Florida Beef Council Hosts Hands-On Beef Workshop at Cattlewomen’s Short Course
The Florida Beef Council recently held a workshop aimed at educating consumers on how to make the most of their beef purchases amid rising prices. The event was part of the Florida Cattlewomen’s Beef Cattle Short Course and drew over 100 enthusiastic participants.
We spoke with DM Maples of the Florida Beef Council, who provided more details on the workshop experience:
“Beef Smarts and Savvy Starts was the name of this four-hour workshop that we did as part of the Florida Cattlewomen’s Beef Cattle Short Course this year.”
With beef prices at near-record highs, the council wanted to provide practical, money-saving strategies for families.
“The goal behind this workshop was to address the fact that beef prices are higher than they have been in quite some time and we know that consumers really want to keep enjoying the product that they love. So doing these programs helps families stretch their grocery dollar, giving them hands-on skills to break down beef at home,” said Maples.
The workshop featured interactive, group-based instruction where participants learned to cut and portion beef themselves.
“We had more than 100 participants, standing room only. We divided them into nine groups and each group got their own top sirloin butt along with cutting gloves and knives and they were able to cut right alongside Kylie Phillips, a board member of the Beef Council. She’s a meat scientist.”
This hands-on method helped attendees understand the cost savings of home butchery.
“We assigned a value of the product before and after the cutting and that allowed these participants to see the kind of savings that doing this work provides for the family.”
The workshop concluded with a flavorful demonstration.
“And then we wrapped up the workshop. I prepared a Cuban dish that showed how leftovers can be repurposed into a delicious nutrient-packed meal. And when the demo wrapped up, we surprised the participants with that dish for their lunch.”
Special thanks went to Deborah Whaley, who organized the course.
“Shout out to Miss Debbie. These workshops really do empower the consumer with the confidence and the skills to keep beef at the center of the plate.”
Audio Reporting by Dale Sandlin for Southeast AgNet.