The Successes of the Beef Checkoff

Chuck Zimmerman

The Beef Board staff is publishing a weekly six-part series featuring 25 years of beef checkoff successes. This is an excerpt from the first part titled, “Turning your $1-per-head assessments into opportunities.” You can read the full article by clicking on this link.

It was 1986: A gallon of gas cost 89 cents; a pound of ground beef cost about $1.29 at retail; a movie ticket was $3.71; the average price of the average monthly rent was $385; the average price of a home was $89,430; and the national Beef Checkoff Program went into effect at $1-per-head.

Fast forward to 2011: Today, a gallon of gas will set you back an average of $3.26; the average price for a pound of ground beef is $3.87; a movie ticket costs about $8.50; the average monthly rent is $812; the average price of a home is $303,713; and the $1-per-head national beef checkoff is wrapping up its first 25 years of serving as a catalyst to spur strong beef sales worldwide.

One of the people who was involved early in the process was Wayne Watkinson, pictured at the head table during our CBB Update Session at the Cattle Industry Summer Conference. I visited with him about his legal work with the Checkoff and he shared some very interesting anecdotes that include when he helped write the Act and during the years he has served as legal counsel. I think you’ll enjoy hearing him.

You can listen to my interview with Wayne here. Wayne Watkinson Interview

2011 Cattle Industry Summer Conference Photo Album

Audio, Beef, Cattle Industry Conference

NCBA’s Farm Bill Policies Beginning to Take Shape

Joanna Schroeder

Our leaders in Washington might be on a month-long recess during August, but upon their return discussion about the 2012 Farm Bill will be in full swing. Therefore a priority during the Cattle Industry Summer Conference 2011 is to create the policy directives that best represent its National Cattleman’s Beef Association (NCBA) members – cattle producers.

Colin Woodall, vice president, government affairs for NCBA, said that this is really their business meeting and this is time they get together and talk a lot about the hot topics in the industry. It is also the time they make sure NCBA’s policy is in place to cover all issues and ensure they can engage accordingly.

“It really is probably the best part of NCBA because this is truly a grassroots opportunity for every member of NCBA to come in and cast a vote on how they think our policy should be set up,” said Woodall.

One of the hottest topics relates to NCBA’s Farm Bill Guiding Principles. Woodall said they need to make sure they have everything they need to engage in the field hearings in Washington D.C. They are in the process of putting words on paper so they need to make sure they understand where their members want them to be on conservation programs, disaster assistance, research and overall government payments.

“So we’re going to do that today in our agricultural policy committee,” said Woodall. “We have a three page document we’re working from and we’re really excited about the opportunity to really discuss where NCBA and the cattle industry needs to be in regards to probably the most important Farm Bill we’ve ever had just given the overall budget nature of the federal government right now.”

The next step is to refine the Farm Bill Guiding Principles and vote on them during NCBA’s conference in Nashville next February. Yet in the interim, NCBA will be taking an active role in making sure the needs of the cattle industry are well heard, understood and represented on the Hill.

Listen to my interview with Colin Woodall here: NCBA Farm Bill Guiding Principles

Photos from the conference will be posted to this photo album: 2011 Cattle Industry Summer Conference Photo Album. Check it often as we add to it over the next several days.

Ag Groups, Audio, Beef, Cattle Industry Conference, NCBA

Tablets Gaining Acceptance

Chuck Zimmerman

I’m very surprised at some of the response to our latest ZimmPoll. Although 37% responding say they have an iPad or other tablet, 33% said they don’t and don’t want one! And we had 30% who said they don’t have one but do want one. However, when you consider that no one had one less than two years ago you might consider the percentage who have or want one to be huge! I know I’m a geek and can’t have enough gadgets but not everyone is an agnerd.

Our new ZimmPoll is now live. We’re asking the question, “What do you think the biggest safety issue is at a biorefinery?” Your input and thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

ZimmPoll is sponsored by Rhea+Kaiser, a full-service advertising/public relations agency.

ZimmPoll

Understanding Recruitment Philosophy for Ag

Cindy Zimmerman

A panel discussion on recruitment philosophy for careers in agriculture at the AgCareers.com 2011 North American Ag HR Roundtable on Tuesday featured a conversation from both the education and employer perspective.

Ashley Collins, Education Coordinator with AgCareers.com, moderated the panel which included Deanna Pieper of Crop Production Services, Stephanie Shampine of ADM, Catherine McGinnis from Penn State University, and Noah Freeman of Ivy Tech Community College in Indiana. “Probably the hot topic that came out of the discussion was parental involvement in college recruitment,” Ashley said. “Young students involving their parents in the interview process, job search process and job acceptance process and how companies are reacting to that and how universities are trying to help students help their parents with whether or not to be involved in that.”

Other topics was involvement with industry associations and organizations students, how resumes are changing, and the bottom line importance of good communications skills.

Listen to my interview with Ashely here: Ashley Collins of AgCareers.com

2011 AgCareers Ag HR Roundtable photo album.

AgCareers, Audio

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Victor Vasquez will retire as USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development, effective July 29, and Doug O’Brien will take his place, effective Aug. 1.
  • The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association launched its new website during the 2011 Cattle Industry Summer Conference.
  • Kinze unveils “Autonomous grain cart” featuring a driver-less tractor. Watch the video to see the Kinze Automation Project demonstration.
  • The National Association of Farm Broadcasting Hall of Fame Committee is pleased to share their selections for the 2011 class of inductees.
Zimfo Bytes

Hearing From Herman Cain

Chuck Zimmerman

This evening at our first general session we heard an awesome presentation from Presidential Candidate Herman Cain. As I walked out of the session I had one of our attendees say, “Wouldn’t it be interesting to have a presidential candidate get elected with whom you agreed with everything he said?” I can’t remember a one. Herman wowed the crowd and received multiple standing ovations. He spoke as one business man to another. That’s a very refreshing thing in today’s political world.

