PRODUCER EDUCATION Creating Opportunities for Learning and Continuous Improvement
Cattle producers are continuously looking to improve everyday practices on the farm or ranch and tell their beef production story to consumers. It is more important than ever for producers to have the most up-to-date information and resources. This is where the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, Producer Education and Sustainability team comes into play. The Producer Education team oversees two Beef Checkofffunded programs, the Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program, and the Masters of Beef Advocacy (MBA) program. Additionally, the team manages the Cattlemen’s College program, Cattlemen’s Webinar Series, the Stockmanship & Stewardship program, the Rancher Resilience Grant and the development and distribution of the Integrated Resource Management Redbook. Serving as the administrator for the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef is also an important role of the team. Now let’s take a deeper dive into how these programs are serving you and how you can engage. Beef Quality Assurance The Beef Checkoff-funded national Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program, started in 1991, improves and enhances the desirability of beef by educating producers on best management practices to improve beef quality and provide consumers with a safe, wholesome and healthy beef supply. The nationally-coordinated, state-implemented program partners with BQA state coordinators
72
NATIONAL CATTLEMEN
across the country to organize and execute BQA training opportunities. Not only can producers and transporters attend in-person trainings, certification can also be accomplished in the comfort of your own home. The BQA online modules provide a way for people to get certified anytime at no-cost. The online modules take two to three hours to complete and are a convenient way to learn. Once an account is created, producers and transporters have full access to all the modules. The online system saves your progress in the module so you can easily pick up where you left off, and your account also stores your BQA certificates for easy access. The combination of training and certification modules, new partnerships for expanded reach of the BQA program, and the diligent efforts of state BQA coordinators has increased the number of documented certifications and reached hundreds of thousands of beef producers. In 2017, the BQA program formed a partnership with and began recognizing the National Milk Producer Federation’s Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) program as an equivalent to BQA certification for dairy producers. Working with the FARM program, BQA information and priorities were added to the FARM 3.0 evaluation as well as a new annual Employee Training requirement. BQA training, as well as other dairy specific quality assurance training programs, satisfies this requirement. The NCBA Producer Education team continues to work with FARM to develop sector relevant training resources. Also in 2017, BQA established a partnership with the Youth for
DIRECTIONS 2021
