Missouri State Fair

The Missouri State Fair is almost here, giving agriculture groups around Missouri an opportunity to educate the public on the impact of livestock and crops on local economies. Many of the groups will be at the State Fair this year, so be sure to stop by and learn more about the importance of agriculture in Missouri.

Beef Industry Council
Ag Building
Beef Showcase Building
Visit the Beef Industry Council's booth to speak with Missouri cattle producers on the "pasture to plate" process of beef production. They will also have cooking demonstrations in the Beef Showcase building next to the Beef House, which will demonstrate different beef recipes and give the public an opportunity to learn how cattle are produced and why certain livestock farming practices exist.

Midwest Dairy Association
Gerken Dairy Center
The Midwest Dairy Association will feature demonstrations on milking cows and a butter sculpture. A Missouri dairy farmer will also be there with his herd to talk to the public about the dairy industry and what it takes to run a dairy farm. And of course, there will be ice cream and grilled cheese!

Missouri Corn Growers
Ag Building
The Missouri Corn Growers' booth will highlight the importance of corn in livestock production. There will be several examples of distiller's grain at the booth for you to see.

Missouri Egg Council
Ag Building
While the Missouri Egg Council will not run a booth, one of its members, Rose Acre Farms, will have a booth to help address some of the issues the industry has been met with. It is their hope to make their farm operation visible to the public so people know how eggs are produced. The booth will include information and a video on the laying houses, egg processing equipment and their grocery label.

Missouri Soybeans
Ag Building
The Missouri Soybeans Programs will focus on the invaluable link between animal agriculture and row crop production. The booth will also feature the benefits of biodiesel and the relationship between food, feed and fuel that soybeans provide us with. Old Brownie, the nation's first soy biodiesel demonstration vehicle, will also be on display.


Don't forget to stop by the Beef House, Pork Place and Poultry Grill if you'd like to try some of Missouri's high-quality beef, pork and poultry products!

The Impact of Livestock Production on Local Missouri Economies

The economic impact of agriculture in Missouri is quite significant. Missouri has 105,000 farms in total, ranking 2nd in the nation. Only Texas has more farms than Missouri.

There are 54,000 beef farms, 2600 dairy farms, 2000 swine farms, and 1362 poultry farms.

A 2006 University of Missouri study on the economic impact of a 2400-pig operation highlighted just how much activity and money livestock operations inject into the local and state economies.

• The construction of the facility will generate $1,009,000 total.
• After construction, the farm will spend $3500 per year in real estate and property taxes, $3000 per year in insurance fees and $5000 per year in utilities. That's $11,500 that goes right back to the local economy every year, and that's just one farm!
• Many indirect jobs are also created because of a large pig operation. These types of jobs can be equipment repair and maintenance, insurance, banking, manure hauling, supplies and veterinarians.
• Livestock production also gives row crop producers new markets for their corn and soybeans.

Money generated by livestock farms help support local school districts, hospitals, roads, bridges and more.

For more information, visit: http://animalag.com/Benefits.aspx.