You may have noticed updates from South Dakota have been pretty scarce lately, and I can pretty much sum up the reasons why in a few words: baby calves, snow and mud. It’s been a hectic month of March moving cow/calf pairs to the barns and dealing with flooding from the James River.
However, I haven’t been completely stuck in a hole for the last few weeks, and there have certainly been some interesting headlines filtering in my email account during National Ag Week. As a result of Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm proclaiming National Ag Today as Michigan Meat Day, Dewey Mann of Purdue started an event on Facebook called The Great American ‘Steak’ Out. Like Michigan Meat Day, this day calls for all beef lovers to enjoy a steak today and take a photo to send to the governor. Although she edited her statements, like a two-stepping politician, changing Michigan Meat Day to Michigan Ag Day, I think it’s still important to send your photos and share the positive message about meat with the governor.
On Saturday March 20th, enjoy a big ole, juicy steak and mail a picture to Michigan governor, Jennifer M. Granholm. Then you can send the picture to:
Governor Jennifer M. Granholm
P.O. Box 30013
Lansing, Michigan 48909
I will be enjoying a steak today on National Ag Day; will you?
The National Beef Ambassadors (sponsored in part by ZimmComm New Media) is starting a photo contest tomorrow.
Have you heard something in the media lately that has made you think more about the importance of YOUR agriculture story? The National Beef Ambassadors, funded in part by the beef checkoff, can help you spread your message. The “Farmers and Ranchers Care” Earth Day Photo Contest will help you share with consumers and fellow producers how you, as cattle ranchers and beef producers, care for the environment in your ranching practices! This contest will begin on Saturday, March 20th, National Agriculture Day. In order to share the importance of the beef industry’s positive involvement with the environment, you will have the chance to share your photos on the National Beef Ambassador Facebook page.
Step 1: Become a fan of the National Beef Ambassadors on Facebook.
Step 2: Upload your photo to the National Beef Ambassador Facebook page showcasing how you, as a beef producer, are involved in helping the environment.
Step 3: Help fellow producers in the contest and vote on your favorites.
Here’s just one of the responses to Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm declaring National Ag Day as Michigan Meatout Day. It’s a Facebook invite and I’m attending. How about you?
There is a rare treasure nestled in the heart of the Ozarks in Southern Missouri – a college that offers students a degree in hard work.
I’ve lived in Missouri for 18 years but never knew about the College of the Ozarks until this week when I joined the Missouri Beef Industry Council (MBIC) for a luncheon and tour at the school located just south of Branson in a picturesque spot called Point Lookout. It was originally founded as a Presbyterian high school in 1906 and today is a Christian-based four year liberal arts college with 1500 students who pay their tuition by working 15 hours a week on campus and two 40 hour work weeks at the end of each semester. Students are chosen on the basis of financial need as well as academics and only about 1 in 7 who apply each year actually get the opportunity to attend.
The college offers 48 different degrees, including culinary arts, hotel and restaurant management, agribusiness, animal science, and ag education. There are about 125 students majoring in some area of agriculture there, but the school offers amazing hands-on experience for them, including hog, dairy and beef operations, a meat processing facility and a feed mill. They also have a beautiful center that is open to the public which features fine dining, historic lodging, meeting rooms, and more. During the 2008 presidential campaign, candidate Sarah Palin chose to visit the college as one of her stops in Missouri.
You can find out more about the college by listening to the MBIC podcast here or in the player below the video. And you can see all the photos from the tour online in this Flickr photo album.
One of the highlights of the tour was a culinary demonstration and gourmet lunch prepared by college Chef Robert Stricklin. The menu included Cranberry Cinnamon Biscuits, Pear and Feta Cheese salad with Baby Greens, Braised Short Rib Shank with roasted vegetables and rosemary jus, Black Walnut Coffee Toffee Ice Cream made by the students – and everything was fabulous! Chef Stricklin made his five star gourmet entree look amazingly easy to prepare in his short demonstration, which you can view below:
I had the great opportunity and honor to meet and work with Celeste Laurent at the 2010 Great Lakes Regional Dairy Conference in Frankenmuth, MI. I had first encountered Laurent through the big world of social media, where I have countless online friends across the country who are actively engaged in social networking and who are also passionately involved in the agriculture industry. Laurent is a junior studying animal science and communications at Western Kentucky University, and she found her internship on Twitter!
