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My Beef Checkoff: November dairy edition

The Beef Checkoff | Updated: 11/30/2012

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Have You Herd…

… “Like” MyBeefCheckoff on Facebook for the latest news and updates.

… Beef checkoff visits Patty Bikowsky’s dairy farm in New York.

… The beef checkoff has launched a YouTube channel specifically for retailers.

Back by Popular Demand …

Veal Osso Bucco at Biaggi’s restaurant! Veal shank slowly braised with garlic, herbs, vegetables and white wine until fall-off-the-bone tender. Served with delicate gnocchi tossed in a brown-butter-sage sauce. Peter Schonman, Biaggi’s Corporate Chef, participated in the checkoff-funded 2011 Veal Big Idea Conference held in April 2011.

November Producer Profile: McCullough Brothers

Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) certified producers, John and David McCullough, Mercer, Penn., uniquely tell their farm story to thousands of western PA consumers each fall at their "Coolspring Corn Maze."

John and David also calve approximately 130 Angus cows each year, while managing their 400 acres of crops and pastures. Recently, the McCulloughs began finishing some cattle, selling quarters to customers. In addition to the cattle operation, the brothers also install livestock fencing and the Advantage brand of tarp style buildings.

Join in the Food Dialogues!

As our nation starts thinking about food and Thanksgiving, the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) will be hosting the next round of Food Dialogues in New York City. The event, on Nov. 15, will consist of three panel discussions addressing: Media Marketing; Antibiotics; and Biotechnology. These panels will bring together individuals who are both for and against modern agriculture to have open discussions and answer consumer’s toughest questions about the way we grow and raise food today. USFRA is comprised of more than 80 agriculture organizations and allied industry companies, including investments from the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, the Federation of State Beef Councils and NCBA.

Kim Brackett, Cattlemen’s Beef Board Secretary and Idaho cattle producer, attended a Food Dialogues event in Los Angeles. Brackett says she is, “impressed at the breath of people, both in agriculture and from the consumer audience who we as beef producers would not be able to reach individually, but can be reached through USFRA.”USFRA is making the Dialogues available through a live stream on the FoodDialogues.com website from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. ET. Conversations will also be happening online all day on the USFRA Twitter page, and farmers and ranchers are encouraged to participate by answering questions and providing insight using the hashtag #foodd. “Because USFRA is partially funded through our Beef Checkoff program, it is important for beef producers to know what USFRA is doing, and to watch the Food Dialogue events,” believes Brackett. In conjunction with the New York Food Dialogues, USFRA will announce the Faces of Farming and Ranching finalists, a contest to discover farmers and ranchers who best represent the diversity and spirit of American agriculture. A field of more than 150 applicants has been narrowed down to the handful of finalists who will be announced at 1:15 p.m. ET on Nov. 15. Tune into the live stream to see who made it to the next round, which includes review by a panel of judges and public voting. The winners, to be announced in January, will be able to engage with millions of consumers on behalf of agriculture.

What Consumers Want: Beef Brand Enhancement Two Highlights

Strengthening consumer preference for beef requires a combination of anticipating the target consumers’ needs and reaching them with a solution that beef uniquely offers. The beef checkoff has a long history of communicating beef’s primary equities in a relevant and compelling way. As of July 2012, 71 percent of consumers say beef is a good balance of taste and nutrition compared to 57 percent in January 2007. Additionally, 70 percent of consumers say they feel good about eating beef compared to 62 percent in January 2007 according to the Consumer Beef Index, July 2012 (at-home beef performance numbers).

The future of beef depends on a consumer-centric solution – one that puts the needs of today’s beef consumer first. To help ensure beef’s place at the table in the future, the checkoff recently embarked on a critical journey to assess and prioritize the myriad of factors that could be part of the “beef story.” The reason for this journey: a leading edge group of consumers are beginning to look more holistically at food purchases, bringing together factors such as health and wellness, taste, convenience, sustainability, and beef production. In addition, our goal was to continue to position beef consumption in the most motivating manner. This article highlights the most significant learnings through this brand enhancement two journey.

Read the full article in the checkoff’s Beef Issues Quarterly newsletter.

Bottlenecker of a Partnership

The beef checkoff’s Veal Retail program is partnering with Concha del Toro Wines for a promotion called Cassillero del Diablo, California Cheese, Classico Sauces and Veal. The Bottlenecker promotion, starting in November and running through December, will be in 52 chain supermarkets! Concha del Toro Wines has created a wine bottlenecker with an Instant Redeemable Coupon for over $2 off with a California Cheese, Classico Sauces and a Veal cutlet purchase. The partnership includes:

Over 300,000 bottleneckers will be placed on Wine Concha del Toro Wines
$1-off Instant Redeemable Coupons paid by Concha del Toro Wines on all Veal IRC Redemptions
52 chains involved with wide distribution across the entire United States including stores like Albertsons, COSTCO, Fred Meyer (Kroger), HEB, HyVee Food Stores, Safeway and Whole Foods.