Missouri beefing up school lunches

“MO Beef for MO Kids” is a joint program of the Missouri Department of Agriculture, the Missouri Beef Industry Council and Opaa Food Service to increase the amount of Missouri-raised beef on school lunch menus. The Mount Vernon School District was the first school to participate in the “MO Beef for MO Kids” program to double the amount of beef in school lunches. The “extra” beef was raised and provided by cattle producers located in Lawrence County, which is Missouri’s No. 1 beef producing county. Students saw an increase in beef menu items the week of Oct. 16, 2017. That same week, several educational programs were brought into the schools to teach students at various age levels about beef production and the health benefits of eating beef. Menu items included meatball subs, Philly cheesesteak sandwiches, beef cheddar melts and beef quesadillas. Lawrence County beef producers are recognized in posters that hang in school cafeteria areas to introduce Mount Vernon students to the people who raised a portion of their lunch. Producers were also recognized at a Farm to Table dinner at the school Oct. 19.