Beef For Blue

My SAE grant was important because it helped me afford and improve my beef production project by covering costs like feed, calves, and vet care while also teaching me real-world skills like budgeting, responsibility, and managing livestock.

DALLIA JOHNSON, SALEM FFA

What Is Beef For Blue?

Beef For Blue Logo The Beef for Blue program, offers Missouri’s cattle producers an efficient way to invest in Missouri FFA members and Agricultural Education activities related to beef production by pledging 50 cents per head of cattle sold to be donated to the Missouri FFA Foundation. (Some sale barns may also offer the option of a specific dollar amount donation.)

Where Does The Money Go?

Donations generated through the Beef for Blue program fund grants for agricultural education students to start or expand a supervised agriculture experience (SAE) project related to beef cattle production, agriculture advocacy training for FFA members, and leadership workshops and skills development opportunities for agriculture education students across the state.

How Does It Work?

A sale barn registers with the Missouri FFA Foundation to be a Beef for Blue partner site and receives program signs.
As a part of check-in, the producer lets the sale barn know they would like to participate in Beef for Blue for that load of cattle by pledging 50 cents per head. (Some sale barns may also allow post sale pledges. Producers may also make a donation directly to the Missouri FFA Foundation.)
The sale barn deducts the pledged amount before paying out the producer and sends that money to the foundation, along with the name and contact information of the producer. (This process reduces the producer’s tax liability.)
The Missouri FFA Foundation will send the producer a thank you note and recognize the contribution through the individual giving program.