When Amanda Butterfield first heard about a program turning donated beef into snack sticks for hungry kids, she didn’t just file it away as a good idea. She launched her own version — right in the middle of Pennsylvania cattle country.
The initiative, called Beefing Up Backpacks, takes scrap beef cuts donated by local producers, processes them into shelf-stable sticks and distributes them through weekend backpack programs run by schools and nonprofits. In its first production run in May, the team distributed 12,000 sticks. Their year-one goal: 72,000.
“We saw two broken parts of the food system — rural hunger and limited markets for beef — and realized we could strengthen both,” Butterfield says.
Making It Work in Pennsylvania
The project began in mid-2024 as an idea. By fall, Butterfield had helped launch the Pennsylvania Beef Foundation — a charitable arm of the Pennsylvania Beef Council — and secured a partnership with Stoltzfus Meats in Intercourse, Pa., which agreed to process the sticks at cost.
From there, things got real: They coordinated with vendors, wrestled with packaging delays tied to international supply chain issues and navigated labeling and logistics. The first shipment reached students in Towanda Area School District in May 2025, just as the school year ended.
“Not the ideal timing,” she admits. “But food is food — and every delivery counts.”
They’re now producing additional batches for summer and fall 2025, and they’re fielding requests from organizations statewide to expand. “We’ve got more demand than we can meet,” Butterfield says. “We’re still figuring out how to scale it responsibly.”
Filling a Protein Gap
Weekend backpack programs — largely run by churches, food banks and schools — have become a lifeline for food-insecure students. But they’re often short on protein.
Before partnering with Beefing Up Backpacks, the organization CHOP Out Hunger filled bags with mostly produce and shelf-stable carbs. Protein made up just 2% of contents.
“Providing protein-packed beef sticks ensures students receive the nutrition they deserve, even on weekends,” says Dani Ruhf, CHOP’s CEO.
In Towanda, 287 students receive weekly food bags, totaling more than 10,000 bags annually. But the estimated statewide need is staggering: To serve every eligible child, Pennsylvania would need to distribute 500,000 beef sticks per week.
The Value of Local Protein
Beef was an intentional choice: It’s broadly acceptable across most faiths, has a long shelf life and offers complete protein that’s critical for brain development. But halal and kosher certifications are a barrier for now.
“Our core mission is to feed food-insecure children with the highest-impact option available,” Butterfield says. “Beef trim is accessible, versatile and nutritionally dense.”
Still, sourcing donated beef is no small task. Long-term sustainability hinges on consistent corporate and processor partners. While the program received startup support via a line item in the FY24–25 Ag Excellence Budget at the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, future state funding remains uncertain.
“We’re proud to have industry-led groups stepping up,” says Nichole Hockenberry, executive director of the Pennsylvania Beef Foundation. “This effort is about feeding kids — but also showcasing the strength of PA agriculture.”
Barriers to Scale
Even with momentum on their side, Butterfield and her team are navigating familiar hurdles:
- Funding. Most grants are short-term and branding-focused. What’s needed is year-round operating support.
- Supply Chain Limits. Processing capacity is tight. Stoltzfus Meats is donating labor but might not be able to handle statewide demand.
- Lack of Infrastructure. Unlike land-grant-backed programs in Colorado and New Mexico, Pennsylvania’s effort has no student interns, university processors or administrative staff. Every cost comes out of donations or industry support.
- Data. There’s no central database of backpack programs. The team is building one from scratch using SNAP household data and on-the-ground outreach — largely coordinated by Butterfield’s daughter.
“We’re building this system while we run it,” Butterfield says.
Inspiration from Other States
While Pennsylvania’s model is unique in its producer-led design, Butterfield credits several other states with blazing the trail:
- Colorado. With support from Colorado State University, Five Rivers and JBS, their program now distributes 20,000 sticks per week.
- Oklahoma. Led by the Oklahoma Farm Bureau, the initiative combines beef and pork sticks and distributes 35,000 annually.
- Wyoming. A grassroots program supported by local producers and nonprofits distributes 20,000 sticks per year.
- New Mexico. Currently launching a pilot with help from New Mexico State University and beef producers.
“We’re in touch with many of these groups, and we’re building a blueprint that others can replicate,” Butterfield says.
A Farmer-Led Call to Action
Butterfield believes public-private partnerships are one of the best tools producers have to solve big problems — and to show the real value of agriculture.
“We’re not just raising cattle — we’re feeding communities,” she says. It’s time the world saw that.”
She encourages other producers to get involved — whether by donating beef trim, coordinating with local backpack programs or even just learning how these systems work.
“So many people, including pediatricians, don’t even know these backpack programs exist,” she says. “We’ve got to change that.”
No one expects a producer to go it alone. But Butterfield’s story shows what’s possible when farmers lead—and bring others to the table.
“This isn’t about feel-good charity. This is how we build local markets, feed kids, and make agriculture matter to more people,” she said.
Butterfield’s message to other farmers is simple: Get involved, however you can.
Donate trim. Call your local processor. Talk to your school district. Ask who’s running food access programs in your county. And if no one is—start the conversation.
“No action is too small when you’re feeding hungry kids,” Butterfield said. “This is how we show the true value of local agriculture—not just in pounds of beef, but in people fed.”
A replication blueprint is in the works. But for now, she and her team are happy to connect, share what they’ve learned, and help others build similar programs across the country.
“When farmers lead, people get fed—and communities get stronger. That’s the story we need to tell.”