She is an incredible writer and communicator, and she is dedicated to the beef and pork industries. I know that she has a promising future ahead of her, and I thought I would take the opportunity to introduce this up and comer to the AgWired community.
Celeste discovered her interest in journalism while attending Western Kentucky University. Her animal science adviser recommended she pursue her love of writing along with her passion for agriculture advocacy so she signed up for her first news writing class. Celeste’s career plans now include expanding online agriculture news, promoting youth livestock programs and agriculture literacy.
In the summer of 2009, Celeste was employed by the Michigan State University College of Agriculture and Natural Resources as an Animal Welfare & Animal Agriculture Initiative Communications intern. She was responsible for designing and managing a social media campaign for the Michigan Dairy Expo. Currently, Celeste is continuing her studies at Western Kentucky University and working as a freelance writer, speaker, and social media manager.
During the recent Cattle Industry Convention, Pfizer Animal Health held it’s annual breakfast for the media.
Dr. Mike Nichols, Senior Veterinarian Pfizer Animal Health Veterinary Operations, was on hand to talk about how the company is helping veterinary students. A year ago they made a decision to support the veterinary profession by creating an externship program for students to encourage them to look at and choose a food animal practice and specifically bovine. They sponsored 78 first and second year veterinary students for the Bovine Externship Program who then spent 4 weeks at a local veterinary practice where they were mentored and received exposure to what the practice was like. He says they’re continuing the program this year and 78 selected students who will receive a $2,000 stipend and be matched with either practicing veterinarians or producers for a four-week field work experience.
You can learn more about the Pfizer Animal Health Bovine Externship Program by listening to my interview with Mike below:
I have been busy traveling the country over the past five weeks, and my last stop on the tour was to Lanesboro, MN for the 2010 Fillmore County Cattlemen’s Banquet. What a beautiful spot in the world! I truly enjoyed my stay in the quaint little town, and I was excited that my dear friend Carol Abrahamzon was able to attend the meeting to listen to me speak.
Abrahamzon is the Project Manager for the National Beef Ambassador Program, and I got to know her when I served on the 2006 team. This year’s Beef Team has a fantastic blog that they post on nearly every day. I encourage you all to check it out and leave your comments of support, questions and ideas for future promotions.
This group is dedicated to promoting the American beef cattle industry through educational efforts in consumer events and through social media. These five young people are truly the future leaders of this industry. Kudos to them and their wonderful leader, Carol!
New things are coming to the cattle industry market from Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica. During a media breakfast at the recent Cattle Industry Convention I spoke with Craig Jones, Sr. Associate Director Cattle Services. He told me that the company has had great interaction with producers who have been visiting with them in their booth.
Their acquisition of products like Cydectin, Pyramid and others from Ft. Dodge Animal Health has enhanced their product lines but it has raised questions about who to get what product from. He thinks it has gone very smoothly though. At this convention their main goal was to get their name out and help producers understand the changes that have taken place.
Novus was hoping to make this big announcement at the recent Cattle Industry Convention in San Antonio, but sometimes the legal wheels slow down the process a bit. But this new deal means an expanded commitment for Novus to the livestock industry worldwide, especially for cattle.
Products from the acquisition, including the MAAC (R) chelated trace mineral product line, will align with Novus’s MINTREX® and GLYTREX® chelated trace mineral products and further expand Novus’s mineral technology. This acquisition will enable Novus to offer a broader range of products to address the needs of different customers in different parts of the world to support their livestock operations.
Since its establishment in 1956, Albion has been an innovator in mineral chelate nutrition. Albion manufactures highly bioavailable, research based, nutritional chelated trace mineral forms and has a long-standing customer base in both the beef and dairy markets.
Geographically, Albion is primarily present in the animal organic trace mineral industry in the U.S., Europe, Canada, the Middle East and Japan. The combined geographic and market presence will provide Novus the opportunity to offer new customers a wider range of health and nutritional products, programs and solutions.
Elanco has launched a new business platform focused on food safety that includes new products for both poultry and beef processing plants.
For poultry, AviBrom™ is a post-harvest carcass rinse that reduces Salmonella pathogens during processing. Research has shown up to a 2.5-log reduction1 in post-chill whole-carcass Salmonella levels when using AviBrom.
