Explaining The New Committee Structure
Posted by Chuck – July 31st, 2012
Polly Ruhland, CEO of the Beef Board, is making a point in answer to a question during the first Beef Board business session in this photo. I spoke with Polly to get a better understanding of the new committee structure that was approved during that session.
Polly explains the process that led to the proposal for restructuring that was presented here. She says that “What the working group came up with was a structure that relies on the industry long range plan and consumer demand drivers.” It was a big step forward in focusing Checkoff work on consumer demand. Learn more about this in my interview with Polly.
Listen to my interview with Polly here: Interview with Polly Ruhland
For a copy of the Special Committee report and explanation of the new committee structure, go to Special Committee Report, and for a visual matrix depicting the structure, visit Committee Matrix.
2012 Cattle Industry Summer Conference Photo Album
Summer Meeting Financial Report
Posted by Chuck – July 31st, 2012
The Cattlemen’s Beef Board held its closing business meeting July 28 at the Cattle Industry Summer Conference. Providing the financial report was Kim Brackett, Secretary/Treasurer.
Kim is a cow-calf/stocker from Castleford, Idaho. She has been an active member with the Idaho Beef Council, serving as chair, vice chair and treasurer; Idaho Cattle Association, serving as committee and sub-committee chair; and the 71 Livestock Association.
Listen to Kim’s report here: Financial Report
2012 Cattle Industry Summer Conference Photo Album
New Method to Elect Nominating Committee Members
Posted by Chuck – July 29th, 2012
During the Cattle Industry Summer Conference Beef Board members used a new method to elect members to the Nominating Committee. I visited with Chairman Wesley Grau to learn more about it.
Wesley says that when the by-laws were updated at the winter convention they re-constructed the way nominating committee members are selected. He says there were 17 members who were on the ballots with between 2 to 3 per region. He says the process went very smoothly.
Listen to my interview with Wesley here: Interview with Wesley Grau
2012 Cattle Industry Summer Conference Photo Album
Producer Support of Beef Checkoff Remains High
Posted by Chuck – July 28th, 2012
The Chairman of the Producer Communications Committee is Hank Maxey, seen here during one of the Cattle Industry Summer Conference meetings. I talked with him about the most recent survey of U.S. beef and dairy producers to determine their thoughts about the Checkoff.
Hank says, “The study is very similar to studies in the past. Producers still have confidence in the Checkoff.” He says it means money is being spent in the right places and by doing that they’re helping beef demand. Here’s some information from the survey.
Checkoff support, at 74 percent – about even with January 2012 findings – remains at historic highs.
The nationwide survey of 900 beef and dairy producers conducted by the independent firm Aspen Media & Market Research in late June and early July 2012 found that an overwhelming majority of beef and dairy producers continue to believe that their beef checkoff has value for them in many ways:
Eight out of 10 producers say the beef checkoff has helped to contribute to a positive trend in beef demand.
Seven out of 10 producers say the beef checkoff contributes to the profitability of their operations, is there for them in a crisis, and represents their interests.
Two in three beef producers believe the checkoff is well managed.
Listen to my interview with Hank here: Interview with Hank Maxey
2012 Cattle Industry Summer Conference Photo Album
Beef Excellent for Offsetting Age-Related Muscle Loss
Posted by Chuck – July 28th, 2012
The Beef Checkoff funded a research project conducted by Stuart Phillips (pictured during a video interview), McMaster University, Department of Kinesiology, Hamilton, Ontario, that focused on nutrient-rich proteins in offsetting age-related muscle loss. Basically, Stuart says they compared 4 oz. of beef with 4 oz. of soy protein and beef performed much better.
Another interesting finding is that the optimal amount of beef is 6 oz. to stimulate muscle protein synthesis. This research will have significant impact on diets for aging well as we better understand how different protein sources perform.
