Tyson Foods sends aid to Tornado stricken Oklahoma

May 22, 2013

Tyson Foods sends aid to Tornado stricken Oklahoma

Springdale, Ark. based Tyson Foods sent out its Meals That Matter Disaster Relief Unit truck on Tuesday to bring aid to the Oklahoma communities affected by Monday’s deadly tornado.

The unit will serve hot meals to victims and relief workers, which is carrying 20,000 pounds of chicken, beef and pork. Additionally, the truck will also be bringing tents, sanitation supplies and Wi-Fi capacities. The company’s teams could be on site for at least two or three weeks. The company’s relief unit responds to crisis situations and has helped in the past including after Hurricane Sandy last year. The truck unit is a 53-foot semi-trailer which was unveiled in April of last year.

Tyson is also encouraging its staff to contribute financially to support the relief effort and as pledged to match employee donations up to $100,000. The money raised will go to the American Red Cross. More information about Tyson’s Meals That Matter program can be found at:http://www.tysonhungerrelief.com/meals-that-matter/.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.