Missouri’s Cattleman of the Year, Keith Stevens, raises beef cattle near Bolivar in #Agri-Ready Designated Polk County where he stewards his land through conservation-minded intensive grazing. Off the farm, Keith makes a big difference in his local community. Keith visits with guests of the Missouri Beef House restaurant at the Missouri State Fair. As a leader of the Polk County Cattlemen’s Association, he has been instrumental in the development of Missouri Beef Days, held each May in Bolivar. Keith knows agriculture drives the local economy and wants to share the story of the beef industry with his neighbors and community.

Keith’s cattle graze the green pastures of his wife’s generational family farm. In the intensive grazing system Keith utilizes, the cows are grazed on a small acreage for one to three days, making the most of the forage available. Then they are moved to the next small paddock to prevent over-grazing. This system provides rest for the soil and plants on Keith’s farm and is just one example of Keith’s dedication to land stewardship, conservation, and animal health. 

When Keith and his brother-in-law, Les Hopkins, took over management of the family farm, he wanted to improve stewardship practices. He partnered with the Missouri Soil and Water Conservation Districts and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to educate himself and develop a plan that would enhance farm profitability while keeping conservation in focus. The implementation of his intensive grazing strategy provides forage for his cows to graze ten months out of the year. By keeping his cattle on fresh, tall grass, their teeth see less wear and their longevity has increased. His cows have an easier time eating to support themselves the calves that they are raising. Keith’s commitment to well-informed stewardship, management, and husbandry practices has enabled his family’s 160-acre farm to raise twice as much beef than in the past.  

“The mission of Missouri Beef Days is to promote and celebrate the beef industry and give consumers the chance to meet the people who raise beef,” Keith shared. In 2019, the Missouri Beef Days committee and the Bolivar Chamber of Commerce began the process of developing an event that would reflect their community and draw visitors to Bolivar. Cattle contribute $12 million in value added products, $38.7 million in output and provide nearly 500 jobs to the economy of Polk County, according to the 2021 Missouri Economic Contribution of Agriculture and Forestry Study. “It is good to bring awareness to our community about the cattle industry because it is important in Polk County. Beef drives the economy of our area, so it makes sense to celebrate it,” Keith said. According to the 2017 census of Agriculture, Polk County is the #2 cattle producing county in Missouri, located in the southwest region of the state, which is a hub for livestock production. 

As a local leader, Keith has been heavily involved in the development of Missouri Beef Days, and he excitedly shared that 2024 marked the third successful year for the May event. A local committee comprised of agriculture, civic, and youth representation hosts an extensive line-up of events to attract consumers to learn about and enjoy beef. Events include an auction, wine and beef pairing dinner, cattlemen’s church service, celebrity chef cooking demonstrations, bourbon and beef pairing dinner, two-night rodeo, parade, concert, educational speakers, cook-off contests, a street fair and more. “These events are designed to be enjoyable for all. We use them as opportunities to visit with people about where their food comes from,” Keith said. Beyond these events, Keith helps the Polk County Cattlemen’s Association cook and serve more than 3,000 hamburgers for student lunches at school campuses across the county during the week of Beef Days to raise beef awareness.

A fun and unique marker of Missouri Beef Days are the ‘cow cut-outs’ that appear around Bolivar, indicating that businesses have sponsored the celebration. More than 150 wooden cow cut-outs, constructed by the local FFA chapters, come out to ‘graze’ in front of the businesses that make Missouri Beef Days possible. For businesses located out of town, a herd of wooden cows find pasture on the county courthouse lawn. “Businesses have an interesting pride for their cow cut-outs. Some businesses keep their cows all year long and personalize them for the following year,” Keith said. 

Through the hard work of committed community members like Keith, and the support of business partners, Missouri Beef Days meets its goal: to give back to the causes, communities, and youth of Polk County. The success of Missouri Beef Days is a reflection that local groups and organizations have harnessed a cooperative spirit. The next Missouri Beef Days will be held May 3-10, 2025.

In 2017 when the opportunity arose to promote the continued growth and support for agriculture in his local community, Keith lead the conversation for Polk County to be recognized as an #Agri-Ready Designated County. He leveraged positive relationships with county commissioners and utilized the power of partnership. Many commissioners in southwest Missouri are also cattlemen and were open to an opportunity to preserve and promote agricultural growth. In addition, even before his tenure as president of the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association, Keith encouraged the beginning of collegiate cattlemen groups. The first one was launched at Missouri State University. “I think it is exciting to see young people get involved in supporting agriculture,” Keith said. 

Keith has recently retired from his career in quarry sales to enjoy farming full-time with his wife, Beverly. The couple has one grown daughter and two young grandsons. Keith serves on the Polk County Soil and Water Board and the Missouri Soil and Water Commission. He has served as the president of the Polk County Cattlemen’s Association and was the president of the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association in 2016 and is still very active at the state level. He has also served in leadership with the Missouri Beef Industry Council and the Missouri Limestone Producers Association. He is a member of Missouri Farm Bureau. These groups are all partners of Missouri Farmers Care.