Beef Production Merit Badge History

Earned through 198172,666

Best year19753,732 earned

All-time popularity#158official, as of 2020#166by 2025 (estimate)

Earned by Year

First earned in 1928. Peak year 1975 with 3,732. Hover over or tap a year for its numbers.

1928191 earned#78 of 88

1929338 earned#78 of 89

1930503 earned#75 of 92

1931658 earned#83 of 96

1932681 earned#76 of 98

1933748 earned#78 of 101

1934676 earned#80 of 101

1935709 earned#81 of 101

1936763 earned#72 of 101

1937790 earned#79 of 102

1938939 earned#76 of 105

19391,120 earned#73 of 106

19401,060 earned#73 of 106

19411,005 earned#73 of 106

1942898 earned#74 of 110

19431,224 earned#69 of 112

19441,506 earned#71 of 111

19451,475 earned#71 of 111

19461,421 earned#68 of 111

19471,421 earned#66 of 111

19481,475 earned#64 of 111

19491,144 earned#72 of 111

19501,445 earned#69 of 111

19511,861 earned#67 of 111

19521,763 earned#79 of 120

19531,734 earned#70 of 105

19541,627 earned#76 of 103

19551,708 earned#76 of 100

19561,633 earned#79 of 100

19571,761 earned#79 of 100

19581,626 earned#78 of 101

19591,424 earned#84 of 101

19601,735 earned#81 of 100

19611,963 earned#81 of 101

19621,902 earned#80 of 101

19631,856 earned#82 of 102

19641,991 earned#80 of 107

19651,852 earned#80 of 109

19661,628 earned#86 of 110

19671,756 earned#87 of 112

19681,828 earned#85 of 112

19691,882 earned#88 of 113

19701,745 earned#90 of 113

19711,731 earned#89 of 113

19722,110 earned#95 of 124

1973636 earned#116 of 122

19743,637 earned#91 of 121

19753,732 earned#91 of 128

19762,130 earned#110 of 130

1977755 earned#124 of 130

1978399 earned#124 of 131

197914 earned#125 of 132

198018 earned#125 of 132

198139 earned#124 of 134

"#124 of 134" means the badge was number 124 of the 134 merit badges earned that year. The 2025 all-time place is an estimate, because the counts for 2021 to 2025 are worked out from each year's official ranking and the total number of merit badges earned that year.

1928191#78 of 88

1929338#78 of 89

1930503#75 of 92

1931658#83 of 96

1932681#76 of 98

1933748#78 of 101

1934676#80 of 101

1935709#81 of 101

1936763#72 of 101

1937790#79 of 102

1938939#76 of 105

19391,120#73 of 106

19401,060#73 of 106

19411,005#73 of 106

1942898#74 of 110

19431,224#69 of 112

19441,506#71 of 111

19451,475#71 of 111

19461,421#68 of 111

19471,421#66 of 111

19481,475#64 of 111

19491,144#72 of 111

19501,445#69 of 111

19511,861#67 of 111

19521,763#79 of 120

19531,734#70 of 105

19541,627#76 of 103

19551,708#76 of 100

19561,633#79 of 100

19571,761#79 of 100

19581,626#78 of 101

19591,424#84 of 101

19601,735#81 of 100

19611,963#81 of 101

19621,902#80 of 101

19631,856#82 of 102

19641,991#80 of 107

19651,852#80 of 109

19661,628#86 of 110

19671,756#87 of 112

19681,828#85 of 112

19691,882#88 of 113

19701,745#90 of 113

19711,731#89 of 113

19722,110#95 of 124

1973636#116 of 122

19743,637#91 of 121

19753,732#91 of 128

19762,130#110 of 130

1977755#124 of 130

1978399#124 of 131

197914#125 of 132

198018#125 of 132

198139#124 of 134

Grand total through 1981:

This page keeps growing. More of this badge's history, including its patches and pamphlets, is being checked and will be added once it is confirmed.