“AviBrom works in a wide range of water pH so acidifiers aren’t needed as with some food-safety interventions,” says Tom Nicholson, director of sales and technical services for Elanco Food Solutions. “That reduces the risk of color and shelf-life issues that poultry processors often see with acid-based interventions.
Two food-safety products for the beef industry include Finalyse™, a pre-harvest hide wash that targets E. coli pathogens on live beef animals as they enter the packing plant, and BoviBrom™, a post-harvest carcass rinse that reduces E. coli and Salmonella pathogens on the carcass during processing.
“Elanco Food Solutions’ food-safety products are unique and science-based,” adds Nicholson. “We’re focused on helping food-animal packers and processors deliver safe, affordable and wholesome food to consumers.”
Here’s NCBA CEO Forrest Roberts being interviewed in the media room here at the Cattle Industry Convention. I had my turn and our interview is posted below. Additionally, I have his remarks today when he gave the NCBA management report at the annual meeting.
One thing you’ll notice from talking with or listening to Forrest is his energy level. Even with all the challenges facing his industry he’s very optimistic. It has been just a year that he’s been in his current position.
Forrest mentions the work of the NCBA Governance Task Force and after his report this morning the recommendations passed by a vote of 201 to 13. I’m sure we’ll be getting details of the changes since there is still a lot of work to be done on re-structuring the organization. Working groups will be set up and the next step will take place at the summer meeting.
You can listen to or download (mp3) my interview with Forrest here:
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You can listen to or download (mp3) his management report here:
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I posted comments earlier this week made by NCBA President Gary Voogt and finally got the video uploaded so you can watch what he had to say. His comments ran longer than YouTube allows but most of them are here. If you didn’t listen to his comments you can still do so here.
One of the most popular attractions at Wednesday’s grand opening of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Trade Show in San Antonio belonged to U.S. Premium Beef. Thanks to Joe Schuele, USMEF for this story including photo and audio.
The company, a member of the U.S. Meat Export Federation, decided to promote the value of beef exports by serving samples of the Asian barbecue dish Yakiniku (YAK-A-NEE-KOO) – a thinly sliced cut derived from the beef short rib that is especially popular in South Korea and Japan. The samples were enjoyed by a steady stream of cattle producers throughout the evening.
Bill Miller, director of communications for U.S. Premium Beef, explains that the purpose of the barbecue promotion was to illustrate for cattle producers the critical importance of U.S. beef exports to their industry, and to the bottom line of their operations. Listen to or download (mp3) Bill here:
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Miller also comments on the important role played by the Beef Checkoff Program in promoting U.S. beef in overseas markets. Listen to or download (mp3) Bill here:
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The CEO of the Beef Board is Tom Ramey, seen here providing information to CBB Chairman Lucinda Williams at the Operating Committee Mtg. I spoke with him this morning about the issues and work being done here from the staff perspective.
Tom says this annual meeting is where they go over the financial reports and audits from the last year as well as priorities that they would like the board members to consider as they plan the 2011 fiscal year. So a big part of the discussion is looking to the future in light of the reality of reduced revenues. He says the world is very different now than it was when the Checkoff began and specifically mentions the “digital world” we live in. This proliferation of new media channels has given greater voice to people who can have an impact on demand for beef. At the same time he sees some good opportunities to satisfy consumer demand for American been in foreign markets.
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to take part in the Checkoff’s Masters of Beef Advocacy (MBA) Commencement Ceremony, where I was the afternoon speaker. My speech was titled, “Discovering the Power of Social Media,” and I challenged the graduates to use these online tools to share the agriculture story.
Troy and Stacy Hadrick, Advocates for Agriculture, also spoke during the morning session, as well as Daren Williams with the MBA program. Workshops included developing your elevator speech and drafting a letter to the editor or response comment in an online forum. Following the conclusion of the workshops, diplomas were passed out to all of the graduates, including myself!
700 people have completed the MBA course, which consists of six hour-long online courses, with exams and homework assignments. This is a great way to brush up on your beef industry factoids, so you’re ready to have a conversation with the next consumer you chat with. If you’re interested in participating in this program, link here for more information.
It’s time once again for the Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show and I’ll be Beef Board Blogging again. It’s hard to believe but this will be my 5th year of blogging for the Cattlemen’s Beef Board. Wow.
