Agricultural News
Oklahoma Prairie Beef Solutions is Open for Business
Tue, 08 Feb 2022 15:05:50 CST
Oklahoma ranchers saw the need to add value to Oklahoma's cull-cattle supply. There was a lack of opportunity to sell cull cows through traditional sale barns, so a group of producers got together to come up with a resolution: Oklahoma Prairie Beef Solutions (OPBS).
Oklahoma Farm Report Farm Director KC Sheperd discussed this value-added marketing opportunity for Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association members with Sydnee Gerken, director of operations for OPBS.
"Rather than paying based on traditional live weight, we focus on the hot carcass weight of the animals," Gerken said. "By doing that, we hope to add a premium to those animals."
OPBS hit the ground running in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic; when many established businesses were struggling to makes ends meet.
"If you are going to start out trying to climb a mountain, you might as well make it steep one," Gerken said.
Despite the challenges, Gerken and her team have stayed the course, harvesting their first six head in Dec. 2021. That beef is undergoing value-added testing at O'Steen Meats in Oklahoma City, Okla.
"We have learned a lot through the past year about marketing cattle and adding value to beef products," Gerken said. "If you are ready to send cows, we are ready for you!"
Producers and consumers benefit through marketing cattle through OPBS. While producers can know exactly where their cattle are going, consumers can purchase a locally produced, processed and retailed beef product, according to Gerken.
See how you can participate in this value-added program by clicking here.
Hit the LISTEN BAR below to hear KC Sheperd and Sydnee Gerken discuss Oklahoma Prairie Beef Solutions, a value-added program that benefits Oklahomans.
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