December 2014 National Cattlemen

N A T I O N A L

CATTLEMEN The trusted leader and definitive voice of the beef industry

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF NCBA

December 2014 • Vol. 31, No. 3 • BeefUSA.org

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The balance of power has shifted in Congress, which could to bring positive news for the cattle industry. The House has passed more than 384 bills that have yet to see the light of day in the Senate. A number of these bills are critical for the cattle industry, covering issues such as tax reform, grazing rights, and the EPA’s proposed “Waters of the United States” rule.

This kind of deadlock threatens the livelihood of cattle producers across the country, and had the Senate been able to take up even one of these issues, the agriculture industry would be in a better state moving into 2015.

Rural America called for the much needed change and as evidenced by the elections in November, the voices of cattlemen and women were heard. Cattle producers have contributed $930,000 this year to the PAC, which gives them stronger voice in Washington D.C. NCBA’s PAC had a 92.7 percent success rate this election cycle, the highest success rate ever.

We have several successes to celebrate: • In Colorado, Republican Cory Gardner defeated incumbent Senator Mark Udall, by 2.5 percentage points. Gardner has

worked with NCBA on a host of issues in his tenure in the House, and now cattlemen are excited to see him in the newly republicancontrolled Senate.

• Joni Ernst of Iowa, often remembered for her humorous and truthful campaign ads comparing Washington D.C. to a hog farm, defeated Congressman Braley by 8.5 percentage points. Ernst grew up on a hog farm in Iowa, and will be the first female Iraq War Veteran in the Senate. Ernst supports federal tax reform, a balanced budget, and is critical of the interpretation of the Clean Water Act as it is applied to farms and ranches.

• Steve Daines of Montana won handily for the open seat previously held by Democrat Max Baucus. NCBA-PAC supported Daines early in his race, as he has been an ally of NCBA during his time in the House.

Having lived in and worked in China for six years, Daines understands the importance of trade and has worked to foster our international trade markets.

Continued on page 4

By Chase Adams, NCBA Director of Communications and Shawna Newsome, NCBA Manager of Communications While 2014 turned out to be a strong rebuilding year for much of the cattle industry, we saw a number of our policy priorities stalled due largely to the buildup to the election and the regulatory zeal of this administration. While the drought receded from much of cattle country, hard hit for so many years, we saw new areas face difficult conditions. Thankfully a strong market helped mitigate these effects for many producers.

On the regulatory front, much of this year was spent combating EPA over their “waters of the United States” proposed rule and urging our membership, and landowners nationwide, to submit comments. The proposed rule redefines the jurisdiction of EPA and the Army Corps to include almost all waters, regardless of flow. This is not only a mammoth land grab by the agencies, and immense increase in their administrative authority, it renders the Natural Resource Conservation Service a regulatory Continued on page 18

2014 A Year of Greater Regulatory Creep

Wishing

You Happy Holidays and a

prosperous New Y ear from the staff

at NCBA

MARKET SNAPSHOT WEEK ENDING 11/15/2014 (prices vs. year ago)

IN THIS ISSUE

LIVE FED STEERS

8

SOUTH CENTRAL 500-600 LB. STEERS $275.12

Market Matters

10

Federation News

12

Leadership Comments

2

Management

$167.53

CHOICE BOXED BEEF $250.81

OMAHA CASH CORN $3.55

35%

27%

24%

14%

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2 NATIONAL CATTLEMEN

www.BeefUSA.org

Tax Stability

The Future of the Checkoff

By Forrest Roberts, NCBA CEO

I saw a bumper sticker on the back of a truck last week that said, “If you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention.” That seems to apply to a number of topics in this day and age.

NCBA’s government affairs team spends a great deal of time and effort pushing back on a government that seems bent on having its way with production agriculture. Beef producers are no strangers to this administration’s attempts to pass burdensome regulations that impact our ability to operate responsibly. But the recent announcement by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack that he’s seeking input on the creation of a second beef checkoff should concern America’s beef producers.

