Farm Director KC Sheperd is talking with the Director of Marketing and Communications at the Oklahoma Beef Council, Nikki Snider. As there are many events coming up for the Oklahoma Beef Council, Snider gives Sheperd a rundown.
The Oklahoma Beef Council will host the second annual Steak & Grape wine pairing event on Friday, September 15, at Will Rogers Theater in Oklahoma City. The beneficiary of this year’s event is Pepper’s Ranch, Oklahoma’s premiere foster care community.
“We are so excited about this event,” Snider said. “It is our second year to do it. This year is coming up on September 15, and it will be at Will Rogers Theatre here in Oklahoma City.”
Located on 240 serene acres near Guthrie, Oklahoma, Pepper’s Ranch is home to tenured foster families providing love and care for youth within the foster care system. Peppers Ranch seeks to break the cycle of child abuse and neglect through a neighborhood of loving homes, counseling, and growth-oriented activities. Their safe and nurturing community inspires and equips each child to break the cycle, reach their full potential, and become productive citizens of society.
“Steak and Grape- it is a beef and wine pairing,” Snider said. “So we are going to have a four-course dinner. Each course will be paired with wine.”
The meal will be developed by Chef Kurt Fleischfresser and paired with Premium Brand wines. The night will also feature an opportunity to further support Pepper’s Ranch through a live auction with offerings of incredible trips, original artwork, and BEEF! Individuals can purchase tickets and sponsorships online at https://www.oklabeef.org/steak-and-grape.
“Everything from Steak and Grapes- the proceeds are going to go to benefit Pepper’s Ranch,” Snider said.
The Oklahoma Beef Council also has its annual “Beef Up the Blood Supply” blood drive coming up ahead of Labor Day weekend.
“This has been going on for more than 20 years,” Snider said.
Blood donors who save lives before Labor Day will enjoy a hotdog picnic at Oklahoma Blood Institute’s donor centers statewide! This year’s Pre-Labor Day blood drive is a two-day event.
On Thursday, August 31, and Friday, September 1, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., donors will receive OBI’s annual spooky t-shirt. The Oklahoma Beef Council is providing all-beef hot dogs as it teams up with the Oklahoma Blood Institute to ‘beef up’ the blood supply for the Labor Day weekend. All blood donors on these days will be entered to win $500 in beef from Callison Ranch Beef.
“The need for blood never goes down,” Snider said. “Especially on these summer holiday weekends, that is one reason we like to kind of help them boost their supply right before going into Labor Day.”
Oklahoma Blood Institute has nine donor centers statewide, including four in the Oklahoma City metro:
- Central OKC, 901 N. Lincoln Blvd.
- North OKC, 5105 N. Portland Ave.
- Edmond, 3409 S. Broadway, Suite 300
- Norman, 1004 24th Ave., N.W., Suite 101
- Ada, Ardmore, Enid, Lawton and Tulsa (addresses on obi.org)
Anyone who is healthy and age 16 or older can give blood. * However, of those eligible to donate blood in the U.S., less than ten percent actually donate each year. Each blood donation can save the lives of up to 3 Oklahomans.
Snider also talked about the Oklahoma Beef Passport promotion, which allows individuals to earn points when they order beef at restaurants, allowing them to be eligible to win prizes. The passport will be active from May 1 to September 30.
Prizes include:
- PITBOSS GRILL + $250 BEEF GIFT CARD
· YETI COOLER + $150 BEEF GIFT CARD
· WEBBER GRILL SET + $100 BEEF GIFT CARDS
Drawings will be held in early October for the prize packages. To get your Oklahoma Beef Passport, click here.
Snider also talked about how many Oklahomans like to purchase beef local. The Oklahoma Beef Council website offers a directory that allows visitors to find locally produced beef near them by selecting their county.
One Oklahoma cattle-producing family, the Burtrum’s (Burtrum Cattle, LLC of Oklahoma), was recently featured on the first episode of the docuseries “Cattle Calling.”
