Springfield-area residents can now dine on beef raised at Missouri State University's cattle ranch.
The meat from the school's 3,300-acre working cattle ranch went on sale Friday at a specialty meats store in Springfield.
Missouri State President Clif Smart says the move is intended to help students understand the retail side of animal production.
The Springfield News-Leader reports the plan is to create a niche market that will process only 20 head of cattle per year, with marketing focused on Missouri State staff and alumni.
A cattle ranch and 1,000 head of cattle were donated to the university in 2010. In January, a 250-acre farm in Fair Grove was donated. A small meat processing plant near that farm is owned by a family who will sell the meat.