Of course I’ll be providing coverage of the convention right here on AgWired and with support from new sponsor Novus International.
So while Cindy is in Atlanta at the International Poultry Expo and Joanna is in Houston for the U.S. Ag Associates Conference I get to go to San Antonio. Looking at the current midwest weather forecast I’m glad I’m going south.
I’ll be heading that way on Monday and should have coverage start on Tuesday.
During a time when sales of middle meats are traditionally slower, the checkoff’s food and nutrition communications team is gearing up to capitalize on a month that boasts many familiar holidays and special occasions. Thus, the beef checkoff is initiating an “I Heart Beef” campaign.
The program was specifically designed to help strengthen interest in beef middle meats by reminding consumers of their passion for great steaks like the T-bone and tenderloin. Not only that, but February is Heart Health Month.
The checkoff-funded consumer survey used as a foundation for the campaign found:
• In this month of romance, beef is the preferred choice of Americans (62 percent) because nothing says love like a great steak dinner for Valentine’s Day.
• Americans associate steak as a “best match” for love (44 percent), romance (42 percent) and passion (41 percent)—more so than other high-end proteins.
• When it’s time to share that Valentine’s Day meal, beef wins. A ribeye (35 percent) or T-bone steak (32 percent) are chosen as the best meal to share with a significant other.
• Americans most often associate beef with celebrations (50 percent), compared to chicken (18 percent), pork (17 percent) or fish (15 percent).
• Sixty-two percent of Americans say they choose to prepare beef if they are looking for gratitude or appreciation from their dinner partner.
• Fifty-three percent of Americans identify filet mignon as the food most associated with candlelight romance and 50 percent of Americans think filet mignon is the best way to say “I love you.”
The campaign includes numerous media outreach components, online and electronic communications, and communications and a recipe contest geared toward registered dietitians, encouraging them to share their love for lean beef.
My favorite youth agriculture organization, the National Beef Ambassador Program (NBAP), is busy working on behalf of America’s beef cattle producers. Their latest efforts took them to Wooster, OH where they visited the Certified Angus Beef (CAB) headquarters to take part in their Building Blocks for Success Seminar. As the NBAP Team learned about successful marketing programs, grassroots consumer education strategies, as well as an overview of sales and trade marketing within the industry, the beef ambassadors took away important messages about the beef industry and about how they can make a difference as youth leaders within the beef cattle business. Here is what a few of the team members had to say about their experience…
Jackson Alexander found CAB’s role in selecting cattle for the program interesting. “The cattle selected are only the best and we were able to experience “Angus Beef at it’s Best!” The trainers and CAB employees educated us so much about industry issues, selection and grading processes, and marketing strategies facing their business. Not to mention they kept us well fed and made us feel right at home.”
Malorie Bankhead felt learning from professionals that exhibit great passion for the beef industry not only taught her about the Certified Angus Beef Brand, but it also taught her to hold tight to her passion for the beef industry. “I will always remember that the integrity of the beef industry is that which the members of the industry believe in and uphold wholeheartedly and that Certified Angus Beef makes for a positive, memorable experience within the beef industry!”
About the photo: National Beef Ambassador team members include: Malorie, Bankhead, Calif.; Rebecca Vraspir, Wy.; Ellen Hoffschneider, Neb.; Jackson Alexander, Okla.; and Amanda Laurent, Texas. Read more about their travels and beef promotional and educational efforts at their blog.
In an effort to promote myself as an agriculture speaker available for keynotes and workshops, I have launched a new blog spot I hope you will all check out. It’s called Agriculture in Action, and it features the ins and outs of my life as a cattle rancher, as well as my travels across the country promoting the beef industry. It’s brand spanking new, and it needs a little love from all of you. Check it out and let me know what you think.
Here is a description of what my blog is all about: I’m a farm girl at heart, and I feel pretty lucky to have made my passion and hobby into a career that I love. I enjoy a medium rare ribeye steak and a glass of Merlot, with the company of friends or family.
Although I don’t have children of my own yet, I have run across the website Mom Logic on multiple occasions in my work as an agriculture advocate. It’s a place where moms can discuss everything from kids, to relationships, to fashion, to dieting and even to share recipes with one another. The motto of Mom Logic is, Real Stories, Real Honest, Real Moms.
