Symposium Looks at History of Midwest Beef Production

Chicago Stockyards Storeroom. Photo Courtesy Illinois State Museum,/a>

The Greater Midwest Foodways Alliance has put together an impressive program this weekend looking at the evolution of beef production in the Midwest over the years at Kendall College. "Beef: From Plains to Plate" includes a butchering demonstration; a visit to Naval Culinary "A" School at Great Lakes Naval Station, which is scheduled to close early next year; seminars on feedlots, animal husbandry, and the past, present and future of beef production; consumer confusion over certified Angus beef; the re-discovery of the benefits of grass-fed beef; an oral history on the Union Stockyards; an overview on the differences between kosher and halal-certified beef; and an overview of how ground beef became a household staple.

The symposium begins tomorrow at 11 a.m. with the tour of Naval Culinary "A" School and runs through Sunday, where registered participants have the option to tour Kendall College's Tour of Culinary Curiosities exhibit or follow David Hammond and Bruce Kraig on a walking tour of the Maxwell Street Market. Another highlight of the conference is a Friday night Founder's Dinner at Kendall College. Interested readers can register for the conference here.