North Dakota Beef to School Program Serves Up Inspiration
In partnership with: North Dakota Department of Agriculture
A 2022 effort to provide North Dakota public schools with local beef supports local ranches and provides better quality food for students.
The Beef to School pilot project was a grassroots endeavor among the Independent Beef Association of North Dakota (I-BAND), the North Dakota Beef Commission, and the North Dakota departments of Agriculture and Public Instruction when national supply chain issues impacted local beef producers and public school systems.
See more: From Pasture to Plate: North Dakota Meat Producers’ Successes
North Dakota schools use about 400,000 pounds of ground beef annually, which equates to a cost around $1.5 million. Most buy meat through the national Commodity Food Program, but buying local makes sense economically. Every dollar retained locally is spent an estimated seven times within the community.
“It struck me as odd that, in a state with plentiful cattle and ranchers, why hadn’t the children of North Dakota been consuming local beef in school all along?” says John Roswech, rancher and owner of Mott’s South 40 Beef processing plant.
The pilot supplied beef from various producers and U.S. Department of Agriculture-licensed processors to 75 schools – with rave reviews.
Grassroots Beginnings
It all began with I-BAND members Jeremy and Stef Maher learning how to donate beef to their children’s school.
As the statewide effort grew and representatives of partner organizations met, the state’s second-largest school district in Fargo reported a beef supply issue.
With Fargo on board, Roswech supplied 1,000 pounds of ground beef. The taco subs are a hit with students, among the other offerings made with local beef.
As demand for local beef grew, more schools and ranchers joined the pilot. Roswech now sells about 50 pounds of beef weekly to his local Dickinson school system.
I-BAND President Frank Tomac says feedback is positive and enthusiastic, and school nutrition personnel typically ask for more.
“They can smell and taste the difference immediately,” he says.
Naturally fresher and often leaner, local beef usually yields a greater quantity of usable product – for comparable or less cost than the $4.09-per-pound beef widely supplied.
See more: Where to Buy Local Beef in North Dakota
One enterprising school nutrition worker calculated that 922 pounds of local beef yield an average of 85 more pounds than the same quantity of other beef.
Nancy Muffley, Dickinson Public School District food service coordinator, says chub size variety is another advantage that means less waste.
“Using a local vendor for raw beef serves our school district well,” she says. “In supporting a local business, you know they take pride in their product and take sustainable measures in food handling and safety precautions. Their beef has a low fat content, which yields a superior product from many other sources. Supporting a local business and getting a quality product is a win for everyone involved.”
Opportunistic Future
The pilot achieved such positive reception that I-BAND officials plan to keep growing it, with support from partner organizations and potential grant funding.
An in-service that included a ground beef cookbook for school nutrition personnel was a popular component.
“Participants earned hours toward their continuing education requirements, and we plan to host another class in 2023,” Tomac says.
The experience inspired Roswech to become a certified beef supplier to the nation’s Commodity Food Program, to provide beef to schools throughout the state. The arduous task made South 40 Beef the only North Dakota plant accepted into the program.
“My sincere hope is that the USDA will make this process more accessible for small businesses,” he says. “Our children deserve real beef from real ranchers in their home state. I look forward to taking part in more such opportunities in the future.”
To learn more, check out I-BAND’s Beef to school webpage, i-band.org/nd-beef-to-school.