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Ag by the Numbers – Where’s the Beef?

Remember the 1980’s television commercial for Wendy’s which featured Clara Peller asking, “Where’s the BEEF?”

The commercial was a hit and brought increased attention to eating “real” beef. Now, the “BEEF It’s What’s For Dinner” commercials resonate with consumers.

In DeKalb County, we raise 17,300 beef cattle on 69 farms. These cattle are raised in cow-calf herds or as feedlot cattle.

The state of Illinois raises about 397,000 beef cattle annually.

Top producing states in beef cattle are: Texas, Nebraska, Kansas, California, Oklahoma and Missouri.

Source: Illinois Economic Contribution Study, 2019, USDA 2017 Census of Agriculture