Well, a common theme on the Mom Logic site is to abolish meat in the diet and replace it with ground turkey. It seems on the messaging boards, there is a huge concern about the price of beef, beef’s nutritional content and even the beef recalls in the news.
I think this is a huge opportunity for all of us to take part in the discussions, as moms, college students, agriculture professionals, etc. We need to start making our mark in these forums to tell the accurate story of meat as a healthy part of a well-balanced diet. Check out the website, and you’ll see what I mean. Let me know if you decide to take part in the debate. Together, we can make a difference.
Commodity Classic took place in Anaheim, CA. You'll find all of Chuck, Cindy and Joanna's photos here.
Happy Ag Week
It's time to thank our farmers and ranchers for all their hard work to feed us.
In this week's program I interview Linda Tank, CHS, Inc., who is Chair of the Agriculture Council of America, the group coordinating National Ag Day. Learn more about their activities, especially this week in Washington, DC.
You may have noticed updates from South Dakota have been pretty scarce lately, and I can pretty much sum up the reasons why in a few words: baby calves, snow and mud. It’s been a hectic month of March moving cow/calf pairs to the barns and dealing with flooding from the James River. 
There is a rare treasure nestled in the heart of the Ozarks in Southern Missouri – a college that offers students a degree in hard work. 
The college offers 48 different degrees, including culinary arts, hotel and restaurant management, agribusiness, animal science, and ag education. There are about 125 students majoring in some area of agriculture there, but the school offers amazing hands-on experience for them, including hog, dairy and beef operations, a meat processing facility and a feed mill. They also have a beautiful center that is open to the public which features fine dining, historic lodging, meeting rooms, and more. During the 2008 presidential campaign, candidate Sarah Palin chose to visit the college as one of her stops in Missouri. 
I had the great opportunity and honor to meet and work with Celeste Laurent at the 2010 Great Lakes Regional Dairy Conference in Frankenmuth, MI. I had first encountered Laurent through the big world of social media, where I have countless online friends across the country who are actively engaged in social networking and who are also passionately involved in the agriculture industry. Laurent is a junior studying animal science and communications at Western Kentucky University, and she found her internship on Twitter! 
During the recent Cattle Industry Convention, 
I have been busy traveling the country over the past five weeks, and my last stop on the tour was to Lanesboro, MN for the 2010 Fillmore County Cattlemen’s Banquet. What a beautiful spot in the world! I truly enjoyed my stay in the quaint little town, and I was excited that my dear friend Carol Abrahamzon was able to attend the meeting to listen to me speak.
New things are coming to the cattle industry market from Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica. During a media breakfast at the recent Cattle Industry Convention I spoke with Craig Jones, Sr. Associate Director Cattle Services. He told me that the company has had great interaction with producers who have been visiting with them in their booth.
Products from the acquisition, including the MAAC (R) chelated trace mineral product line, will align with Novus’s MINTREX® and GLYTREX® chelated trace mineral products and further expand Novus’s mineral technology. This acquisition will enable Novus to offer a broader range of products to address the needs of different customers in different parts of the world to support their livestock operations.
Here’s NCBA CEO Forrest Roberts being interviewed in the media room here at the Cattle Industry Convention. I had my turn and our interview is posted below. Additionally, I have his remarks today when he gave the NCBA management report at the annual meeting.
One of the most popular attractions at Wednesday’s grand opening of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Trade Show in San Antonio belonged to 
The CEO of the Beef Board is Tom Ramey, seen here providing information to CBB Chairman Lucinda Williams at the Operating Committee Mtg. I spoke with him this morning about the issues and work being done here from the staff perspective.
It’s time once again for the Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show and I’ll be Beef 
During a time when sales of middle meats are traditionally slower, the checkoff’s food and nutrition communications team is gearing up to capitalize on a month that boasts many familiar holidays and special occasions. Thus, the beef checkoff is initiating an “I Heart Beef” campaign.
My favorite youth agriculture organization, the 
In an effort to promote myself as an agriculture speaker available for keynotes and workshops, I have launched a new blog spot I hope you will all check out. It’s called 
Although I don’t have children of my own yet, I have run across the website 
It's time to thank our farmers and ranchers for all their hard work to feed us.
