Carcass Contest kicked off on Wednesday. We gathered 81 steers & 46 heifers from 25 ranchers and sale barns throughout the Sandhills region and delivered them to Cottonwood Feeders near Stuart, Nebraska. The calves will go through a two-week warm-up period before gathering beginning weights and determining beginning values. We'll keep you all up to date as the contest continues.
We are also very excited to announce that we had four calves entered into our new 'Steers for Students!' This is the first year of this program, and we couldn't be happier to kick it off with four calves. The donated calves are fed with the EP&C Calves during the contest at Cottonwood Feeders. They will be separated when it comes time for their final shipment. The Steers for Students calves will be sent to Husker Meats in Ainsworth, Nebraska, for their 'date with destiny.' The carcasses will be hung, and area 4-H'ers and FFA'ers will be invited to come to learn more about judging carcasses and carcass evaluation. We will also make the floor open to the public for viewing and learning. Afterward, the bulk of the meat will be donated to area schools, with the producer retaining half of the premium cuts and the Association retaining the remaining portion.
This program is a win-win for everyone! Students learn about carcass evaluation and get local beef on their menus. The rancher can come to see how his calves perform, and the Association will utilize the meats for their Convention and banquets, so we'll always have locally sourced beef at our events!
We are taking cash donations to keep this portion free for the schools! If you are interested in donating, proceeds will cover feed and processing charges incurred during the program. We'll even let you decide which schools you'd like your money to be applied to! Contact the office at 402-376-2310 for more info on how you can make a difference!
Speaking of education and youth, the Sandhills Cattle Association is proud to support the future of agriculture and the beef industry. That's why we are excited to announce the 2022 scholarship applications are now open! We have a total of $9,000 up for grabs this year! Applications can be found on our website at SandhillsCattle.com under the Programs & Events tab.
After some very long deliberation, the Board of Directors has decided to move our Convention back to May. The date for the 83rd Annual Convention is set for May 27, 2022, in Atkinson, Nebraska! As always, we will be holding the 25th Annual Sandhills Golf Classic the day before on May 26 at the Atkinson Golf Course. Be sure to mark those calendars!
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