My Beef Checkoff: April News - Dairy Edition

Have You Herd…
… Hear from John Ligo, Pennsylvania, about the economic impact a dairy has on the local economy.

… Take a virtual dairy farm tour of 2010 dairy BQA award winner Phoebe Bitler.

… Hear from Jerry Spencer, Texas, about the checkoff’s retail partnerships.

Celebrate Earth Day … Every Day
April 22 will mark the 40th anniversary of Earth Day and once again, the beef checkoff’s issues management and producer communications teams are helping cattle farmers and ranchers across the country share their environmental sustainability message with consumers. This year’s Earth Day campaign highlights the tradition and longevity of cattlemen’s environmental stewardship practices and reinforces cattlemen’s geographic diversity yet unity around being “green” with the resources in their area.

Over the coming weeks, we will be producing advertisements, letters-to-the-editor, logos, e-mail signatures, school outreach ideas and much more. We encourage Beef Board members to engage in the campaign as you have the time or see fit.

Here’s where you can find Earth Day tools, and remember to check back as we will continue to update this until April 22.

If you have any questions, please contact Melissa Slagle at mslagle@beefboard.org or Audrey Monroe at amonroe@beef.org.

Don’t Forget Mother’s Day
This Mother’s Day, make mom proud and show her how her cooking skills rubbed off on you! Prepare a great tasting meal built around her favorite beef dish. For some, it could be a simple and delicious petit tender steak, for others, a classic casserole or light steak salad could do the trick. Either way, Mom will appreciate a home cooked meal, just for her. Make her feel like a queen for a day!

Here’s a recipe to get you started: Gazpacho Steak Salad

For more great recipes funded by the beef checkoff, visit Beef. It's What's For Dinner.

Online BQA Certification Approved
The checkoff’s Joint Producer Education Committee recently passed a resolution to allow all interested states to implement a nationally organized online BQA certification program. The national program will design and fund the program modules, while the certification data in the database will be the property of the state beef council or cattlemen’s association who will receive the reports. This soon-to-be-launched program will allow states limited by tight resources to fund certification programs. For states with current programs, it will allow them to reduce costs if necessary. For more information on the BQA program, go to www.bqa.org.

Science-based Antibiotic Use In Cattle Production
By: Elizabeth Parker, DVM, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, contractor to the Beef Checkoff Program

Animal health and wellbeing are a top priority for all cattle ranchers and dairy producers, who rely on available tools like antibiotics to achieve the best possible health conditions for their cattle.

Antibiotics are an important tool to prevent, control and treat disease in cattle. Preventative medicine is a cornerstone of maintaining a healthy U.S cattle herd and antibiotics made specifically for cattle help animals regain or maintain superior health.

All antibiotics used in beef cattle production go through a rigorous testing process before being approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This process helps protect human health while giving veterinarians and cattlemen the tools to keep animals healthy.

To read the full article and a discussion on the topic of antibiotics, sign up to receive the checkoff-funded publication: Beef Issues Quarterly.

2010 National Beef Ambassador Photo Contest
Have you heard something in the media lately that has made you think more about the importance of YOUR agriculture story? The National Beef Ambassadors, funded in part by the beef checkoff, can help you spread your message. The “Farmers and Ranchers Care” Earth Day Photo Contest will help you share with consumers and fellow producers how you, as cattle ranchers and beef producers, care for the environment in your ranching practices! This contest will begin on Saturday, March 20th, National Agriculture Day. In order to share the importance of the beef industry’s positive involvement with the environment, you will have the chance to share your photos on the National Beef Ambassador Facebook page.

Step 1: Become a fan of the National Beef Ambassadors on Facebook.

Step 2: Upload your photo to the National Beef Ambassador Facebook page showcasing how you, as a beef producer, are involved in helping the environment.

Step 3: Help fellow producers in the contest and vote on your favorites. Below are the rules and guidelines for the contest. Most importantly, have fun and enjoy what the industry has to offer the environment.

Click here for more contest information.

Source: The Beef Checkoff

1. Representative Lucas discusses new Farm Bill
2. U.S. May consumer sentiment highest in nearly 6 years
3. Cattle producers turn to MSU for reproduction class
4. NCBA Op-Ed: EPA’s data sharing incident a debacle
5. Cow-calf corner: Review calving season and make improvements
6. Feeder cattle review: Feed report neutral to slightly bearish

1. New school lunch beef recipes win approval from kids, foodservice
2. Drier weather to give big boost to U.S. corn plantings
3. Prices for corn and soybeans, five years from now
4. Agriculture is expected to remain strong in the coming decade
5. What sick day? Farmers take just three a year
6. Senate Agriculture Committee completes Farm Bill markup

1. Insects. They’re what’s for dinner!
2. World food supply depends on character, virtuous leadership
3. Commentary: Slanting the statistics
4. Tyson selects panel to monitor animal welfare program
5. Cold spring stunts upper Midwest hay crop
6. Buffet concerned about soil and starvation