LINCOLN - National Agriculture Week began Sunday with Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts issuing a proclamation for the second-annual “Meat on the Menu Day” in the state.

Ricketts is encouraging Nebraskans to purchase and eat beef, pork, chicken, lamb, or another kind of meat not just today but on a regular basis as part of a healthy diet.

He called Meat on the Menu Day “a great opportunity for families to go to a restaurant or pick up some meat at the store to grill at home (for) a great, nutritious meal while supporting our farmers and ranchers.”

Ricketts and the governors of other livestock producing states began Meat on the Menu Day to counter the MeatOUT campaign, which began in 1985 and is now the world’s largest annual grassroots educational campaign on removing meat from diets.

MeatOut Day encourages people to give up eating meat for one day as an introduction to a meat-free diet.

In Colorado, the second "Meat-In" event was held in Sterling Saturday to promote the agriculture industry and raise money for The Angels of America's Fallen program and John McMan's family.

Attendees enjoyed a meal with hamburgers, brats and beer, and held live and silent auctions. All the food and beverages were donated.