Convention Parting Thoughts and Reminders

Another Cattle Industry Convention has come and gone and hopefully you have found the information posted here valuable in helping understand the work of the Beef Board. This website has been documenting the activity of the organization on behalf of beef producers for going on five years now. You can quite literally scroll all the way back to the beginning if you click back at the bottom of each page. It’s kind of like an ongoing electronic newsletter in a way. Our goal has been to help make the work of the CBB as transparent as possible.

Here are some helpful reminders if you haven’t used the website before:

1. You can learn how to subscribe to the web site news feed on this page.

2. Every committee has its own page. You can find links to them on the Committees page. The committee pages contain agendas and minutes/reports from each meeting since we started this process.

3. All the stories posted are archived. You can sort them by month or category using the drop down links in the left sidebar.

4. There are many, many audio interviews throughout the stories posted that you can listen to, including all the way back to the beginning. They tell the story straight from the mouths of the Board members and those who have received project support from the organization. Feel free to give them a listen.

5. Comment Policy: Please feel free to share your comments ‐ Lively discussions and different opinions are encouraged within the bounds of respectful civil discourse. Comments are moderated and will not appear on the MBC Blog until they have been approved. Questionable language, personal attacks, off‐topic comments, and gratuitous links, however, will be either edited or deleted.

6. This blog does not represent official communications from the Cattlemen’s Beef Board or the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Thank you once again for allowing me to be your Beef Board Blogger. I hope to see you from the Summer Meeting later this year.

Voting For Priorities

After all the committees meet during convention the leaders got together for a special extra meeting to set their priorities. This was done via a wireless electronic process. You can see CBB Board member Robert Fountain, Jr. (Secretary/Treasurer) holding up his device before they got started.

I spoke about the process with Rick Husted who managed the session. He says that in the past the priority setting has happened in each of the committee meetings. This year they have evolved that process to bring all the committee leaders together in one session to set and rank priorities. This will be used to set the FY 2011 plan. You can learn more about the process by listening to Rick.

You can listen to and download (mp3) my interview with Rick here:

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Working On Public Relations

Here’s a photo from the Join Veal Committee meeting which took place at the Cattle Industry Convention. I didn’t get to conduct an interview with anyone since they were still hard at it when I stopped by.

However, I did get to speak with Joyce Bupp, co-chair of the Joint Public Relations Subcommittee. Joyce says her committee takes a look at a lot of the media and outreach activities that are taking place throughout the organization. She says they had a very comprehensive look at the plans for the upcoming year. She says this is very important “. . . because if we don’t have consumer outreach and we don’t have consumer purchases we don’t have an industry.”

Here’s an excerpt from the report issued after the meeting:

The Subcommittee heard an update from Carol Abrahamzon of the American National Cattlewomen shared a report on the National Beef Ambassadors. The Metropolitan Cooking Show in DC with Northeast Beef Promotion Initiative (NBPI) reached more than 2,000 consumers with beef samples, recipes and brochures.

Sherry Hill of American National Cattlewomen provided an update on the National Beef Cook-Off (NBCO). A Raley’s promotion titled “Beef It Up” featured a sweepstakes contest over Labor Day. A Chef Challenge during the NBCO garnered six winning recipes featuring middle meats.

All committees of the Beef Board have their own web page and archived copies of agendas and minutes. You can find the Joint Public Relations Committee page here.

You can listen to and download (mp3) my interview with Joyce here:

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Cattle Industry Convention Photo Album

Discussing Issues Managment

Much of the work done by the Cattlemen’s Beef Board is in committees. These meetings are open and as I’ve found over the years, a great learning experience to attend. If you want to really get to know how the checkoff works then get involved or just attend the meetings and listen in.

One of the meetings I stopped in at this year’s Cattle Industry Convention was the Joint Issues Management Subcommittee. I spoke with committee chair, Mike Stahly. Mike says the committee deals with the many issues facing the industry and that the checkoff does many surveys of consumers to learn what they think about the industry and the product. He says that one of the biggest issues is the activist groups that are telling tales about the industry that just aren’t factual.

Here’s an excerpt from the report issued after the meeting:

The Subcommittee heard highlights of 2009 fiscal year programs and an update on the 2010 fiscal year programs put into motion during Summer Conference. Some of the key activities for beef issues management closing out last year and so far this year include: a holistic photo project and Explore Beef brochure showcasing the people behind the product, a newly launched ExploreBeef.org Web site, redesign of the popular industry forecasting publication Beef Issues Quarterly, a moviemaking project to capture an inside look at the beef industry that’s appealing to Millennials, a U.S. Beef Stakeholder Responsibility Assessment and successes from the viral Give Thanks campaign.

All committees of the Beef Board have their own web page and archived copies of agendas and minutes. You can find the Joint Issues Management Committee page here.

