May is recognized as Beef Month across Nebraska and the Midwest, a time to celebrate the cattle industry, the families behind it, and the important role beef production plays in our communities and economy.
But this year feels different.
With the continued drought across Nebraska and the thousands of acres burned this spring, many producers are facing some of the toughest decisions they’ve had to make in years. While cattle prices may appear strong on the surface, the reality behind the scenes tells a different story.
Feed costs continue to rise. Pasture conditions remain limited. Hay supplies are tight. Many cattle producers are already sending cattle to town earlier than planned simply because there are few other options left.
High cattle prices do not offset the cost of no grass, expensive feed, rising fuel prices, inflation, and the emotional toll of herd dispersions. For many operations, these are not just business decisions. They are deeply personal decisions involving generations of hard work and family legacy.
Across Nebraska and the Midwest, we’ve already seen too many herd dispersions. We cannot afford to lose more producers who serve as the backbone of rural America. The cattle industry supports not only farm and ranch families, but also local feed stores, sale barns, veterinarians, truckers, equipment dealers, restaurants, schools, and small-town communities.
As we celebrate Beef Month this May, let’s also recognize the resilience of the producers working through these challenges every single day. Support your local cattle producers. Buy local beef when possible. And remember the hardworking families behind every meal on the table.
What can people actually do this Beef Month?
Support local producers when you can. Buy beef from a local operation or visit your local butcher and ask where their beef comes from. Many producers sell quarters, halves, or whole beef directly to consumers, and supporting those operations matters right now.
Spend money in small-town businesses that support agriculture. The local steakhouse, café, feed store, or sale barn café all depend on the same rural economy that cattle producers help sustain.
And maybe most importantly, tell honest stories about agriculture, not through political lenses and not through panic, but through the reality of what many producers across Nebraska and the Midwest are working through this year. Dry conditions, tight margins, difficult decisions, and the determination to keep going anyway.
This Beef Month, support the people who continue to support rural America.