You can listen to the full presentation by Herman Cain here. Herman Cain Presentation

2011 Cattle Industry Summer Conference Photo Album

Audio, Cattle Industry Conference

Alltech on Raising the Bar for Student Recruitment in Ag

Cindy Zimmerman

Instead of competing with each other for a limited talent pool, agribusinesses need to work together to increase interest in agricultural careers.

Dan Rice, Strategic Analyst with Alltech, spoke on Raising the Bar for Student Recruitment in agriculture at the AgCareers.com 2011 North American Ag HR Roundtable on Tuesday morning. He says part of the issue is pubic perceptions of agriculture in general. “Everybody’s after the same resources so we’ve got to change the way we’re doing things in training our young people and getting them interested in agriculture,” Dan says.

Alltech used a venue at last year’s World Equestrian Games to reach out to the general public and educate them about careers in agriculture. The animal health company also sponsors a Young Scientist Program and offers students a chance to be involved in working on meetings Alltech holds around the country.

Find out more in my interview with Dan here: Interview with Alltech's Dan Rice

2011 AgCareers Ag HR Roundtable photo album.

AgCareers, Alltech, Audio

American National Cattlewomen Working at Summer Conference

Chuck Zimmerman

This afternoon as I was leaving one of the committee meetings at the Cattle Industry Summer Conference I ran in to two people I had hoped to find and interview. How coincidental is that and convenient too! So I spoke with Sarah Bohnenkamp (left) Program Manager, American National Cattlewomen (ANCW) and Tammi Didlot, President-Elect, ANCW.

I spoke first with Tammi. She says that ANCW holds meetings here like the other organizations to do planning for the future and conduct educational sessions for members. They set goals for committees and then look at how those committees are performing. She says they’re looking at new ways to educate youth and get collegiate cattlewomen involved.

You can listen to my interview with Tammi here. Tammi Didlot Interview

Sarah is managing the Beef Ambassador program as well as the Telling the Beef Story program. ZimmComm sponsors the Beef Ambassador Blog and this was my first chance to meet Sarah in person. She says the ambassadors have been out at very large consumer events connecting with people who are curious about things they’ve read and heard about beef, a lot of which is from very uninformed sources. Sarah says that just like other Beef Checkoff funded programs, she has authorization requests in for committee review here at the Summer Conference. We wish her well with her presentation tomorrow.

You can listen to my interview with Sarah here. Sarah Bohnenkamp Interview

2011 Cattle Industry Summer Conference Photo Album

Ag Groups, Audio, Beef, Cattle Industry Conference

NCBA Offers Cattle Producers Drought Resources

Joanna Schroeder

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) offers many services to its members (such as the newly launched www.beefusa.org website) including producer education. During the Cattle Industry Summer Conference today, I was able to spend some time with To Field, NCBA’s executive director of field eduction to learn more about some of the myriad of resources available.

Field said they do a number of things under the purvey of producer education but one that they are especially proud of is their work in the Stockmanship & Stewardship Tour where they feature a number of their clinicians including Ron Gill from Texas and Curt Pate from Montana. Within this program, producers are reminded of the time honored art of stockmanship and low stress cattle handling, which does a couple of things.

“One, we improve productivity of cattle when we handle cattle correctly, and secondly, we improve our image as an industry,” said Field.

Another key issue for NCBA’s members is the hemorrhaging of research and development at land grant universities and NCBA is working on developing solutions for this trend. In addition economic turmoil along with long-term drought have been, and continue to be critical issues in the South. Field said this, along with unfavorable policy is causing some ranchers to liquidate their businesses.

“The reality is that drought has been an ever present risk on our business. We’re a land dependent, weather affected industry and have been since the first cattle came to this country,” said Field. “Drought on a wide spread scale does two things. One, it limits the opportunity for producers to have choices in how they manage cattle. Secondly, at some point in time it creates a cost structure to where break evens aren’t even possible in this historic high markets and so liquidation becomes the option.”

Despite the current challenges, Field does think producers will come back when conditions improve.

Listen to my interview with Tom Field here: Tom Field Interview

Photos from the conference will be posted to this photo album: 2011 Cattle Industry Summer Conference Photo Album. Check it often as we add to it over the next several days.

Ag Groups, Audio, Beef, Cattle Industry Conference, NCBA

Farm Credit Sponsors America’s Heartland

Chuck Zimmerman

During the Ag Media Summit I met Michael Sanford, head of production at KVIE Public Television which produces America’s Heartland, the tv show about agriculture that airs on PBS stations and RFDTv.

Michael says the show is going into its seventh season. He says that Farm Credit, the InfoExpo booth in the photo, has come on board as a primary sponsor. He says they’ll be traveling to all fifty states producing stories and they will have some new features that include Ask a Farmer, Off the Shelf and others.

You can listen to my conversation with Michael here: Michael Sanford Interview

2011 Ag Media Summit Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the Ag Media Summit is sponsored by BASF and AgHaven
Ag Media Summit, Agribusiness, Audio, Media