You can listen to and download (mp3) my interview with Mike here:

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Cattle Industry Convention Photo Album

Outstanding CattleWoman of the Year

The 2009 Outstanding CattleWoman of the Year is a big supporter of the National Beef Cook-Off and the Beef Board. She’s Linda Brake from Arizona. I spoke with her after the award was announced by the American National CattleWomen and she seemed a little overwhelmed by the honor.

Linda says she feels very “special.” She says it’s an honor to have been selected. In my interview with her you can listen to her describe her feelings and talk about the work she’s done.

You can listen to and download (mp3) my interview with Linda here:

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Linda has been an active CattleWoman for 20 years. As an ANCW member, she has served on various committees and as the vice-chair and chairman of the National Beef Cook-Off (NBCO) Committee and co-chair of the 2001 NBCO. She has served as Secretary and President in the Santa Cruz CattleWomen and numerous positions at the state level including Arizona CattleWomen President in 1998. Linda has also served on a joint NCBA committee, is a member of the Arizona Beef Council and producer member of the Western Center for Risk Management Education.

The Outstanding CattleWoman of the Year Award is given to one cattlewoman each year that has excelled at continued beef promotion on the local, state, and national level, while contributing dedication, commitment and support to the American National CattleWomen, Inc.

Cattle Industry Convention Photo Album

New CBB Chairman Dan Dierschke

Welcome new CBB Chairman Dan Dierschke, Texas rancher. Dan took the gavel this morning at the annual meeting and I spoke with him about his priorities for the coming year.

Dan says he has three goals as chairman: 1) develop an effective response to the increasing demands of the anti-animal use activists, 2) continue to use checkoff investments to build beef demand, and 3) reduce counter-productive arguments within the industry and stress our common goals.

Cattle Industry Convention Photo Album

You can listen to or download (mp3) my interview with Dan here:

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Here’s the list of new officers/executive committee members:

Chairman: Dan Dierschke, TX
Vice Chairman: Tom Jones, AR
Secretary/Treasurer: Robert Fountain, Jr., GA
Virginia Coehlo, CA
Virginia Davis, IN
Will Frazee, IA
Wesley Grau, NM
Kristy Lage, NE
Hank Maxey, Jr., VA
Daryl Berlier Owen, TX
Sid Sumner, FL

CBB Management Report

Each annual meeting of the CBB concludes with a report from the CEO. Tom Ramey reported this morning and I have his comments recorded for you to listen to.

Tom detailed the changes in the staff during the last year and says he feels real good about the people who are working on behalf of the checkoff in the office. He mentioned that the latest producer attitude survey showed that 69 percent either strongly or somewhat strongly approve of the checkoff. That’s up slightly from last year. Tom also mentioned that he and the officers are committed to working with NCBA to help achieve the mission of improving beef demand.

Cattle Industry Convention Photo Album

You can listen to or download (mp3) their reports here:

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Annual Meeting Reports

The annual business meeting of the CBB was held this morning and a series of reports given with the session presided over by outgoing Chairman Lucinda Williams.

We heard the financial and audit report from Tom Jones and Dave Fugate and then the executive committee report from Dan Dierschke.

I’ve recorded their reports for you to listen to and all documents will be made available via the website shortly.

Cattle Industry Convention Photo Album

You can listen to or download (mp3) their reports here:

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Rich Otley Graduates

This is CBB graduate Rich Otley. Rich didn’t retire from the staff last night, he graduated.

So a portion of the CBB Banquet program was given to honoring Rich for his years of service as Director of Evaluation. He was even given the light box he became so famous for. If you haven’t attended an Operating Committee meeting then you don’t know that he built a box with two lights to let presenters know that their time was up and then needed to sit down.

CBB CEO Tom Ramey and others made remarks about Rich and his time with the organization and then presented him with a couple of gifts. Then Rich took a few minutes to thank a lot of the people he’s worked with over the years.

Cattle Industry Convention Photo Album

You can listen to or download (mp3) their comments here:

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Saying Goodbye to Lucinda

At the annual CBB Banquet we honored outgoing Chairman, Lucinda Williams. She’s seen here with one of the quilts she made for the staff and board. All board members were asked to sign them before they left.

Then we heard comments from both Dan Dierschke, incoming CBB Chairman and Tom Ramey, CBB CEO. They came to the stage and expressed their appreciation and enjoyment with working with Lucinda. They noted her endless energy and care for other people at all times.

Cattle Industry Convention Photo Album

You can listen to or download (mp3) their comments here:

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CBB Update Session

The annual CBB Update Session had a special guest this year. Ed Avalos, USDA Undersecretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs made some brief remarks.

He said he’s looking forward to working with his counterparts in Mexico to help open that market up more.

The CBB Update session is conducted annually and provides producers with an opportunity to hear from leadership and discuss issues in an open forum.

Cattle Industry Convention Photo Album

You can listen to or download (mp3) his comments here:

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Dairy Forum And Lunch

The Dairy Producer Communications Forum and Lunch has become a tradition at the Cattle Industry Convention. It’s an opportunity for beef and dairy producers to get together and discuss common issues.