Beef Production: workbook data

Printings (39)

Have	Year	Month	Cover	Back	Run	©	BSA #	HC	Notes
c	1929		3B	back-3
c	1929	October	3B	back-3
	1930	not made
x	1931	February	3B	back-3			3340
	1932	not made
	1933	not made
x	1934	April	3B	back-3	1M		3340
	1935	not made
	1936	not made
x	1937	March	3B	back-3	1M		3340
	1938	not made
x	1939	February	3B	back-3	1M		3340
	1940	not made
c	1941	July	3B	back-3	1M		3340
	1942	not made
x	1943	May	3B	back-3	1M		3340
x	1944	July	3B	back-3	1M	1944	3340
x	1945	March	3B	back-3	1M	1944	3340	HCC
	1945	March	5B	blank	1M	1944	3340
x	1946	February	3B	back-3	1M	1944	3340
x	1947	September	5B	blank	1M		3340
x	1948	no date	3B	back-3			3340		no date
x	1949	April	5B	blank	1M		3340
x	1950	December	5B	blank	1M		3340	HCH
x	1951	August	5B	back-6a	1M		3340
	1952	November	6A		1M		3340
x	1953	June	6A	back-6b-1	1M		3340
	1954	April	6A		1M		3340
x	1954	October	6A	back-6b-2	1M		3340
x	1955	April	6A		2M		3340
x	1956	May	6A	back-6b-2	2M		3340
x	1957	May	6A	back-6b-2	2M		3340
x	1958	November	6B	back-6c-2	2M	1958	3340
x	1959	November	6B	back-6c-2	2M	1958	3340	HCJV2
x	1960	May	6B	back-6d	2M	1958	3340	HCJV2
x	1961	November	6B	back-6e	2M	1958	3340
	1962	not made
x	1963	January	6B	back-6f	2M	1958	3340
x	1964	April	6B	back-6g	2M		3340	HCK
x	1965	February	6B	back-6h	2M		3340	HCK
x	1966	February	6B	back-6i	2M		3340
x	1967	February	6B	back-6i	2M		3340
x	1968	June	7	back-7	4M		3340	HCL
	1969	not made
x	1970	August	7	back-7	2M		3340
x	1971	April	7	back-7	2.5M		3340
x	1972	August	7	back-7	2M		3340
x	1973	September	8	back-8a	2.5M		3340
x	1974	February	8	back-8a	3.5M		3340	HCT

Earned and rank by year

Year	Earned	Rank	Of
1928	191	78	88
1929	338	78	89
1930	503	75	92
1931	658	83	96
1932	681	76	98
1933	748	78	101
1934	676	80	101
1935	709	81	101
1936	763	72	101
1937	790	79	102
1938	939	76	105
1939	1,120	73	106
1940	1,060	73	106
1941	1,005	73	106
1942	898	74	110
1943	1,224	69	112
1944	1,506	71	111
1945	1,475	71	111
1946	1,421	68	111
1947	1,421	66	111
1948	1,475	64	111
1949	1,144	72	111
1950	1,445	69	111
1951	1,861	67	111
1952	1,763	79	120
1953	1,734	70	105
1954	1,627	76	103
1955	1,708	76	100
1956	1,633	79	100
1957	1,761	79	100
1958	1,626	78	101
1959	1,424	84	101
1960	1,735	81	100
1961	1,963	81	101
1962	1,902	80	101
1963	1,856	82	102
1964	1,991	80	107
1965	1,852	80	109
1966	1,628	86	110
1967	1,756	87	112
1968	1,828	85	112
1969	1,882	88	113
1970	1,745	90	113
1971	1,731	89	113
1972	2,110	95	124
1973	636	116	122
1974	3,637	91	121
1975	3,732	91	128
1976	2,130	110	130
1977	755	124	130
1978	399	124	131
1979	14	125	132
1980	18	125	132
1981	39	124	134