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Expanding Opportunities and Overcoming Challenges by Rylee Barber, Beefmaster Breeders United
Expanding Opportunities and Overcoming Challenges
By Rylee Barber, Beefmaster Breeders United
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While 2020 certainly friends and families and have a provided everyone with some sense of normalcy. challenges, it also allowed Looking at 2021 we wanted the chance for growth and to continue the normalcy that new opportunities. The we could provide for the JBBA Junior Beefmaster Breeders membership and improve upon Association has taken what their experiences. The JBBA is 2020 threw at us and turned known for their complete and it into endless possibilities well-rounded slate of programs, for youth involved in the which were expanded for Beefmaster breed. The Junior 2021. The directors and Board of Directors have ambassadors sat down and discussed their goals for looked at different contests and 2021 and what they hope to different events that they could accomplish this year, and add to improve the program. every goal centered around What they ended up adding expanding opportunities and was an additional six contests overcoming challenges. based around professional Many junior members development and improving around the country in 2020 necessary life skills, a program had to change some aspect of for younger JBBA members their daily life. Whether that to feel included and a series was virtual learning, an extra- of events to help welcome and curricular activity cancelled, or reach more members. spending more time with their With the addition of the Beefmaster animals, it was an Professional Development adjustment in their life that Contest juniors have an happened suddenly. With all advantage preparing for the these changes and challenges “real world” after college that they were facing, many or high school. This new JBBA members turned to the contest provides juniors with world of agriculture to get their three different agricultural sense of normalcy. When it job descriptions and the came time for the 36th Annual junior member must prepare JBBA National Show and their resume based on the Convention many exhibitors description. Each junior and families expressed their member must use information gratitude that they were able to on their resume so that they compete and be surrounded by may use their resume for future use. Once resumes have been submitted, the top applicants will be placed in an interview setting to help them prepare for a job interview situation. The addition of this contest was to give senior age members applicable realworld experience before they are thrown into the job or internship market. Another contest that the directors were enthusiastic to add to the schedule was the Individual and Team Sales competitions. These contests are focused on the juniors “selling” their Beefmaster projects. In doing so, they learn about marketing techniques and relevant selling points that are pertinent to the Beefmaster breed. This also requires the juniors to study different Beefmaster pedigrees and learn everything they can about a single animal in a short period of time. The Marketing Design and the Creative Essay Contest are two new contests that will also take place in 2021. Both contests are targeted for our members that prefer to express themselves more creatively in an artistic fashion. The Marketing Design contest allows junior members to showcase their computer design talents in designing a marketing or promotional piece for JBBA. With the amount of marketing that is going digital, this is a valuable skill set for members that are wanting to promote agriculture and Beefmaster cattle. The Creative Essay contest targets juniors that have an interest in journalism or writing about agriculture. Each contestant will draw a unique topic related to Beefmaster cattle and the agricultural industry and will have the allotted time to write an essay related to the topic. These essays will be featured in the JBBA Journal and possibly other Beefmaster publications. While the Junior Board and Ambassadors focused heavily on adding educational contests to our existing line-up, they also didn’t want to leave out the younger JBBA members. They decided to revamp the PeeWee program and add more activities to the week of the National Show and Convention specifically for them. This will allow younger JBBA members and younger siblings of JBBA members to have their own time to meet other members their age and complete projects of their own.
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34 The Beefmaster Pay Weight continued from page 33 All these additions to the National Show and Convention are just the beginning of the opportunities available to members through JBBA. Shortly we will be kicking off the 2021 JBBA A.I. Program which will feature leading A.I. sires in the breed that JBBA members will be able to use for a discounted rate. This allows juniors the chance to interact with more BBU breeders and learn about the value of using different bulls. Through this program each year juniors can get their hands on some of the best genetics in the Beefmaster breed and advance their herd. This program in the past has been extremely successful with over 1,000 straws of semen selling in the last few years. While all these additions were important parts to our organization, the addition that I am personally proud of the most is the JBBA Ambassador program. This new addition started in 2020 and we received a tremendous amount of interest only moments after announcing it. The Ambassador program allows JBBA members the opportunity to serve in a leadership role at a younger age. Juniors aged 11- 14 are eligible to be elected to this position and they learn valuable life skills and prepare for their future in JBBA and the Beefmaster breed. These seven individuals that were elected this past year have jumped in headfirst and helped with member relations, fundraising, writing articles, and everything else that has been asked of them. I could not be prouder of the group of individuals that this Ambassador program has produced, and I cannot wait to see the next generation of Beefmaster leaders continue. With all the changes that 2021 brings, JBBA is growing bigger than ever. With membership nearing 800, awarding 25,000 dollars in scholarships each year and more opportunities than ever, Junior Beefmaster Breeders Association is expanding opportunities and overcoming the challenges that arise in the agriculture industry. Clearly, JBBA is moving with the Beefmaster breed to the forefront of the beef cattle industry.
