Going the Extra Mile: Keeney Farms Brings Local Beef, Education, and Community Together Through PA Beef to PA Schools Program

Benton, PA - At Keeney Farms in Benton, Pennsylvania, going the extra mile isn’t a slogan; it’s a way of life. Through the PA Beef to PA Schools (PBPS) program, farm owner Dan Keeney is doing more than supplying fresh, locally raised beef to school cafeterias. He’s showing up in classrooms, answering students’ questions, and helping young people understand where their food comes from and why it matters.

Owned and operated by Dan Keeney, his family, and a dedicated team, Keeney Farms is a diversified beef and dairy operation rooted in family, transparency, and a deep commitment to community. As Keeney shares, everything raised on the farm is born, fed, and cared for on-site. Keeney’s commitment to stewardship extends to every consumer, whether a school, student, or family, that the farm serves. 

The Keeney children have grown up with a love for the farm and the farming lifestyle. Their oldest, Jaegen, now lives in Texas, where he is pursuing a career as a professional bull rider. Their son Jaxon works on the farm and in the family’s store. Daughter Jorja and twins Jase and Jentry enjoy spending time on the farm and helping as much as they can.

“We are a cow-calf operation, and we raise all our own feed. Nothing leaves the farm and comes back,” Keeney explains. “It’s important to me to know exactly what you’re producing and who you’re producing it for.” 

While Keeney Farms has long sold beef directly to customers, demand quickly outgrew expectations. What started as one morning a week of direct-to-consumer sales soon became overwhelming, in the best possible way. The family was selling beef out of the milkhouse and became overwhelmed by the community response. “That’s when we decided we needed a store,” Keeney says. “The town pharmacy came up for sale, and we bought it the same day.” Keeney’s wife, Amanda, adds, “We felt it was our sign that now was the time, so we moved quickly to make it the home of our store.” 

The farm store, which opened in July, has received an enthusiastic reception. Customers can purchase farm-raised beef by the cut or in bulk, including eighths, quarters, halves, and whole beef. Keeney Farms offers both grain-fed and grass-fed beef, selling 250–300 animals per year through private sales. 

The store also offers local items, including eggs, honey, kombucha, syrup, chicken, Acai bowls, and Penn State Creamery ice cream, a natural extension of the family’s commitment to feeding the community with food they’re proud to serve.

A First-Generation Farm, Rooted in Family

Though Dan considers himself a first-generation farmer, agriculture has always been part of his life. His father previously operated a dairy and still helps on the farm today.

“I’ve always enjoyed it,” Keeney shares. “Even in high school, we had cattle. It just kept snowballing into more cattle and more opportunities.” 

That growth has allowed Keeney Farms to become a meaningful employer in the area. Today, many of the people who work across the farm, store, and dairy attend the very schools Keeney Farms now supplies with beef, and that makes the Keeney family exceptionally proud. 

Supplying Schools and Educating Students

Keeney Farms is deeply involved in local schools and participates in the PBPS program, supplying fresh, local beef and engaging directly with students.

“We’re not just here to deliver meat,” Keeney said. “We want to educate.” Participation in the PBPS program is a natural extension of Keeney’s eagerness to educate his community about the value of agriculture and fresh, local products. 

Each year, Keeney Farms sets up booths at school farm-to-table days, showing videos of the farm, answering questions, and, in one memorable case, even bringing a live calf for students to meet.

“The kids loved it,” Keeney recalled. “They’re curious. They want to know where their food comes from.” This year, Keeney Farms is supplying beef to 10 schools in the Benton area, delivering approximately 3,000 pounds per month, with hopes of growing that number to 5,000–10,000 pounds per month as demand increases. 

For Keeney, supplying schools isn’t just business, it’s personal. “My kids go to these schools,” he says. “I want them eating good meat, the best of the best, grown right here. Our kids can look out the cafeteria window and see our cattle running around the pasture.  

Nearly all the students who work at Keeney Farms also eat in the cafeterias now served by the program, creating a strong link between production and consumption.

“It’s like eating at home at the kitchen table,” Keeney adds. “You know exactly what the kids are getting.” He believes students can taste the difference, even if they don’t always know why.

“They taste it, and they know,” he says. “At Benton, the kids are all about it. They love it.” 

Whether it’s rodeo burger days, Super Bowl cafeteria meals, or classroom visits, Keeney Farms makes a point of being present and involved. “Every cafeteria we’ve visited is excited about the program,” Keeney says. “The staff and students are great people. And we tell every school: we’re proud to provide the beef, but if you want us there in other ways, we’ll come. We’re happy to be part of educating students about agriculture.” 

By combining high-quality beef production, community engagement, and a genuine passion for education, Dan Keeney and Keeney Farms are helping show students and their families what local agriculture looks like at its best.

Photo 1: The Keeney Family, L-R Amanda, Jaxon (16), Dan, Jorja (12), Jase (7), Jentry (7) 

To learn more about PBPS contact Nichole Hockenberry, PA Beef Council Executive Director at [email protected] or 1-888-4BEEFPA. 

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The Pennsylvania Beef Council is a producer-controlled and funded organization, which administers the Beef Checkoff Program in Pennsylvania. The Beef Checkoff Program assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. Checkoff revenues may be used for promotion, education and research programs to improve the marketing climate for beef.