Cliff Buchan
News Editor

Some volunteers find satisfaction in overseas medical missions or other good will projects to help people in need.

For David Freemore of Mounds View and his band of volunteers, the satisfaction has come in raising beef cattle that wind up providing important nourishment for area residents who must turn to food banks for help.

Now in its sixth year, Freemore says Cows, Cows, Cows, a volunteer-based organization, has contributed more than 9.75 tons of ground beef to a number of food banks, including the five served in this area by Family Pathways.

On three days in late October and early November, Freemore and a platoon of volunteers converged at Pure Natural Meats in Lindstrom to ready another 4000 pounds or so of beef for the food banks. The meat market, a USDA-approved facility, is owned by Steve Fisher, and was a must for the process to work.

A year ago Fisher bought Community Market from Pete Nelson and renamed the business to reflect its expanded scope. Nelson, a state representative from Lindstrom, has been a volunteer since Cows, Cows, Cows formed in 2000 and continues to offer his skills as a volunteer butcher.

The organization is based out of Sunrise United Methodist Church in Mounds View. Freemore has organized a widespread network of volunteers who formed with the idea of doing good in a non-traditional way, he says.

It was in 2000 when Cows, Cows, Cows formed and raised its first cattle herd for the project.

In 2005, the organization raised 11 beef cattle on Jeff Stewartís land northeast of Stacy.

During its three-day grind-up and processing party in Lindstrom, some 3600 pounds of ground beef were readied and another 250 packets of steaks and 200-300 roasts were cut during the slaughter days.

During the three days of meat cutting, volunteers work on deboning and trimming meat. Nearly 90 percent of the beef is used for hamburger. After two rounds of grinding, the beef is vacuum-seal packaged in 1.5 pound units, frozen and labeled.

The ground beef is divided among the Family Pathways food banks and other food banks in Mounds View, McGregor and Eden Prairie. Family Pathways food banks in Forest Lake, Lindstrom, North Branch, Cambridge and Onamia each receive 200 pounds of frozen ground beef for distribution during January and February, two months when meat supplies are in strong demand.

The rib eyes, tenderloins and roasts are packed for raffle items at the Cows, Cows, Cows annual Cows Potluck set this year Dec. 9 at the Mounds View church. Funds raised at the potluck are plowed into the program for next year.

Food banks receiving meat are provided raffle tickets that they may sell to support the annual effort. In the case of Family Pathways, the organizationís charter does not allow raffles, so they pay a bargain rate $500 fee to acquire the 1000 pounds of ground beef.

Help always needed

The program would not exist without volunteer help in form of labor and cash donations, Freemore says.

When the volunteers formed in 2000, it was a core group from Sunrise Methodist and Freemore relatives and friends who planned and carried out the first yearís project.

The base of volunteers has continued to grow and help is always needed, Freemore says.

Hereís how the public can get involved.

ïArrange to provide one (or more) head of beef cattle to the pasture. Each head should weigh at least 600 lbs. (so it reaches 1100-1300 lbs. by October 31st.)

ïSend a tax deductible donation payable to Sunrise Cows for the purchase of cattle to Sunrise Methodist Church, 7687 Long Lake Road, Mounds View, MN 55112. A $600 donation establishes you as a major donor and a cow will be named in your honor.Ý

ïArrange to have supplies provided ó fence posts, barbed wire, gates, ìcorralî panels.

ïHelp with fencing, maintenance and additional work projects.

ïHelp provide corn and supplements.Ý

ïHelp with fund-raising, solicited funding, buy or help sell raffle tickets.

ïHelp at the annual ìgrind upî and processing party.

For more information, call Freemore at 763-792-0724 or visit www.cowscowscows.org.

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Forest Lake Times
P.O. Box 218
880 SW 15 St.
Forest Lake, MN 55025
651-464-4601
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