Oklahoma Prairie Beef Solutions Picks Up Speed in Providing Value-Added Marketing Opportunities to Oklahoma Ranchers

At the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association 2023 winter policy meeting, Farm Director, KC Sheperd caught up with the Director of Operations for Oklahoma Prairie Beef Solutions, Sydnee Gerken, about what 2023 looks like for OPBS.

“We have just in the past week had over ten calls just to discuss and kind of get a feel for what 2023 is going to hold for the program,” Gerken said.

Oklahoma Prairie Beef Solutions is an entity of the OCA and is aimed at rewarding a premium to cattle producers who sell their cull cows into the program.

“We are striving to bring better prices to the Oklahoma cull cattle market to producers as well as providing local fresh beef to Oklahoma consumers,” Gerken said.

If producers are interested in becoming part of the program, Gerken said, they are required to have an OCA membership, Beef Quality Assurance certification, and a 90-day minimum ownership of the cattle (in the state of Oklahoma), which can be proven through records such as vaccine records.

“There has been lots and lots of conversation about where the program is going to go this year,” Gerken said. “One of our big goals is that the program can stand alone on itself. We have been graciously given a loan from the association (OCA) if you will, and it is time that we start looking at paying that forward and back to the association and to the producers that pay their membership.”

OPBS has an event coming up in May with Uptown Grocery Co. where they will be offering a gourmet burger special for Mother’s Day, Gerken said, and hopefully, that can be offered on Father’s Day as well.

While everyone may not be able to participate in OPBS, anyone can support them by purchasing the ground beef product sold in retail stores around the state.

“Right now, we are working with Uptown Grocery and Pruett Foods,” Gerken said. “They are under the same management,” Gerken said. “They have 12 locations in the state of Oklahoma and two right here in Oklahoma City.”

Gerken said OPBS is looking to add a few more stores into the mix to serve the entire state of Oklahoma better.

“I believe as the program continues to grow, that we will have lots and lots of states and cattlemen’s associations reach out so they can find a better way to serve their own communities in their state beef industry,” Gerken said.

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