Beef Certificate Program Applications Now Being Accepted

Oct 02, 2026

The Kansas Beef Council (KBC) now is accepting Beef Certificate Program applications for the 2026-27 school year. Kansas family and consumer sciences (FCS) and ProStart teachers can apply online at www.kansasbeef.org. Teachers with questions can contact KBC Director of Nutrition Abby Heidari at abby@kansasbeef.org or (785) 273-5225.

The checkoff-funded program allows Kansas beef producers to support local schools and empower the next generation of shoppers to make informed decisions about the food they purchase and prepare at home. Through the program, FCS and ProStart teachers can receive funding to buy beef for classroom labs and gain access to more than 10 standards-based lesson plans covering beef selection, safe handling and nutrition. Reimbursement amounts are based on class enrollment and school classification. KBC provides the lesson plans and teacher support at no cost. Last year, 142 schools across 58 counties participated in the program, reaching 21,784 students.

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Video: ASF Control Lessons - Dr. Mary-Louise Penrith

In this episode of The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, Dr. Mary-Louise Penrith, Extraordinary Professor at the University of Pretoria, shares what decades of work have revealed about ASF control. She explains why vaccine development remains difficult, how human activity and food waste drive disease spread, why resistant pig populations are an important research area, and how strict biosecurity with the right disinfectants can help to stop transmission. Listen now on all major platforms!

"It's really a very human-driven disease because people move pigs, decide how they're raised, how they're sold, and good biosecurity can do anything to ensure control."

Meet the guest: Dr. Mary-Louise Penrith / mary-louise-penrith-2b12bb42 is an Extraordinary Professor in the Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. A veterinarian and internationally recognized researcher, she has dedicated decades to African swine fever epidemiology, control, and pig health, supporting FAO and WOAH initiatives while advancing research and education. Listen to Dr. Mary-Louise Penrith on the Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast, available on all major platforms.