Murfreesboro, TN – At the Tennessee Junior Beef Expo in Lebanon, Tenn. on June 30 through July 2, the Tennessee Cattlemen’s Association (TCA) with help from industry partners, purchased the winning show steers at a premium price. In the following days, the cattle were harvested for beef at Anderson Meats and Processing in Hartsville, Tenn. The meat will be donated to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee later this month. This will equate to approximately 3,000 pounds of beef for the local community.
“The Second Harvest Initiative creates a win-win opportunity for TCA,” said Melinda Perkins, Director of Youth Programs and Outreach for TCA. “We are able to reward the youth exhibitors for their hard work while serving a larger purpose and supplying a nutrient-rich beef product to those in need.”
This is the tenth year for the TCA Second Harvest Initiative. TCA was able to coordinate the purchase of six steers from State Beef Expo. TCA engaged several industry partners to raise $22,000 to buy these steers.
Those partners included:
$4,500: H&R Agri-Power (Third Overall: Gracie Giles, Loudon Co.)
$3,500: United Livestock Commodities (Res. Champion Chi: RuthAnn Johns, Rutherford Co.)
$3,000: TriGreen Equipment, Swallows Insurance, & TCA (Champion Shorthorn: Tayleigh Stansberry, Claiborne, Co.)
$3,000: Corteva Agriscience, MyTeam Cattle & Crop Insurance, & TCA (Clay Pitcock, McMinn County)
$3,000: Tennessee Cattlemen’s Association (TCA) (Clay Pitcock, McMinn County)
“As soon as they [UT Extension] announced the addition of breed steers to the 2022 Tennessee Junior Beef Expo, I set the goal with myself to not only represent the Shorthorn Plus breed in grand drive but to place in the top five overall steers too,” said Gracie Giles when talking about her success at the 2022 Tennessee Junior Beef Expo. “It is bittersweet to know all the hard work and dedication I put into my 1280 pound steer, Hank, will also benefit the Tennessee community through the food bank.”
TCA also awarded approximately $17,865 in premiums for class and showmanship winners, as well as for the skill-a-thon competitors. In total, sponsors and TCA gave over $39,865 in award premiums. “We are always looking for ways to support our 4-H and FFA youth and their efforts to show cattle,” said Perkins. “If your company would like to be involved, please get in touch with a TCA representative.”
About TCA: TCA was founded in 1985 and has more than 7,000 members from across the state and the southeast. The organization works to provide the cattlemen of Tennessee with an organization through which they may function collectively to protect their interests and work toward the solution of cattle industry problems and to build the necessary goodwill that will bring both governmental esteem and recognition to the industry.
For more information visit www.tncattle.org, email info@tncattle.org or call (615) 896-2333. You can also follow the TCA on Facebook: www.facebook.com/tncattle, Instagram, and Twitter accounts: @TennesseeCattle.
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