ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Colorado’s beef industry is kicking off National Agriculture Week (March 19-23) with a statewide celebration of beef. Recognizing the many contributions the beef industry provides the entire state, hundreds of public and private celebrations, BBQs, grilling events, as well as restaurant specials and retail sales are being planned.

As the week approaches, the Colorado Beef Council is supporting beef producers, retailers, foodservice, and other supply chain partners with promotional materials and bolstering its consumer-focused digital advertising and social media campaigns. New messaging and infographics have been created to highlight beef’s economic, nutritional, and sustainability values.

CBC Chair Nolan Stone said, “With added attention to the growing number of local grilling events and retail/restaurant specials, the Beef Council is working overtime to ensure those messages are heard.”

“The timing of this celebration is critical,” Stone said. “By ordering a favorite beef dish in a local restaurant or buying beef at retail to prepare at home, we can help support local businesses that have suffered so much during the pandemic.”

Explaining that the need reaches farther than just retail and restaurants, CBC Executive Director Todd Inglee said, “We also can’t forget those who are experiencing food insecurity. A donation to your local shelter or food bank is also incredibly important.” Colorado’s beef industry, including CBC, recently united to help launch the Beef Sticks for Backpacks program which provides quality, high-protein beef sticks to school backpack programs in a growing number of Colorado counties.

School backpack programs help bridge the gap for school children facing hunger and infrequent meals. A Beef Gear Store has also been launched to benefit the Beef Sticks for Backpacks program.

Agriculture is Colorado’s second-largest economic sector, generating $470 billion in direct and indirect economic activity annually and provides close to 195,000 jobs. Cattle ranching and beef production alone contributed more than $3.5 billion in cash receipts in 2019 alone.

In addition to patronizing local restaurants and retail establishments, consumers can explore hundreds of beef recipes and shop the Beef Gear Store to benefit the Beef Sticks for Backpacks program by visiting the CBC website (www.cobeef.com) and clicking on the ‘Celebrate Beef’ section on the homepage.

Beef producers can find message resources (easy-to-use social media messaging, leave behind cards, etc…), a promotion material order form, and the Beef Gear Store by visiting the CBC website (www.cobeef.com) and clicking on the ‘Cattlemen’s Corner’ tab.

Learn more about National Agriculture Week events and activities on social media platforms and searching/following hashtags such as: #AgWeek #cobeef #BetterWithBeef #BeefItsWhatsForDinner

The CBC manages demand building programs for Colorado’s $3.4 Billion beef industry. CBC operates under the guidance of its board of directors who are appointed by the governor of the state of Colorado and represent the producer, feeder, dairy, beef distributor, beef marketer, and processor segments of the industry.

Funded by the $1 per head beef checkoff assessment on all cattle sold in the state, CBC retains half of each dollar collected for state level programs and forwards the other half to the Cattlemen’s Beef Board for national level programs. USDA-Ag Marketing Service provides oversight for all CBB and CBC programs, services, and business activities.