GW VIEW FROM THE BOARD
Doing Our Part By Dan McCarty
“Everybody works for somebody. Me, I work for everybody in these United States that steps into a butcher’s shop for a T-bone steak…” - John Wayne in McLintock!
A
The list of consumer demands and desires has continued to grow as an evolving consumer has more disposable income and more free time to think about things like the environment and carbon footprints. Grass-fed, organic, humanely raised, all-natural, sustainably produced, locally sourced, antibiotic and hormone free–these are just a few of the attributes that certain segments of consumers now look for when making purchasing decisions. Once again, the industry took those market signals and now you can find products with several, if not all these label claims in nearly every store in the county.
lthough the movie is nearly sixty years old, the character played by The Duke understood his place in the beef supply chain and the importance of the consumer. The advent of social media has certainly put a spotlight on the need for production agriculture Across the county, May is celebrated as Beef Month, to connect with consumers. Some even make it sound and this provides a great opportunity for producers to like this is a new idea, the spread the message to consumers about sentiment started not long after the positives of beef and beef production. the Great Depression when t doesn’t matter Not only do our cattle convert grass to many Americans migrated to a naturally nutrient-rich food providing if you are a junior suburban areas looking for high quality protein, iron, zinc and with one heifer or work and the number of people B-vitamins, but we can also celebrate directly involved in production the largest Gelbvieh our impact on rural communities and agriculture declined rapidly. the nation’s economy. Cattle production
I
breeder in the county,
Just like any business that sells also provides open space, wildlife habitat we all play a part in a product or service, progress and nutrient cycling. Additionally, the in the beef business has evolved by products from cattle processing are the beef supply chain... from consumer signals to the included in nearly every consumable market. The push for increased product we utilize in our daily lives. carcass quality over the past several decades was a direct It doesn’t matter if you are a junior with one heifer response to the desire for a more consistent, higher or the largest Gelbvieh breeder in the county, we all quality eating experience by consumers. In response, play a part in the beef supply chain and are ultimately cattle producers put more emphasis on carcass traits responsible for the beef product we provide. We are the and began to utilize carcass data included in EPDs experts. Take time this month to actively participate in in selection criteria. Because of that, progress was promoting our product or dispelling the myths activists made relatively fast and prime beef production, which use when arguing against livestock production. It doesn’t historically accounted for 2% to 3% of all fed beef, has have to be anything complicated or highly organized. increased to between 6% and 8% and continues to grow. We all have that friend that texts us from a steak house asking what cut they should order. Answer that text and thank them for choosing beef! F
6 | MAY 2021
