May is national Beef month, a time when everybody is celebrating the good nutrition and great taste of beef. May is also a ridiculously busy month, no matter who you are. Graduations, weddings, track meets, spring programs, branding, planting…if you are breathing, it’s a good bet you’re busy in May.

That’s why it’s so smart to make May be National Beef Month. We all know that beef is nutritious, but did you know that you would have to eat three cups of raw spinach to get the same amount of iron as three ounces of beef? Even if you like spinach, it’s a no brainer.

Also, in Nebraska alone the beef industry exports more than $1 billion worth of beef. That’s a lot of reasons to celebrate.

And did you know that more than 100 medicines, including insulin, are made from cattle? So not only is beef nutritious, it may have saved your life.

If beef has all these great things going for it, why do we need a Beef Month? Why should the governor take time out from running the state and tell everybody it’s beef month? It’s Nebraska, for
Pete’s sake.

I’ll tell you why. It’s because some people don’t like beef. Some people think cattlemen are mean and cruel and they think if they don’t eat meat they are somehow morally superior. So, we really need a Beef month to battle this terrible mindset.

I’m not talking about smart-alec blogging or getting in a fight with your wimpy vegan neighbor. Beef month is a time for grilling. Put those steaks on the grill and fan the smell as far as you can. Invite the wimpy vegan neighbor over and feed him a salad while everybody else chows down on burgers. He will soon begin to reconsider his wicked ways. 

Beef Month is a time to eat the best food in the world for keeping healthy so you can handle the million things that are happening in May. It’s a time to celebrate what the beef industry does for our state. It’s also a time to try to convert any vegans or vegetarians you might know. But mostly, Beef Month is a time to eat beef. And you really don’t need an excuse
for that.