Roaring Fork Valley organizations team up to offer beef sticks for underserved children

The Holy Cross Cattlemen’s Association and the Roaring Fork Valley Co-op in Carbondale are hosting their annual Beef Sticks for Backpacks event through April 1. 

The initiative, which began in 2021, supports the distribution of high-protein beef sticks to underserved children across Colorado, helping alleviate weekend food insecurity.

HCCA Membership Chairman Ginny Harrington said the program began as a way for Colorado ranchers to highlight their role as stewards of the land while addressing hunger. 

“Livestock producers, ranchers, and agriculture wanted to speak about the great things that we are doing and how meat is a protein source to feed people, including everyone from food insecurity to everyone in our local communities and beyond,” Harrington said. “We just want to talk about the great things that ranching provides, to all the ecosystems services, open space, and wildlife habitats.” 

She added that connecting with the community has become their guiding mission and a way to give back.

Community members can visit the Roaring Fork Valley Co-op throughout March to donate to the cause. Each $5 donation enters participants into a drawing to win one of three coolers filled with locally sourced meat, donated by regional ranchers. 

The drawing will be held on April 1. Last year, the Co-op contributed an additional $500, helping HCCA raise $1,620 during the March promotion. Each dollar donated provides three beef sticks to children in need.

“The Roaring Fork Valley Co-Op has been really generous in providing three very nice coolers to keep the meat in, so winners are ready for summer grilling season and camping. It has been really fantastic,” Harrington said. “We ask that people give a $5 donation, where people can enter as many times as they want, and all of the money goes to Beef Sticks for Backpacks, which is a state program through Colorado State University.”

Harrington emphasized that beef sticks are an ideal non-perishable protein source for children facing food insecurity in Colorado schools, as well as for food banks throughout the state.

On April 1, the Co-op will offer free samples of pulled pork and beef chili while local ranchers share stories about their stewardship of land, water, livestock, and the environment. Justina and Ted Potter of Potter Farms will join the event, along with other ranchers, to highlight the positive impacts of ranching on the community and ecosystem.

This year’s meat donations come from Potter Farms, Strang Ranch, the Jammaron family, Mike and Jayme Goscha, Single Tree Ranch operated by Frank and Shelia Daley, Jackson Ranch, Tom VonDette, Tai Jacober, Aspen Meishan operated by Nick Costello, and Tom and Ginny Harrington. Additional donations from local producers are still being accepted.

“We often have pork, lamb, beef, and even elk in the mix for the coolers that are for giveaway,” Harrington said. “We’ve got a mix of everything in the coolers. If someone does not like one of the meats, we always encourage people to work with other winners to exchange meats so that people can stock up on the food they like.” 

She added that the coolers offer an opportunity for families to enjoy cookouts and stretch their meat supply throughout the year.

In addition to the giveaway, the Co-op will offer a 10% discount on Potter Farms ground beef from March 25 through April 1. The Co-op also supports regional agriculture by selling locally grown meat and eggs.

Beef Sticks for Backpacks, which began in Loveland in 2019, currently distributes 20,000 beef sticks weekly and aims to increase that number to 30,000. The nonprofit’s mission is to ensure no child in Colorado faces weekend hunger.

March 18 is National Agriculture Day. More information is available at beefsticks.org. Details about the Holy Cross Cattlemen’s Association can be found at holycrosscattlemensassociation.com.