Since 1985, the Beef Checkoff Program, which is directed by cattlemen and women for the sole benefit of our industry, has successfully promoted beef and directed research to the benefit of those who invest in the effort. Promotion of “Beef, it’s what’s for dinner,” has ensured our product is the most recognized and desired protein on menus and plates around the globe. Independent studies have demonstrated that the Beef Checkoff Program is returning $11.20 per dollar

N A T I O N A L

CATTLEMEN

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF NCBA President Bob McCan President-elect Philip Ellis Vice President Tracy Brunner Federation Division Chair Cevin Jones Federation Division Vice-Chair Jennifer Houston Policy Division Chair Craig Uden Policy Division Vice-Chair Kevin Kester Immediate Past President Scott George Chief Executive Officer Forrest Roberts Senior Editor Associate Editor Contributing Writers

John Robinson Brittany Schaneman Bob McCan Walt Barnhart Todd Johnson Forrest Roberts Chase Adams Shawna Newsome Candace Weeda

Creative Director Don Waite Graphic Designer Sharon Murano For ad sales, contact Jill DeLucero or Samantha Murnin at 303-694-0305.

Contact NCBA: 9110 E. Nichols Ave., Suite 300, Centennial, CO 80112 (303-694-0305); Washington D.C.: 1301 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Suite 300, Washington, D.C. 20004 (202-347-0228).

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association reserves the right to refuse advertising in any of its publications. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association does not accept political advertising in any of its publications. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association does not accept any advertising promoting third-party lawsuits that have not been endorsed by the board of directors.

invested and nearly four of five producers support the program.

Those tangible results are a direct result of the beef checkoff program and the committed volunteers from the beef community who are responsible for making funding decisions and managing the funds invested in the program.

Furthermore, consumer demand remains strong today despite recordhigh prices.

Now, Secretary Vilsack has launched a crusade to provide political payback and a second layer of bureaucracy in the form of a cumbersome and confusing secondary checkoff assessment. Rather than allowing the Beef Checkoff Enhancement Working Group to continue its efforts to reach a consensus about what farmers and ranchers really want, Secretary Vilsack has decided to move ahead with his own plan to gather input about the creation of a second checkoff assessment under the 1996 Act. Let’s be clear here. Secretary Vilsack wants to gather another dollar from beef producers and create additional bureaucracy to decide how it should be spent under the 1996 generic checkoff act. Under that program, which Congress passed more than a decade after the Beef Checkoff was created, there is no requirement that cattlemen and women have a say in how funds should be managed.

There is no guarantee that there will be a voice for state beef councils. There is no promise that members of Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) or others who mean our industry harm will be kept off the board. There is only the guarantee that the government will have a greater say over how checkoff dollars are invested.

This administration has made it clear they are no friend of the beef industry.

The beef checkoff may not be perfect, but cattlemen and women control the process for themselves. Now the administration is looking to remove that grassroots voice that determines how beef research and promotion activities are conducted. If you liked Obamacare, you’ll love the Obama beef checkoff.

Join host Kevin Ochsner each week as he brings you the latest industry news, market trends and producer profiles from across the country.

Tue. – 8:30 p.m. — RFD-TV Sat. – 9:00 a.m. — RFD-TV (All times are Eastern)

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Beltway Beef Audio

important economic drivers of the rural economy in America.

The investment in our operations that allows us to even out our cash flow has a direct benefit in the country. Increasing bonus depreciation to encourage greater investment in equipment and infrastructure will help drive expansion and profitability for businesses across America.

The relationships NCBA has established with members of Congress are extremely important to our industry and our future. If you followed the election results last month, you saw a sweeping change as the Republicans gained a majority in the Senate. Those results were good news for rural America.

It was also good news for NCBA’s Political Action Committee (NCBA-PAC) which supported a good number of candidates, both Democrat and Republican, who won their elections this fall. More than 90 percent of the candidates supported

by NCBA-PAC went on to win or retain their seat in Congress. That support and the fact that our voices are being heard in the country and in Washington, D.C., are crucial to our continued success in advocating for our interests.

If you haven’t taken the time to join NCBA-PAC, please take a moment and support our efforts in Washington.

Regardless of your level of contribution, every member of PAC strengthens our work on Capitol Hill and helps us protect the future of our industry. We’ve set an ambitious goal of $1.25 million for the election cycle and with your help. I am confident we can reach that goal. To join NCBA-PAC and make a contribution, visit BeefUSA.org and click on the ‘Political Action’ tab.

For those of you joining us in San Antonio at the Cattle Industry Annual Convention and NCBA Trade Show, we hope you’ll make plans to attend the new PAC fundraiser: the Tequila and Tacos Surprise Party on Feb. 6, 2015.

