Serving A Legacy: Fifth Generation Farmers Feed Local Students Through PA Beef to PA Schools Program

You could say that farming runs in the family for Bill and Bobbi Dunn. Together, they raise and sell cattle on their farm in Crawford County that has been in Bill’s family for decades. "Our children are the fifth generation to grow up on my husband's family farm. His grandfather was born in the home,” shares Bobbi Dunn. That legacy creates a strong link between the Dunn’s work, their family, and their community. 

A growing connection between the farm and the local community has come through a program designed to supply school districts with fresh, local beef. The PA Beef to PA Schools Program (PBPS), is administered by the PA Beef Council and pairs cattle producers with local school districts. The goal of the program is to place more beef, more often on school lunch trays. Each month, the Dunn’s supply close to 100 pounds of beef to Cochranton schools within the Crawford Central School District. The program was an easy fit for the Dunn’s as Bobbi is a former chair of the PA Beef Council Board. “I was very fortunate to serve on their executive team. It gave me a great understanding of how much they do to support beef producers,” says Bobbi. 

When the PA Beef Council approached the Dunn family about participating in PBPS, it was a natural fit. The Dunn family was able to connect the Beef Council with food service provider The Nutrition Group, which serves schools across Crawford County and the surrounding region. “Since the summer, we’ve been able to get into more schools and bring in more beef producers,” says Bobbi. 

Today, PBPS serves 120 school districts representing more than 212,000 students across the Commonwealth. The program covers 70% of the state, reaching nearly 25% of public schools since its start three years ago. The program has supplied more than 133,000 pounds of beef to Pennsylvania’s school students. PBPS works as a 50-50 cost share between the PA Beef Council and the school districts, making the product more affordable and easier for districts to procure. 

For Bobbi and her husband, participation in the program brings a sense of satisfaction, not just in selling their product within the community, but in supplying a population they don’t typically reach. “Our area is very rural, and I know a lot of kids in our region experience poverty. Getting a healthy, nutritious meal through beef—which is one of the best protein sources available—is tremendous for so many of these kids. I’m so happy for that aspect of the program,” says Bobbi. 

The Dunn farm is a diverse operation that raises both registered and commercial cattle. “We raise registered Herefords, Charolais, Red Angus, and Simmental cattle,” says Bobbi. “My kids love the industry and have grown up in it working right alongside their dad and I.”  

The farm is a cow-calf operation that markets feeder calves and beef cattle. Bobbi says that in the last few years, they have begun doing more direct market sales by selling beef quarters and individual cuts through Dunn Road Premium Beef. “We finish just enough beef to sell off the farm,” explains Bobbi. “Everything we finish here goes to a local USDA processor and then we sell to our local community.” Bobbi is also proud that the farm is entirely self-sufficient. “We make 1500 round bales of hay per year and plant all our own crops. We don’t source anything off the farm,” she says. 

Though both of Dunn’s children are grown, they remain connected to the agriculture industry and have hopes to return to the farm in the future. Our son Walker is 24. He works on a 700-cow operation in Missouri doing show cattle preparation. Our daughter is 20 and is finishing her junior year at Oklahoma State University majoring in agriculture communications. They both have expressed a desire to someday move home and run the farm together. 

Until then, the Dunns enjoy sharing their love of agriculture with students through opportunities afforded by the PBPS program. “Last spring, I was able to go into the school and help the food service team prepare smash burgers. The kids were so excited to have fresh burgers. The women in the cafeteria also told me how excited the kids are to eat their lunches on our beef days. That’s the coolest part for me,” says Bobbi. 

Through their PBPS connection, she and Bill have also helped to educate students about cattle production. “Bill and I have gone to fifth grade classes during beef month and talked and read to the students. It’s another way to expand their understanding of how their protein sources are raised. We can share with them that it’s safe, healthy, nutrition dense and locally raised. For kids in a non-rural school, it’s important to explain where meat comes from before it reaches the store shelf,” says Bobbi. 

### 

The Pennsylvania Beef Council is a producer-controlled and funded organization, which administers the Beef Checkoff Program in Pennsylvania. The Beef Checkoff Program assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. Checkoff revenues may be used for promotion, education and research programs to improve the marketing climate for beef.