NCBA Report Shows COVID-19 Impact on Beef Demand
by National Cattlemen’s Beef Assocation & The Beef Checkoff Program
The number of consumers who say they intend to eat beef at least weekly increased from 67 percent to 72 percent compared to 2019, and consumer positive perceptions of beef reached 70 percent for the first time1, according to a new report released by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, that examines the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on consumer attitudes, behaviors and perceptions. “The impact of the pandemic has been transformative in every corner of our economy,” said Buck Wehrbein, 2020 NCBA Federation Division Chair. “The good news is that consumers are choosing beef more often as they adapt to cooking more at home.” The report outlines what consumer behaviors have changed, what behaviors may be permanent and how the beef industry has and continues to respond. With support from the 44 state beef councils and the Beef Checkoff program, current market and consumer research provides insight into the past year and helps inform programming and response in order to keep beef as the top protein choice for consumers. “NCBA’s checkoff-funded market research program allows us to evaluate and understand the consumer landscape, especially as its dynamics continue to shift,” NCBA Senior Director of Market Research Shawn Darcy said. “As a result, this helps all checkoff programs be more efficient, whether through promotion, education or information distribution.” With unemployment rates climbing higher during the pandemic than they have in decades, 65 percent of consumers remain very concerned about the impact of COVID-19, especially with its effects onto the economy. Despite not knowing how this pandemic will continue to shape the consumer landscape, the “State of the Consumer” report provides valuable information to help the beef industry better understand the quickly changing environment. Key take-aways include: - Online ordering for both groceries and meal ordering is likely here to stay. It is expected online ordering and delivery will grow at a more rapid pace than originally projected due to COVID-19. Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner., managed by NCBA, will continue to complete first-of-its-kind exploratory e-commerce marketing campaigns to help the supply chain accelerate the sales of fresh beef in this rapidly changing environment. - Consumers are cooking more meals at home now and they are searching for information to help them cook at home. Though expected to continue for the short term, a long-term shift is difficult to assess. NCBA will continue to utilize a variety of techniques by pushing out cooking information and recipe inspiration through social media and traditional media and leveraging impactful, highprofile influencers or thought leaders to teach consumers how to cook. - Consumers are spending more time at home and online. Along with that comes the rise of more TV and movingstreaming platforms and the decline of in-person movie theater watching experience, which could signal a long-term shift in consumers using more media “inside of the home” compared to “out-of-home.” NCBA will continue to utilize a variety of marketing platforms to continuously reach the consumer through paid, earned and owned digital, social and traditional media platforms. - Currently, consumers are more focused on spending their money on essential needs, such as groceries, household supplies and personal care and cleaning products. This will likely adjust back at some point; it is just a matter of when. - Positive consumer perceptions of beef and beef production increased during the pandemic and will likely remain higher for the next several months. Consumers may return to expressing concerns about food production when focus evolves from current concerns. NCBA will continue programs that educate consumers about beef and beef production. - Beef demand has remained strong to-date. Consumers increased weekly beef eatings and were willing to pay more for the product. With strong domestic consumer demandbuilding programs Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner., and other demand building programs, NCBA will keep focused on keeping this strong demand going through innovated checkoff-funded programs.