Watch NEW episodes of NCBA’s Cattlemen to Cattlemen every Tuesday night!

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Cattlemen and women don’t often go to Congress asking for things. Generally speaking, we only asked to be left to our own devices to produce beef in a responsible manner with as little regulation as possible. When we ask for something from our allies in Congress, there’s usually a good reason for it. In this case, there are important tax extenders on the table that are important to farmers and ranchers and a stable tax landscape is important for our industry as we make decisions about the year ahead.

Stability is hard to come by and that applies to small businesses of all kinds, across nearly every segment of American industry. To be successful, cattlemen and women need to understand the business environment. Farmers and ranchers rely on a stable and predictable tax code in order to plan purchases, make investments and grow their businesses.

We are already at the eleventh hour for tax planning, and it is incredibly important that Congress pass these extenders as quickly as possible.

Last month in a letter to Congress, on behalf of NCBA members, we asked that members work to secure passage of language which would address Section 179 Small Business Expensing and Bonus Depreciation. These provisions allow businesses to maximize investments in years they have positive cash flow, by taking a greater depreciation amount upfront rather than follow the standard schedule. Set at $500,000 in 2013, the maximum amount a small business can currently deduct under Section 179 is $25,000.

There aren’t many years like the one we’ve just seen in the cattle business and our members need Congress to examine the tax issues which affect us most. Section 179 is one of those topics where we need rapid action. Farmers and ranchers are some of the most

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© 2014 National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. All rights reserved. The contents of this magazine may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or part, without the prior written consent of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

www.BeefUSA.org

By Bob McCan, NCBA President

4 NATIONAL CATTLEMEN

www.BeefUSA.org

Recent Poll Identifies Opportunity to Improve Farm Safety A quick call to 811 can save downtime, repair costs, fines…and lives Despite knowing there is risk in digging, a study conducted by Enbridge in April this year shows nearly 71 percent of farmers and ranchers have never called 811 to have pipelines marked before beginning a digging project, putting themselves and their operation at risk.

The survey suggests misconceptions about the 811 service discourage farmers from making the call. For example, two-thirds of farmers are aware of the 811 service, which marks pipelines on property. Of those who do know about the service, more than half don’t know the call is free and provides pipeline markings that are valid for up to three weeks.

Survey data suggests farmers are aware of the risks associated with hitting buried lines — specifically the potential to ignite oil or gas released from pipelines and put operations and lives at risk — yet only 29 percent of polled farmers have ever used the service. Of those, less than half always use it.

“I was raised on a farm, and I know that farmers know their land well,” said Kesley Tweed, partnerships and public awareness manager for Enbridge.

“However, I also know that farmers want to make sure they’re doing everything they can to protect their family and employees. This survey showed Enbridge that there are misconceptions about pipelines and the 811 service that we hope to clear up, allowing farmers and others to work safely around pipelines.”

“I found this poll eye-opening,” said Kerry Puckett, Vice President of Natural Gas Engineering and Operations. “We hope that by clearing up misperceptions,

farmers along our pipelines will think twice and take a few minutes to call 811, have lines marked, and play it safe — for the safety of themselves, their family, the community and the well-being of their operation.”

Among the common misperceptions, a majority (64 percent) were unaware that lines can be as shallow as 18 inches or less. (The depth of pipelines can vary due to erosion, digging projects, including plowing and tilling activities, and other factors.) Also, lines can be marked one-to-three days after the initial call and markings are valid for up to three weeks.

The big picture According to the Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, more than 2.6 million miles of pipelines deliver energy across the United States. In 2013, digging accidents contributed to the loss of nearly 25,000 barrels of oil, while also damaging farm property.

In 2013, Enbridge data identified four pipeline strikes resulting from agriculture-related digging and seven close encounters. Tweed said, “Those numbers may seem low to some people.

But at Enbridge, we feel that one accident is too many – particularly when it could have been prevented with a call to 811.”

Agriculture-related pipeline incidents may be caused by projects ranging from fence installation to ditching and trenching, to cleaning out ponds. The study showed that 93 percent of farmers plan digging projects in advance, providing time to call the required 2-3 business days in advance.

