CALF News Aug./Sept 2018

32 CALF News • August | September 2018 • www.calfnews.net 2018 BEEF EMPIRE DAYS Celebrating50 Years As a live and carcass show, Beef Empire Days captures all aspects of the beef industry in its competition, giving participants multiple ways to compete in the event. Justin Reeve, Reeve Cattle Co., in Garden City, enjoys a beef dinner at the annual Sponsor Reception. The Chuckwagons in the Park event is a Beef Empire Days staple. It’s been a part of the festival for the better part of the 50 years. Beginning as a competition, it has been transformed into a community educational event to help teach more people about beef’s nutritional benefits. Everyone who participated in the week’s events is invited to the Awards Banquet to test their skills at picking the winning heifer and celebrate with others as scholarships, and live and carcass awards are presented. Everyone gets to be a judge at the Live Show. 32 CALF News • August | September 2018 • w .calfnews.net A favorite show event is the lunch, featuring – of course – steak sandwiches along with chips, beans, cookies and a cool drink. The 50 th celebration of Beef Empire Days had it all – parades, cattle- working contests, a cattle crawl, but most of all, a recognition by the community that agriculture, specifically the cattle-feeding industry, is a vital part of the area’s economy.  By Betty Jo Gigot Publisher | Photos by Aly McClure Contributing Editor