Gov. Pete Ricketts declared March 20 “Meat on the Menu Day” in Nebraska because of its importance to the economy.
“Agriculture is Nebraska’s number one industry, and beef is our largest segment of production,” said Gov. Ricketts on his website.
This declaration was a direct response to Colorado governor Jared Polis, who designated March 20 as “MeatOut Day,” encouraging people to take on a vegetarian diet. That campaign is aimed to end animal agriculture production, according to Ricketts’ website.
Iowa got in on the exchange, as Gov. Kim Reynolds announced that the entire month of April will be “Meat on the Table Month.”
Nebraska has the top three beef-producing cow counties in the United States, according to the Nebraska Beef Council. Nebraska is also home to Omaha Steaks, a family company based in the city that is nationally known.
Don and Millie’s, a local fast-food restaurant, relies on the meat industry to bring in profit. Greg Garro, a kitchen employee at Don and Millie’s, said that meat is served on almost all items, and that they can go through up to 200 patties a day. Ricketts’ promotion of meat helps keep their business strong, Garro said.
“I think it’s great,” Garro said. “It gives job security, so I know that I’m going to get paid.”
Modern Love, a local vegetarian restaurant, is opposed to the proclamation by Ricketts. They shared a Facebook post encouraging people to celebrate “Vegan Meat on the Menu.”
Taxpayers spend billions of dollars in subsidies to the meat industry while vegetable farms have to depend on volunteers for funding, Modern Love said in their post.
“Meat is literally on the menu every night for most,” the post said. “Long story short, the governor’s call for ‘Meat on the Menu’ is silly.”
