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STATE BEEF COUNCILS
Building beef demand by inspiring, unifying and supporting an effective state/national checkoff partnership.
Councils Seek Best Beef in Tennessee and Alabama
Beef councils across the country are identifying new and unique ways of identifying and recognizing superior marketers of beef in their states. Contests have been a huge promotional tool for many state beef councils. The Tennessee Beef Industry Council, for instance, recently completed its inaugural “Tennessee’s Best Beef” contest on Facebook. The contest, which was started in June, accepted nominations from Tennesseans for restaurants they believed served the best beef in the state. The 16 restaurants garnering the most votes during the nomination period were placed into a voting bracket divided into “Steakhouses” and
“Burgers & More.” Tennesseans started voting in the brackets July 1, which was the start of Tennessee’s Beef Month. When the voting was completed, Ye Olde Steak House in Knoxville, Tenn., was declared the winner. Ye Olde Steak House has been serving great beef since 1968. “While we recognize that high-quality beef is being served across the state in many restaurants, this was a fun way to get our Facebook audience involved as we celebrated Beef Month,” according to Janna Sullivan, TBIC director of retail, foodservice and youth education. “We plan to continue the “Tennessee’s Best Beef contest each year to show support for the restaurants in the state working hard to serve delicious beef dishes to consumers.” Meanwhile, the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association is completing its Alabama Best Steak contest to help celebrate Alabama’s Beef Month in October. First conducted in 2012, the Alabama’s Best Steak contest seeks to find the restaurant that serves the best Ribeye Steak. The 2016 contest began in July, and used the power of social media during the nomination
Illinois Renovates its Beef Barn for State Fair
Young and old alike were treated to new displays with information about beef and beef production at the Illinois State Fair starting this year, thanks to the Illinois Beef Association’s new Farmers Little Helper barn. The barn was one of several at the front of the fairgrounds that help tell the story of a variety of commodities grown in Illinois, including beef. The audience for the renovated beef barn is both kids and parents who visit the fairgrounds. A winding sidewalk takes fairgoers through the beef barn and others. Beef barn displays were designed to communicate messages to fairgoers no matter how fast they pass through the barn, and have six themes: history, breeds, feeds, byproducts, environmental stewardship and human nutrition. They were designed by the national Federation Services design team in Denver and constructed by a local carpenter in Illinois. “We’re always on the lookout for ways to tell our story to today’s consumers,” according to Reid Blossom, IBA executive vice president. “Redesigning our Farmers Little Helpers building is another way IBA takes advantage of the hundreds of thousands of consumers who visit the Illinois State Fair to further deliver beef checkoff messages.” This year’s Illinois State Fair ran from Aug. 10-21.
overall winner. round to generate 250,000 impressions and 2,000 nominations identifying more than 160 “The publicity created by social media and individual restaurants. From the nominations, local newspapers really increases the number of consumers visiting these independent the “Elite 8” were announced. They competed restaurants,” according to Beasley. “A recent in a photo challenge for fans to react to their state winner said that because of the contest, favorite steakhouse’s Ribeye photo and narrow the field to the “Fiery 4” restaurants. they reached record sales of Ribeyes in January Results were “astounding,” according to following the contest, which is their slowest ACA Director of Beef Checkoff Programs Erin month of the year. This contest is definitely a great use of checkoff dollars to increase beef Beasley, as the Facebook page increased fans by more than a thousand, more than 13,000 sales in our state.” reactions to pictures were received and there was a total of more than 300,000 impressions in just one week. Judging of the top four restaurants takes place in September, with a winner announced at the kick off to October Beef Month. The top four restaurants must also share sales increases during September, which will be The Old Barn restaurant in Goshen, Ala., won the Alabama’s Best Steak a factor in determining the contest in 2015.
State Executives Give Planning Input
On behalf of state beef councils throughout the country, seven state council executives, including six members of the Federation Advisory Council, met in Denver Sept. 1 for the NCBA, FAC and Agency Partner Planning meeting. The meeting was held to discuss and review the NCBA Checkoff plan of work for fiscal year 2017, which begins Oct. 1. The FAC is comprised of executives from 10 state beef councils who provide input on national checkoff programs and help coordinate Federation of State Beef Council staff efforts at both the state and national levels. Executives attending the meeting were (standing from left) Nancy Jo Bateman, North Dakota Beef Commission; Karin Schaefer, Minnesota Beef Council; George Quackenbush, Michigan Beef Industry Commission (FAC
vice-chair); Kevin Thielen, Kansas Beef Council; and (seated, from left) Chaley Harney, Montana Beef Council; Valerie Bass, Tennessee Beef Industry Council; and Patti Brumbach, Washington State Beef Commission (FAC chair). Ann Marie Bosshamer, Nebraska Beef Council, participated via Skype. FAC members not able to attend the meeting were Bridget Bingham, Pennsylvania Beef Council; Bill Dale, California Beef Council; and Richard Wortham, Texas Beef Council. The 2017 plan will be finalized following the Beef Promotion Operating Committee meeting Sept. 13-14. NCBA serves as a contractor to the BPOC. The 20-member BPOC determines what checkoff projects will be funded, and in what amounts, subject to approval by the entire Cattlemen’s Beef Board and the USDA.
Councils to Gather for Conference State beef council staffers from all over the The Federation of State Beef Councils country will be gathering in Denver Oct. 17-19 for the Partnerships in Action Conference. Coordinated by the Federation of State Beef Councils, PIA allows state councils to gather information about the national beef checkoff program for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1, and determine how their councils will extend a coordinated state/national plan. From a Media Training 101 session, to an Issues Management Scenario Exercise, to ideas State & National
on how to educate consumers on executing a successful tailgate party, PIA is filled with programs to help beef councils move the beef demand needle. “This conference is a ‘conversation’ between state and national staff that will result in beef councils and NCBA working together toward meeting the goals of the Beef Industry Long Range Plan,” says Don Waite, senior director of Federation State Services. Last year more than 72 representatives from 32 states participated in the conference, which is held at the NCBA offices.