Listen to my interview with Stuart here: Interview with Stuart Phillips
2012 Cattle Industry Summer Conference Photo Album
Beef Flavor Research
Posted by Chuck – July 28th, 2012
How important is flavor research to the Beef Checkoff? Very, according to Executive Chef Dave Zino. I spoke with Dave about some newly completed Beef Flavor Research that was conducted with Beef Checkoff funds. The primary objective was to help the Beef Checkoff develop a better understanding of consumer preferences for beef preparation and consumption and the types of flavors preferred to accompany beef products.
Dave says this research was first done in 2002 and then again in 2005. With this latest update he says we now have a really good benchmark to determine recipe development, what people are eating with beef and how they cook it. One of the interesting findings is that between 2002 and 2012 there are more people eating steaks in the medium rare to medium range which pleases him because they’ll get the best beef eating experience. The research shows that there have been a lot of positive developments in recent years and he believes it will go a long way in helping create beef demand.
Listen to my interview with David here: Interview with Dave Zino
2012 Cattle Industry Summer Conference Photo Album
National Beef Quality Audit
Posted by Chuck – July 27th, 2012
During the Cattle Industry Summer Conference the results of the 2011 Beef Checkoff funded National Beef Quality Audio were released. It shows that progress has been made but that there is still room for improvement. To learn more about it I spoke with Tom Field, Director of the Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program at the University of Nebraska. He’s a fifth generation cattleman. He was also integrally involved in the start of the NBQA. Tom was on a panel that presented the results during a media conference call.
Tom says the National Beef Quality Audit is meant to perform one main function, “In a multi-segmented semi fragmented industry to actually take the time and allocate the resources to stop, take our eyes up off the work we’re doing inside our individual sectors and actually ask questions up and down the supply chain with customers, vendors and suppliers – How are we doing as an industry?” Tom says there are a couple of key messages that came out of the audit. One was that each sector of the industry defines quality differently so there needs to be some consensus on that. Another item learned was that it’s not just a focus on a particular trait like marbling but also on the process since the marketplace is concerned about how animals are handled and processed. Additionally, he says that farmers are doing a lot of things really well but their biggest shortcoming was documenting it. He says that the overall quality of U.S. beef has improved.
Listen to my interview with Tom here: Interview with Tom Field
You can learn more about the 2011 results by visiting the NBQA website.
2012 Cattle Industry Summer Conference Photo Album
First Beef Board Business Meeting
Posted by Chuck – July 27th, 2012
The first of two business meetings of the Beef Board at the Cattle Industry Summer Conference was held immediately following the joint meeting with the Federation. The main topic once again was the committee restructuring proposal. During this meeting that proposal was approved after many members asked questions and discussion was held. Then following that some new business included breaking up into regions to elect members of the CBB Nominating Committee. It was a contested vote in all regions. Here is the list of individuals who were voted onto the committee:
Region 1 – John Schafer
Region 2 – Jim LeFils
Region 3 – Hughes Abell
Region 4 – Brian Healey
Region 5 – Kristy Lage
Region 6 – Lauri Munns
Wesley Grau, Chairman of the Beef Board also appointed Mike McCormick from Mississippi as the at large member and Grau will Chair the CBB Nominating Committee.
You can listen to the first Beef Board Business Meeting here: First Beef Board Business Meeting
Listen to the vote on the proposed committee restructuring here: Beef Board Committee Restructure Vote
2012 Cattle Industry Summer Conference Photo Album
Joint Beef Board & Federation Session
Posted by Chuck – July 27th, 2012
Early in the program for the Cattle Industry Summer Conference a joint meeting was held with the Federation of State Beef Councils Forum and CBB Business Session. It was all about the proposed committee structure with lots of good questions and answers. I recorded the session for you to listen to.
Listen to the joint session here: Joint Beef Board & Federation Session
2012 Cattle Industry Summer Conference Photo Album
Getting to Know Beef Board Members
Posted by Chuck – July 27th, 2012
Patrick Becker is a cow-calf producer from south central North Dakota. He serves on the International Markets Committee.
Patrick says he got involved in the Beef Board because he wanted to see where the checkoff money was going. And working with the U.S. Meat Export Federation, he says he’s pleased to see how that money is going to develop those new international markets. He encourages other producers to get involved, because it is their industry, and it is just as important as working the pastures back home.