2021 Beefmaster Sale Calendar
February 20, 2021 - Beefmaster Border Classic III, Edcouch, TX February 27, 2021 - STBBA Houston Futurity Sale, Brenham, TX February 27, 2021 - Houston Magic XXI Sale, Brenham, TX
March 20, 2021 - Beef on Forage - Texoma Bull & Female Sale, McAlester, OK
March 20, 2021 - Live Oak Spring Sale, Three Rivers, TX
March 27, 2021 - Emmons Ranch Annual Bull Sale, Groesbeck, TX
April 03, 2021 - Louisiana BBA Spring Sale at Landon Hays Memorial Arena, Arcadia, LA April 10, 2021 - Ozark & Heart of America Spring Sale, Springfield, MO April 10, 2021 - Collier Farms Advantage Sale, Giddings, TX
April 17, 2021 - East Texas and Lousiana BMG Sale, Crockett, TX
April 23, 2021 - Spring Flint Hills Classic Sale, Paxico, KS April 24, 2021 - 5th Annual Midwest Beefmaster Bull & Heifer Sale, Exeter, MO
April 24, 2021 - Springtime in Texas Sale, Brenham, TX May 01, 2021 - The Cowboy Heritage Beefmaster Sale, Oklahoma City, OK May 08, 2021 - Central States BBA Sale, Locust Grove, OK
May 15, 2021 - Red River Beefmaster Female Sale, Paris, TX May 15, 2021 - Swinging B and Friends Sale, Salado, TX
May 22, 2021 - Southern Alliance Beefmaster Marketing Group Sale, Cullman, AL
June 12, 2021 - Wallen Prairie Ranch Production Sale, Lockwood, MO
June 19, 2021 - Lone Star BBA Female Sale, Sulphur Springs, TX June 26, 2021 - Clark Jones & Cottage Farm Southern Tradition xxi, Savannah, TN
July 10, 2021- Complete Dispersal San Gabriel Beefmaster, Rockdale, TX August 07, 2021 - J & T Farms 7th Production Sale, Lexington, TN
August 21, 2021 - Emmons Ranch Production Sale, Bryan, TX
August 28, 2021 - SEBBA Convention Sale, Lexington, TN September 04, 2021 - Beefmaster Breeders Harvest Sale, Location TBA September 11, 2021 - Arkansas BBA Razorback Classic, Damascus, AR
September 24, 2021 - Beef on Forage - Florida Bull Sale, Arcadia, FL September 24, 2021 - Flint Hills Classic Female Sale, Paxico, KS September 25, 2021 - 4th Annual Flint Hills Classic Bull Sale, Paxico, KS October 02, 2021 - Isa Beefmasters 60th Performance Test and Sale, San Angelo, TX October 16, 2021 - Beef on Forage Bull Sale, Brenham, TX
October 16, 2021 - Bill Carr & Others Fall Sale, Floresville, TX
November 05, 2021 - Beefmaster E6 Commercial Female Sale, McAlester, OK
Advertisers’ Index
Breeder Advertisers
Alabama
Arrow T Beefmasters..................................................................................7 D&D Beefmasters.....................................................................................32
Arkansas
Lairmore Beefmasters..............................................................................19 Heritage Cattle Company...........................................................................7 Hood Beefmasters.......................................................................................7
Idaho
Johnson Beefmasters................................................................................17
Kansas
NextGen Cattle Co....................................................................Back Cover
Kentucky
Ella Mae Farms..........................................................................................25
Louisiana
Louisiana BBA Spring Sale........................................................................9
Missouri
Berachiah Beefmasters.............................................................................20 Cedar Springs Beefmasters......................................................................29 Headings Beefmasters..............................................................................25 Midwest Beefmaster Sale.........................................................................34 Mountain View Ranch..............................................................................27 Ozark & Heart of America Spring Sale....................................................20 Wallen Prairie Ranch................................................................................31
Mississippi
4G Farm.....................................................................................................37 Cain Cattle Co...........................................................................................18
North Carolina
Adam Taylor Farms..................................................................................33
Oklahoma
Beef On Forage Texoma Sale ....................................................................3 Dance Creek Beefmasters........................................................................27 Hargis Ranch...............................................................................................4 Hood Beefmasters.......................................................................................7 Simon Creek Beefmasters..........................................................................5
Tennessee
J2 Beefmasters...........................................................................................34 Jones Beefmasters.....................................................................................35
Texas
3B Beefmasters..........................................................................................32 Arrowhead Ranch Siddons Beefmasters...................................................7 Blau Beefmasters.......................................................................................27 Buckner Polled Beefmasters......................................................................7 Buena Suerte Ranch..................................................................................20 Cate Ranch Beefmasters.............................................................................7 Collier Farms....................................................................................12 & 13 Colvin Beefmasters...................................................................................26 Dancing G’s Beefmasters.........................................................................16 Emmons Ranch.........................................................................................11 Flying B Ranches......................................................................................15 Frenzel & Meacham, LLC.........................................................................24 Golden Meadows Ranch...........................................................................14 Isa Cattle Co. Beefmasters.......................................................................21 Lone Star BBA...........................................................................................23 Red River Beefmaster Bull Sale.................................................................28 Red River Beefmaster Female Sale............................................................8 Swinging B Ranch.......................................................................................6 Whiskey River Beefmasters.....................................................................32 Wittenburg Beefmasters..........................................................................32
Industry Advertisers
AgAmerica Lending.................................................................................30 Elgin Breeding Service.............................................................................10 Norbrook...................................................................................................22
