BEEF magazine’s editorial staff gained an “in-law” of sorts in early November. That’s when Jamie May, our Senior Associate Editor, took to the altar at St. Mathias Catholic Church in Hampton, MN, to share “I do’s” with Mark Purfeerst.

The pair actually met eight years ago as youngsters showing cattle, an activity that still occupies a lot of their time, along with coaching youth. Mark is a North Dakota State University graduate, as is Jamie, and is employed by AgStar Financial Services. He also helps his family with breeding and operational decisions at Purfeerst Farms, an Angus cattle and grain operation in Faribault, MN. Purfeerst Farms, by the way, was founded in 1860.

Meanwhile, Jamie just finished up her first year with BEEF. She’s been instrumental in our growing emphasis on digital coverage. Our total page views hit 2.5 million in the 12 months ending in November, a 500,000-page increase over the previous year. And, our followers have more than doubled to well over 4,000 each on Twitter and Facebook.

She’s also been the lead person in the transitioning of beefmagazine.com to a platform designed to be more comprehensive and more easily navigable. I’m not overstating the situation when I say we couldn’t have done it without her.

Congratulations, Jamie and Mark.