Listen to my interview with Patrick here: Interview with Patrick Becker
2012 Cattle Industry Summer Conference Photo Album
New Committee Structure
Posted by Chuck – July 27th, 2012
The Chairman of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board is Wesley Grau, Cow/calf and seedstock producer from Grady, N.M. During the first general session he welcomed about 700 cattle farmers from around the country to the Cattle Industry Summer Conference.
After the general session most attendees moved to the Joint CBB Business Session & NCBA Federation Forum where the main topic of discussion was a proposed restructuring of the Beef Checkoff joint committees which is part of the beef industry long range plan. I spoke with Wesley just before that meeting started.
Wesley says the summer meeting is an opportunity to talk about the proposed contracts being put in front of the operating committee and talk about the direction the Beef Checkoff needs to go. He says attendance here is great. When it comes to the committee restructuring proposal he says they “are very exciting. They tend to lend us efficiencies and adaptable maneuvers we’ve not had in the past.”
During the following CBB Business Session the Beef Board voted unanimously to approve the committee restructuring proposal. Now we’ll wait to see what the Federation does at its business meeting tomorrow.
The four core committees under the proposal are: Domestic Consumer Preference, Global Growth, Beef’s Image and Freedom to Operate. It’s a major restructuring that if fully approved will take some time to implement.
Listen to my interview with Wesley here: Interview with Wesley Grau
I’m collecting photos from our summer meeting here: 2012 Cattle Industry Summer Conference Photo Album
Getting to Know Beef Board Members
Posted by Chuck – July 26th, 2012
Sarah Childs is a second generation cow-calf producer who also has a citrus operation in Lake Placid, Florida. She serves on the Producer Communications Committee.
Sarah discovered her passion for raising cattle not long after finishing college and moving with her family to Florida. Her committee work has allowed her to see the work other committees are doing and has given her better insights on how to communicate ideas to the public. She’s impressed with how the Beef Board has embraced social media as a way to get information out to producers and non-producers alike. She encourages everyone involved in the beef industry to keep up on the changes coming and to give back to the industry. She concludes that giving just two hours a month to being involved in telling the beef story to those not involved in the industry will return many benefits for everyone.
Listen to my interview with Sarah here: Interview with Sarah Childs
2012 Cattle Industry Summer Conference Photo Album
Getting to Know Beef Board Members
Posted by Chuck – July 26th, 2012
Vaughn Meyer follows in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, who originally homesteaded the land, as the third generation of his family to run their purebred cow-calf operation in northwestern South Dakota. He serves on the Issues Management Committee.
Vaughn says after a stint as a young lieutenant in the U.S. Army, it seemed there weren’t enough people involved in the industry, so he decided he needed to get involved, working his way up through the state beef council and now at the national level. He encourages all producers, especially the younger ones, to get involved with local beef councils. He says helping managing the industry is just like the daily chores: something you have to work on every day.
Listen to my interview with Vaughn here: Interview with Vaughn Meyer
2012 Cattle Industry Summer Conference Photo Album
Checkoff Meetings Under Way
Posted by Diane – July 26th, 2012
Checkoff meetings that 2012 Cattle Industry Summer Conference are under way this morning with the meeting of Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB) Executive Committee.
CBB Executive Committe member Linda Gilbert
CBB Secretary/Treasurer Kim Brackett started off the meeting with a financial report and, with CFO Katherine Ayers, presented Executive Committee members with n FY2013 proposed administration budget of $1.97 million for the national checkoff program. The group discussed the budget and approved it as presented. That CBB budget represents a decrease of 3.6 percent from the 2012 administration budget, thanks to decreases in Board meeting expenses, officer travels expenses, CEO department expenses, collections compliance costs due to staff changes, and a decrease in general-office expenses as assets become fully depreciated.
