It’s a heart-heavy day for The McBee Dynasty: Real American Cowboys cast as Steve McBee Sr. turns himself over to begin his sentence in federal prison.
Monday, Dec. 1 marks the day the McBee Farm & Cattle Co. founder begins his two-year sentence at the FPC Yankton in South Dakota after pleading guilty in 2024 to a multi-million-dollar crop insurance scheme. In his final days with the family based in Gallatin, Missouri — some 300-plus miles southeast of the facility — the patriarch is tying up all loose ends, including with a day-of Instagram video he shared, thanking everyone for their support.
“I just want to tell everybody thank you so much for all the thoughts and prayers. The support has been overwhelming; I appreciate it so, so much,” he said, in part. “I stayed up ’til three a.m. last night trying to reply to everybody because I want to give that respect, that they took the time to reach out to me. If I didn’t get back with you, my sincerest apologies.”
In response to fans who reached out asking how they could best support Steve amid his legal woes, he asked that people visit the family business’s website and order meat there. “That helps so much,” he said. “I mean, we’re a family business, and so, the support from just buying the product from the farm means the world.”
After serving 24 months in prison, Steve will be the subject of two years of supervised release, on top of paying $4,022,124 in restitution.
Related: Steven McBee Jr. Warns of “New Challenge” as Dad Steve Sr. Reports to Prison (EXCLUSIVE)
How Steve McBee Sr. spent the days leading up to prison
Steve recently told People that he had all intentions of having steak as his last meal before his self-surrender. As he put it, “I love steak. Obviously, I’m a cattle guy, so that’s my favorite meal: steak and potatoes. And I can eat potatoes any way — I like them baked, mashed, fried.”
It comes as little surprise that prior to enjoying his last meal, Steve spent the Thanksgiving holiday with loved ones at the farm. “I like to cook. I always cook very large meals for everybody, so everybody’s coming to my house, even my brothers and sister and extended family,” he said prior to the holiday in the same interview. “I’m going to smoke a prime rib on the Traeger [grill] and then cook the turkey.”
As he reported in a Thanksgiving Day Instagram video from the farm, it was “another beautiful fall — almost winter — crisp day.”
“With the sun shining, it feels good,” Steve Sr. continued. “We’re all so blessed to have the things we have in life. So, you look at it every day, you gotta count your blessings, certainly when you look around the world and at the country we live in, and just our homes, our jobs, everything that we have in life. We are so fortunate and blessed.”
What will happen to Steve McBee Sr.’s dog while he’s in prison?
Steve entrusted Grandma McBee to take care of his dog, Gunner, while he’s serving his time, per his People interview. He joked being more worried about his dog than his adult sons — Steven McBee Jr., Jesse McBee, Cole McBee, and Brayden McBee — citing how inseparable they were both on and off the farm since Gunner was a 6-week-old pup. “We make jokes because I’m 53 years old, and my mom’s moving back in with me — this is my circle of life,” he said. “She’s got a couple of little dogs, and she’s going to stay at my house with Gunner and make her quilts all day.”
What’s more, according to Steve, his ex-wife Kristi McBee plans to bring Gunner to visit Steve during his stint.
Related: McBee Dynasty Cast Reacts to Steven McBee Sr.’s Sentencing: “Will Get Through Anything”
How the McBees are supporting Steve McBee Sr. as he goes to prison
Steven Jr. took to the comment section of his father’s parting message to write, “Love you. We’ll get through this and be better for it.”
The comment section was also where Steven Jr.’s new girlfriend, Allie Eklund, responded, with “We love you” and a pink-heart emoji.
Earlier, Kacie Adkison, the mother of Steve Sr.’s first grandchild, commented that she and Cole’s daughter, Blair Collins McBee, “has the best papa.”
Meanwhile, Steve Sr’s ex and McBee Farm & Cattle Co. CFO, Galyna Saltkovska, published an Instagram video from snowy Liberty, Missouri, where the family business opened its first of several carwashes in 2019.
Addressing Steve, Galyna said, “I just want to let you know I’m sending you good vibes, and good luck. I know you got it, and we got it here, as you can see. Plenty of snow, so we’re gonna have very busy days ahead, and we will see you back here before you know it.”
Steve, in his final days of freedom, continued to thank those around him.
“I literally have the best team of people I’ve ever had around me, and they are just genuinely the highest character people I’ve ever had work for me,” he continued to People. “So, I really feel good that things are going to move along smoothly and even grow while I’m gone. We just had a meeting with everybody, and I told them that sometimes when the leader goes away, it allows everyone to really flourish on who they are instead of them second-guessing. I’m okay with them making mistakes too, as long as they’re trying.”
If Steven Jr.’s recent exclusive is any indication, Steve Sr.’s “situation” will be a major part of the show’s upcoming third season.
