Nebraska Beef Passport Travelers Earn Top Honors in 2025 Season

Kearney, NE (November 7, 2025) – After another summer of beef-fueled adventures across the state, the Nebraska Beef Council has announced the grand prize winners of the 2025 Nebraska Beef Passport program.

Keith Morrison of Nebraska City and Dave Hayes of Ralston were recognized for their outstanding participation in this year’s passport season, each earning a $250 beef bundle courtesy of the Nebraska Beef Council and the Nebraska Association of Meat Processors. Both Morrison and Hayes were first-time participants in the Beef Passport program.

“We travel to Colorado quite a bit, and my wife’s family has a ranch near Harrison, so the Beef Passport was a great way to find new places to eat as we drove across Nebraska,” said Hayes. “The online map was really helpful and took us to several spots we’d never visited before.”

Now in its fifth year, the Beef Passport continues to inspire Nebraskans and travelers alike to experience the state’s exceptional beef scene. The 2025 program featured 30 restaurants and 27 meat shops, giving participants the opportunity to enjoy beef in a variety of settings from hometown bar & grills to specialty meat processors.

The passport season extended from May 1st through September 30th, with 1,700 passes distributed in both print and digital form. Participants represented more than 300 communities across Nebraska, as well as a few neighboring states. Collectively, travelers recorded thousands of check-ins and redeemed over 200 individual prizes - the most awarded since the program began.

“The Beef Passport has become a fun and unique way to explore Nebraska,” said Adam Wegner, director of marketing for the Nebraska Beef Council. “It’s rewarding to see how this program brings people together around great food, local businesses, and the pride we all share for Nebraska’s beef community.”

Participants who visited at least five locations earned points toward beef-themed prizes, while nearly 20 avid beef fans achieved Beef Passport Hall of Fame status by completing 30 or more stops during the season. Each check-in at a passport location also qualified as an entry into the beef bundle grand prize give-a-way.

For details about the Nebraska Beef Passport and future announcements, visit www.GoodLifeGreatSteaks.org

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The Nebraska Beef Council is a non-profit organization served by a nine-member board of directors. The volunteers oversee the Beef Checkoff in Nebraska and checkoff-funded programs. Programs for marketing and promotion are funded by the $1/head Beef Checkoff.