July was named Idaho Beef Month for the twenty-second year.

JEROME, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — For the twenty-second year, the month of July was named Idaho Beef Month.

Winecup L. Cattle Co. in Jerome can trace their beef producing roots all the way back to 1908, 11 years before Jerome County was even incorporated.

Today, Bill Lickley and his wife, Laurie, continue to run the cattle company on the same land and have amassed over 250 cattle, all for beef production, while also being one of a small number of beef producers in the state.

“In Idaho, we have more cattle than we do people, but we have a very few number of people actually producing the product [beef] so just being able to communicate from our ranching families to our city neighbors so to speak, is important,” Bill Lickley said.

As a state, Idaho has over 2.55 million heads of beef cattle making it the second largest ag sector in the entire state behind dairy.

The group of people responsible for getting the word around about the state’s beef producers and their products is the Idaho Beef Council.

The Beef Council’s job is to enhance beef demand and show the value of the industry in Idaho. They also have a hand in the sale of cattle too.

“Every time a beef animal is sold in Idaho, a $1.50 beef check off is collected that is under the purview of the Idaho Beef Council,” Lickley said.

“Part of those funds go to the national program Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner and national health research and things like that. The rest is retained in Idaho to promote beef and tell the story of Idaho beef ranching families.”

As Idaho beef month comes to a close remember to acknowledge the hard work of the ranchers who dedicate thousands of hours into raising beef cattle and doing it the right way.

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