Beef Shipments On Their Way to Hurricane Affected Areas

DENVER (September 13, 2005) – Missouri-based Heartland Farm Foods, LLC began shipping shelf-stable, fully cooked canned beef to areas affected by Hurricane Katrina today.  More than 20,000 cans of cooked ground beef and canned stew were sent to Salvation Army feeding operations in Biloxi and Jackson, Miss., as part of a coordinated effort led by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

“This is just the beginning of our ongoing effort to support the residents and farmers of these areas.  The generosity of everyone involved, including Heartland Farm Foods, has been overwhelming,” said Jim McAdams, cattleman, Adkins, Texas, and president, NCBA.

In addition to selling its canned beef for under wholesale price to NCBA’s relief efforts, Heartland Farms led an effort to secure free freight for this product and partnered with the Missouri Baptist Relief Fund to donate canned beef to the Red Cross in McComb, Miss.

Louisiana was not accepting food shipments at the time this product was sent because its warehouses were full.

Seattle-based Oberto Sausage Company, which sold its jerky to NCBA’s relief efforts at cost and donated the freight, will begin shipping 288,000 1-ounce packages of beef jerky between Sept. 16 and 20. 

To date, NCBA’s efforts have raised $170,000 from NCBA’s Federation of State Beef Councils and independent donations from cattlemen and beef associations in New York, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, Nebraska, Alabama, Idaho, South Carolina, North Carolina, Kansas, Colorado and Florida.

Contributions to the relief effort to assist farmers, ranchers and rural families in the region can be sent to the National Cattlemen's Foundation, Disaster Relief Fund, 9110 East Nichols Ave., Suite 300, Centennial, CO 80112 or call 303-694-0305.  Those who wish to donate supplies, or have leads on where to find donated supplies, can contact John Braly or Courtney Pollock of NCBA at 1-866-BEEFUSA. 

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