MOBeef Update

The Environmental Stewardship Award recognizes the outstanding stewardship practices and conservation achievements of U.S. cattle farmers and ranchers. These are folks who have made extensive efforts to work closely with their local communities, government agencies and affiliated organizations to care for the land and natural resources on their operations.

The winning Environmental Stewardship Award families are committed to being good stewards of the environment while providing you, the consumer, with safe and nutritious beef products. Because each family takes pride in serving their community and protecting the land, the United States is significantly ahead of the world in managing livestock production in an environmentally friendly manner — both in terms of carbon footprint and land use. In fact, most beef producers have followed best practices for maintaining water, soil and air for generations.

And one of the winners is near you!

Located 60 miles south of St. Louis in Sainte Genevieve, the Eckenfels’ family farm has been in operation since 1851. Owned by Bob Eckenfels and his family, the farm is a diversified operation producing corn, wheat, soybeans, hay, straw, firewood and 100 head of Angus-cross cattle. Eckenfels Farm also markets corn-fed and grass-finished beef directly to the consumer.

Eckenfels utilizes no-till farming, increasing his returns and minimizing erosion. He is a progressive adopter of new technologies that benefit and protect soil and water resources and provide wildlife habitat. In addition, Eckenfels was the first farmer in Sainte Genevieve County to install a dry hydrant. The permanently installed, non-pressurized pipe system resides in one of the farm’s ponds, and provides a suction supply of water, usually for a fire department tank truck.

Here’s a great video about their farm.

For more information about current beef production practices, visit the checkoff-funded ExploreBeef.org.