Support a rancher, ‘Eat meat, and lots of it’

Rural Colorado is under attack again by Gov. Jared Polis. As if the decimation of the oil and gas industr y – and the secondar y economic boon it suppor ted in nearby communities – wasn’t enough, now it is meat producers’ turn. The governor authored a proclamation naming March 20, 2021, as “MeatOut Day” for Colorado.

We understand meat producers circling another date on the calendar – Nov. 8, 2022. That’s General Election Day in Colorado, and the governor will be on the ballot.

The ultra-rich governor from the Front Range has nothing in common with and doesn’t understand rural Colorado. He’s made that abundantly clear. But, we’d like him to make an ef for t. An effort such as flipping his calendar forward just three more days to find National Agriculture Day on March 23, 2021. That’s right — Polis pulled this stunt just three days before the national observance honoring the importance of agriculture.

Since the tone-deaf governor does not seem to grasp the impor tance of agriculture and meat production to his state, we’ll attempt to set the record straight here, based on a 2018 USDA report of the states:

• 3rd – Colorado’s annual sheep and lamb production ranking (445,000).

• 10th – Colorado’s annual cattle production ranking (2.85 million head).

• 15th – Colorado’s annual milk production ranking (4.189 million pounds, a state record).

• 15th – Colorado’s annual swine production ranking (750,000).

• 22nd – Colorado’s annual poultr y production ranking (5.81 million).

The USDA found in 2016, Colorado exported $601 million in meat commodities, and ranks as the nation’s four thlargest exporter of fresh and frozen beef.

How important is agriculture to rural communities? Perhaps, take the example of Morgan County. Cargill operates a beef processing plant, Leprino operates a cheese plant, Brush Meat Processors operates a bison processing plant, and Brush Lamb Processors recently opened. These four operations represent hundreds of jobs, perhaps tens of hundreds. And that’s not to mention the Western Sugar plant in Fort Morgan.

We recommend supporting your local rancher and meat producer heavily on March 20, whether you contact Eric Christensen or another rancher for a custom beef order, buy meat at a local grocer in your community, visit your favorite steakhouse, or maybe take in one of the many community events already scheduled related to “MeatIn:”

• 7 a.m. – Northeastern Colorado Stock Show at Logan County Fairgrounds

• 11 a.m. – “Eat Beef, Sloppy Joe Feed” at Washington County Fairgrounds

• 11 a.m.-2 p.m. – “Meat Up and Educate” at Brush’s Livestock Exchange or High Plains Cattle Supply

The Colorado Cattlemen’s Association lists 18 events statewide, and more events are presently being planned.

In Logan, Morgan and Weld Counties – three of the top four cattle production counties in Colorado – commissioners are taking action by rejecting the governor’s proclamation. As Logan County Commissioner Byron Pelton said previously, “Eat meat and eat lots of it. Do it ever y day.”

The governor should withdraw this proclamation, and do so with haste, as in now. We doubt he will. So, we say remember March 20, 2021, and go to the polls Nov. 8, 2022.