PUEBLO, Colo. — Gov. Jared Polis has proclaimed the 20th as MeatOut Day.

The “MeatOut” proclamation getting a lot of flack as a slight to the agriculture industry.

Tuesday, the Board of Pueblo County Commissioners signed a proclamation making March 20, 2021 “Pueblo County Cattlemen’s Day.”

County Commissioner Chris Wiseman spearheading the proclamation.

“MeatOut implies we should boycott a Colorado commodity,” Wiseman said. “Because of my support of the industry over the years, I want to be consistent.”

Wiseman worked at the Colorado State Fair for 18 years, with three of those years as Deputy Commissioner of Agriculture.

“Pueblo was built on cattle. People talk about the Steel City but before it was the Steel City the Thatcher Family, Charles Goodnight. Cattle was a mainstay and that’s why Pueblo is here.” Wiseman said.

Joey Musso a friend of ranchers and farmers in Pueblo said MeatOut Day is a bunch of bull.

“That was kind of a strike to the face,” Musso said. “We need to really think about what were doing here.”

Musso appreciates local commissioners for stepping up.

A cattle farmer in El Paso County Aaron Volosin, with Volosin Cattle Company sent a statement to FOX21 saying:

I think he needs to pay attention to the dollars that AG generates in Colorado before he speaks. He lets his liberal roots get in the way of a substantial driver of Colorado’s economy.  Farmers and ranchers are what feed the masses not just in Colorado but around the world. Naked and hungry doesn’t sound really appealing to me.  He and his constituents don’t want anyone telling them about how we feel about their life choices and the way they choose to live. Why is it ok for him to tell us how we should make our living and attack our way of life? 

Aaron Volosin

The day was started in 1985 by the Farm Animals Rights Movement to encourage non-vegetarians to consider moving toward a plant-based diet. Proponents also pushing the environmental benefits pointing out the greenhouse gas emissions caused by ruminants like cows and other agriculture activities, especially methane.

According to a 2018 EPA study, 38 percent of methane emissions are caused by agriculture activities (see enteric fermentation & manure management) but agriculture only contributes to 10 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.

“We need to make the right choices to reduce that footprint,” said Wiseman. “But cattle is not the place to start.”

Fremont County officials also passed a Beef In Day resolution supporting cattleman, meat producers and local ranch industry.