This week: WHAT HAS THE CHECKOFF’S INDUSTRY INFORMATION PROGRAM AREA DONE FOR ME LATELY?

 INDUSTRY INFORMATION, as defined in the Beef Promotion & Research Act, means “information and programs that will lead to the development of new markets, marketing strategies, increased efficiency, and activities to enhance the image of the cattle industry.” This includes programs such as issues management and public relations, the National Beef Ambassadors, and beef and veal quality assurance.

 Beefing up the Blood Supply – National Beef Ambassador Jennifer Rassler is blending her sense of community with her love for the beef industry. Rassler organized a campus blood drive at Penn State University that promoted beef under the theme “Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner … and Donors.” The result? Some 150 students at Pennsylvania State University donated some 135 units of blood to the American Red Cross. Rassler worked with the Pennsylvania Beef Council, the Pennsylvania Cattlemen's Association, a catering company, and other state ag organizations to sponsor the event and to supply a “Beef Up the Blood Supply T-shirt, a hamburger, and nutritional information about beef to each donor. Red Cross Coordinator Wendi Keeler was so impressed with the success of the partnership that she is encouraging beef-sponsored drives nationwide. Way to go, Jennifer! For more information about the Beef Ambassador program, visit www.nationalbeefambassador.org.  

Beef Economics Resource Updated – The checkoff has updated a key resource for media and consumers interested in the different economic aspects of the beef industry to reflect 2007 statistics. “Beef Market at a Glance” includes statistics about the U.S. cattle supply, the demand for beef, today’s consumer, beef at retail, beef at foodservice and beef in the home. This fact sheet is increasingly valuable for educating reporters and others about the beef industry, given the growing interest in food prices. Check out the updated fact sheet at http://www.beeffrompasturetoplate.org/CMDocs/BeefProduction/Beef%20Market%20at%20a%20Glance%20April%202008%20update%20-%20FINAL.doc.   

Checkoff Responds to Videos – On Monday afternoon, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) released video depicting apparent cattle neglect at auction market facilities in Texas, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Maryland. The video has been posted to HSUS’s Web site at http://video.hsus.org/index.jsp?fr_story=1defe62bf7194beeea8d28a9dce71a6ba38111d3. The U.S. Secretary of Agriculture’s statement is available at http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?contentidonly=true&contentid=2008/05/0121.xml  and you can see the Cattlemen’s Beef Board statement at http://www.beefboard.org/PressReleases.aspx. Checkoff staff responded to media inquiries to drive home the industry’s commitment to proper cattle handling practices. 

Driving Home Beef Quality – The checkoff is hosting two Beef Quality Assurance Cattle Buyer summits this month – May 15 in Billings, Mont. and May 22 in Chattanooga, Tenn. – to discuss the importance of BQA with order buyers and auction markets. Next up: the 18th Annual BQA State Coordinators Seminar, which is on tap for June 11-13 in Kansas City, where BQA coordinators from more than 40 states will learn how to address current quality issues for producers. Finally in BQA, a checkoff-funded DVD made in cooperation with the Livestock Marketing Association (LMA) – “Focal Point an Auction Market BQA Guide” – has been distributed to all 1,200 auction markets nationwide! The DVD focuses on the proper care and handling of cattle and how to address issues like non-ambulatory cattle – especially timely as the industry hears charges of animal cruelty from anti-meat activists. For more information about the checkoff’s BQA program, go to www.bqa.org, or for details about the coordinators’ seminar, contact Grace at gwebb@beef.org or 303-850-3338. 

Beef Producers: America’s Original Environmentalists – The checkoff spearheaded an Earth Day campaign in April to help improve consumer perceptions of beef producers as part of the solution to environmental sustainability. Leading up to Earth Day, the checkoff used its www.BeefFromPasturetoPlate.org Web site to highlight how America’s beef producers are “Caring for the Environment on Earth Day and Every Day.” A new section of the site, http://beeffrompasturetoplate.org/sustainabilityfunfacts.aspx, makes a full slate of environmental statistics accessible in one location. Several short videos were posted to the checkoff site and to the popular YouTube Web site to demonstrate what Earth Day means to National Beef Ambassadors (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGZz-9vw0Q4.), to highlight environmentally conscious producers, and to showcase a special Earth Day beef recipe. Sample letters-to-the-editor went to 140 producers and state partners to submit to local newspapers, and the checkoff’s issues-management and public-relations team worked with third-party influencers to get letters published in the San Francisco Chronicle, The Boston Globe, and other major publications.   

A Virtual Tour of America’s Farms and Ranches – The growing online environment makes it critical for beef producers to convey their stories in non-traditional formats. With this in mind, checkoff staff distributed video camera kits to select beef producer spokespeople recently to generate high-quality, authentic video footage of their farms and ranches. The kits include instructions for getting started, tips for shooting video like a professional, and sample interview questions. This effort will expand the video available on www.BeefFromPastureToPlate.org and will extend online visibility of America’s farms and ranches through popular Web site like YouTube.