At this year’s event producers had a presentation from Melissa Slagle and Stan Erwine titled, “Telling Your Story Workshop.” They discussed and gave example of how producers can speak up for their dairy and beef operations.

One of the attendees was Ted Greidanus, California calf rancher. I spoke with him and he says that he enjoyed this year’s program. He says he likes to talk to dairymen about their business. He asks them if they have beef cows and they admit they do have animals that enter the beef production system. This makes them beef producers too.

Cattle Industry Convention Photo Album

You can listen to or download (mp3) my interview with Ted here:

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2009 Retail Demand

It’s Friday of convention week and that means lots of committee work going on. However, there has already been a lot of committee work. Take the Evaluation Advisory Committee which was lead by David Bateman, past CBB Chairman (left).

The committee received a presentation from Dr. James Mintert, Purdue University on what happened to domestic beef demand at retail in 2009 and what the drivers were. I spoke with him about his remarks. He says that not surprisingly demand weakened by about 3 percent from a year earlier and part of that was due to a weak economy. Additionally, he says consumers started saving more in reaction to losses in their investments. In the short run he says that takes away from consumption. Another factor was consumer concern over safety due to some of the recalls that took place. Looking ahead he says that the economy is showing signs of improving with some growth in disposable personal income but he hasn’t seen consumer savings rates change yet.

Cattle Industry Convention Photo Album

You can listen to or download (mp3) my interview with James here:

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I Heart Beef Campaign

Well who doesn’t love beef, eh? So the I Heart Beef campaign is a great concept for an “in-between” seasons promotion don’t you think. I interviewed Kim Essex, NCBA, to learn more about the program.

Kim says they’ve sent information about the promotion to 10,000 reporters across the country and they’re doing a lot of promotion online. They’re also taking advantage of social networking mechanisms to engage with consumers about the promotion too. Kim says they’re using a number of measurement applications to determine how they’re doing with the campaign. They hope to achieve 3 billion impressions.

Cattle Industry Convention Photo Album

You can listen to or download (mp3) my interview with Kim here:

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Social Media Training For Beef Ambassadors

I spent a morning this week with the 2010 National Beef Ambassador Team. The morning was spent in a social media training workshop, where I helped to equip the ambassadors with the tools they need to write an effective blog post to share the positive agriculture story with consumers.

At the conclusion of the workshop, I had the opportunity to interview the ambassadors about their year, and why they believe they are the best team to represent America’s beef cattle producers. These are the best and brightest in the industry, and they certainly do a great job. Be sure to follow their blog. They are pros now!

You can download (mp3) or listen to my interview with the Ambassadors here:

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Lucinda Williams Addresses Cattle Industry Convention

At the opening general session of the Cattle Industry Convention today we heard from Lucinda Williams, Chairman, Cattlemen’s Beef Board.

Lucinda spoke about her observations from a year as Chairman of the CBB and offered a number of thoughts for consideration. I’ve also got her presentation on video which I’ll upload and add here separately.

Cattle Industry Convention Photo Album

You can listen to or download (mp3) Lucinda’s remarks here:

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Peek Inside Executive Committee Mtg.

I know that not all beef producers can attend the annual meeting of the Beef Board and that’s part of the purpose behind this blog, to give you a transparent look into the activities and decisions being made on behalf of U.S. beef producers. With that in mind, here’s a peek inside the Executive Committee Mtg. that’s taking place this morning. It’s not meant to be comprehensive but at least you can see how the work is conducted.

Cattle Industry Convention Photo Album

Looking To The Future With The Checkoff

Tom Ramey is the CEO of the CBB and he’s 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.

Cattle Industry Convention Photo Album

You can listen to or download (mp3) my interview with Tom here:

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Admin Subcommittee Getting It Done

One of the very important committees that meets early here at the Cattle Industry Convention is the Administration Subcommittee. Leading the meeting was Robert Fountain, Jr. pictured on the left.

Robert says the committee is responsible for overseeing the funding that is related to the officers and executive committee to carry out their duties to the Checkoff. He says they had a short agenda this year which included reviewing the evaluations of the summer meeting by participants which includes recommendations for changes to make the mtg. more efficient. His committee will make a report to the executive committee about that.

You can listen to or download (mp3) my interview with Robert here:

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Reallocating Dollars

The Beef Board Operating Committee had a big challenge here at the Cattle Industry Convention. A number of previously funded projects returned unused dollars which now became available for re-allocation. This happens normally and so a number of what are called AR’s or Authorization Requests (amended) were made from other projects that had funds cut last year to obtain some of the newly available funds. As you might expect, there were requests for more than the dollars available.

To learn more about the work of the Operating Committee I spoke to Beef Board Chairman Lucinda Williams who presided over the meeting. She explains the process the committee is going through. She says an example of a program requesting funds is the summer grilling program which would like to extend the promotion. After hearing presentations from all the requests the committee then makes decisions on them to approve or not approve. I spoke with her prior to the voting.

Cattle Industry Convention Photo Album

You can listen to or download my interview (mp3) with Lucinda here:

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