CBB Vice President of Communications Lynn Heinze presented a topline view of the results of the latest Producer Attitude Survey, which he said indicates that support among producers for the beef checkoff remains at all-time highs, and that producers say they believe that the checkoff contributes to the profitability of their operations, among other finding.
The Executive Committee also approved a new Code of Ethics, as newly required by USDA, as well as updated guidelines for checkoff contractors to reference the checkoff program funding in all programs it funds. In addition, the committee approved two national partnerships — with Meijer and Safeway stores — and two state partnerships aimed at leveraging checkoff dollars in consumer markets across the country.
On the meetings agenda yet today are the first general session of the summer conference and the first business session of the full Cattlemen’s Beef Board, so stay tuned!
Getting to Know Beef Board Members
Posted by Chuck – July 26th, 2012
Lyle Peterson, MT, has a family cow-calf operation in the eastern part of Montana. He serves as a brand new member on the Joint Retail Committee.
Lyle says he’s always been a believer in the beef checkoff, and, in fact, can remember the very day he voted for it. He’s very impressed with the dedication of the retail committee and believes there is room to expand what the checkoff marketing money goes toward. He encourages cattle producers to get involved because this is their organization, and it’s only through the voluntary work by the members, from cow-calf producers to feedlot operators, that they are able to tell the public the good news story of beef.
Listen to my interview with Lyle here: Interview with Lyle Peterson
2012 Cattle Industry Summer Conference Photo Album
Getting to Know Beef Board Members
Posted by Chuck – July 25th, 2012
Jackie Means is a cow-calf producer from the Big Bend region of Texas. She serves on the Joint Advertising Committee.
Jackie doesn’t originally come from an ag background, but after working with her husband since the late 1970s-early 1980s when the first Beef Checkoff started, she has seen what it has done for the beef industry. That led to her own chance to serve on the Beef Board. She’s excited about what the new year on the advertising committee will bring. For those producers wondering if they should get involved in the checkoff, Jackie says it’s everyone’s responsibility to do all they can to support the industry. But aside from that responsibility, she points out that it is a great chance to work with a lot of great people toward a common goal.
Listen to my interview with Jackie here: Interview with Jackie Means
2012 Cattle Industry Summer Conference Photo Album
Getting to Know Beef Board Members
Posted by Chuck – July 25th, 2012
Leon Kreisler and his wife, Helen, run a cow-calf operation in south central Missouri. He serves on the Nutrition and Health Committee.
Leon sees his work on the Nutrition and Health Committee as very important. He says an interest in his own industry, which everyone should have, led him to serving on the Beef Board. He believes that producers who don’t think they need to get involved in the board are just kidding themselves, because everyone is worried about their own paycheck. That should be enough motivation for any producer to get involved.
Listen to my interview with Leon here: Interview with Leon Kreisler
2012 Cattle Industry Summer Conference Photo Album
Checkoff Committee Materials Posted
Posted by Diane – July 17th, 2012
Materials for Cattlemen’s Beef Board and joint checkoff committee meetings scheduled at the 2012 Cattle Industry Summer Conference are posted here on the My Beef Checkoff Meeting Blog.
To access materials such as agendas, minutes, presentations and FY 2013 Authorization Requests that will be reviewed during the summer conference, click on the “Agendas, Minutes” button at the top left of this blog page, then click on individual committee links.
Summer Checkoff Meetings Open to All
Posted by Diane – July 11th, 2012
Reminder to all beef producers and importers: If you pay the checkoff, you can attend checkoff meetings at no cost, and that includes checkoff meetings at the upcoming 2012 Cattle Industry Summer Conference in Denver.
A recent media advisory and other communications from the checkoff remind producers and importers that all beef checkoff meetings are open to every person who pays the checkoff, free of charge. During the summer conference later this month, this includes meetings of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB); the Federation of State Beef Councils (Federation); and joint committee meetings that include checkoff representation.
If you know someone interested in participating in checkoff meetings at the conference but not registering for the full event, please direct them to the checkoff-only registration link. For committee meeting minutes, agendas and other materials, visit this meeting blog before, during and after the summer conference to keep updated about checkoff actions.
