15-05-2025
Huntingdon County highlights local beef farmers during National Beef Month
HUNTINGDON COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) — May is National Beef Month, and officials in Huntingdon County are highlighting the importance of farmers throughout the country.
Agriculture is one of America's top industries and certainly Pennsylvania's. Rodney Davis is a sixth-generation farmer who helps put food on the tables of many Americans, but not without uncertainty for future prices and a growing need for younger farmers.
'To actually get them to experience it. The reward, when you look down the pasture and the cow and calf are together. I realize that I'm helping feed people and helping make their lives better,' Davis said.
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Pennsylvania has more cows than some other states have residents. According to State Board Director for District 12, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, Marty Yahner, Pennsylvania is the top cattle-producing state in the Northeast with over 1.6 million head of cattle and calves.
Many Americans don't realize what the process is from the time the cow is born until the time it hits the grocery store shelves. We're told it can take about 18 months. Not only are officials trying to show what farmers do, but they are also educating them on how big the industry actually is.
'About not only where our food comes from, but also policymakers and the public. We want you to know that beef is a big industry and a big part of our economy in Pennsylvania,' Yahner said.
Davis emphasized that many don't know where their food comes from and this is why education is crucial on this topic.
'I don't understand what somebody experiences in the inner city, and it's important for me to hear from them and to understand why they think what they do. But I also appreciate when they're willing to listen to why we do what we do,' Davis said.
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