Letter to the Editor - My commitment to sustainable beef production

Editor,

Cattle ranchers, like me, are dedicated to caring for our animals and the land every day of the year.

On our ranch, we believe that cattle are part of the climate solution. First, they are incredible recyclers, and by feeding them parts of the crop people cannot eat, we are solving a food waste issue. In the winter, when less feed is available, we feed our cattle the tops of the sugar beets and corn stalks we grow as a cash crop.

Additionally, our ranch has improved the quality of the grassland and soil. By reseeding poorer quality pastures and implementing a cattle grazing management plan, we have been able to restore the land with proper grazing and rest and optimize carbon sequestration. The grasslands remove carbon from the atmosphere storing it in the soil and our cattle grazing practices accelerate the carbon storage process helping mitigate our environmental footprint and improving the soil quality so diverse wildlife species can thrive here.

A big misconception is that we use the same practices from 100 years ago, and that’s just not true.

Our priority is innovation that provides our cattle the upmost care and reduces our carbon footprint, and we are constantly seeking new learning opportunities to help us continually evolve and improve.

Consumers should feel good about eating beef, knowing it is produced on ranches just like ours, by people just like us, all across America.

Jim Steinbeisser

Sidney