According to the Common Ground Alliance’s annual Damage Information Report, 99 percent of digging projects that are preceded by a call to have lines marked are completed without incident.

Using 811 Calling 811 is free and can be completed from anywhere in the country a few days prior to digging. The call will be transferred to a local One Call Center.

The operator will ask for information on where the digging will occur and what type of work will be done. They will then inform local utility companies about the intent to dig. Following the call, a locator will come to the specified site to mark the location of underground lines, pipes and cables so the caller will be well informed and able to dig safely.

Although state laws require operators to mark the lines 2-3 business days in advance, the process typically takes one to three days to complete from the time of the call. In addition to the 811 toll-free telephone number, some states now offer online one-call requests. Visit call811.com for more information.

About Enbridge Enbridge Energy Partners, L.P. owns and operates a diversified portfolio of crude oil and, through its interests in Midcoast Energy Partners, L.P. (“Midcoast Partners”), natural gas transportation systems in the United States. Its principal crude oil system is the largest pipeline transporter of growing oil production from western Canada and the North Dakota Bakken formation. The system’s deliveries to refining centers and connected carriers in the United States account for approximately 17 percent of total U.S. oil imports. Midcoast Partners’ natural gas gathering, treating, processing and transmission assets, which are principally located onshore in the active U.S. Mid-Continent and Gulf Coast areas, deliver approximately 2.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas daily. Enbridge Partners is recognized

by Forbes as one of the 100 Most Trustworthy Companies in America.

2014 Election

Continued from page 1 • Elise Stefanik, the youngest member of Congress, won the open seat of Bill Owens, Democrat from New York. After graduating from Harvard, Stefanik worked for the Bush Administration on the Domestic Policy Council for three years. Most recently she served as Director of Vice Presidential Debate Prep, overseeing all preparations for Republican Vice President nominee Paul Ryan before returning home to work for her family’s plywood business.

• Mia Love won the open seat of Congressman Matheson from Utah by 3.5 percent. Love supports multi-use approach to public lands and believes the state of Utah is better positioned to make decisions that affect the land than the federal government.

• Greg Walden of Oregon won reelection easily by 46.2 percent. As chairman of the Republican Congressional Committee, Walden is tasked with raising funds to be allocated for Republican congressional candidates running for election or reelection. Walden works with PLC and NCBA on many issues pertaining to federal lands and natural resources.

Unfortunately, there are a few faces we regrettably won’t see in D.C. come January.

Representative Steve Southerland has been a champion for the cattle industry on a number of issues. Most recently, the Florida Representative introduced legislation that would halt any movement on the EPA and Army Corps’ proposed Waters of the United States rule. Southerland lost his re-election by .08 of a point to Gwen Graham.

In Georgia, Blue Dog Democrat John Barrow lost his reelection to Rick Allen. Barrow served on the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee.

Multi-term member from Nebraska Lee Terry lost his reelection to Democrat Brad Ashford.

Terry also served on the Energy and Commerce Committee.

We’re closely watching the recount of the race between a strong supporter of the cattle industry and small business, Mr. Jim Costa of California, and Republican opponent Johnny Tacherra. Costa has worked closely with NCBA for years on key issues including tax and trade. Results are expected soon, and we hope to see Mr Costa in D.C. again in January.

ALLIED INDUSTRY DIRECTORY

These are companies that have teamed with NCBA as allied industry members, demonstrating their commitment to the beef industry. Their involvement strengthens our future.

NCBA members are urged to support these partners in turn by purchasing their products and services. Those who would like to become allied industry partners with NCBA (securing a premium booth placement at the next annual convention and trade show), please call the Association Marketing team at 303-694-0305.

GOLD LEVEL SPONSORS (Minimum $100,000 Investment) Bayer www.bayer-ah.com

Central Life Sciences www.centrallifesciences.com

Merck Animal Health www.merck-animal-health.com

Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. www.bi-vetmedica.com

Dow AgroSciences, LLC www.dowagro.com

Merial www.merial.com

John Deere www.deere.com

Micro Beef Technologies www.microbeef.com

Caterpillar www.cat.com

New Holland www.newholland.com Purina Animal Nutrition LLC www.cattlenutrition.com RAM www.ramtrucks.com Zoetis Animal Health www.zoetis.com

ALLIED INDUSTRY COUNCIL AgriLabs Animal Health International

BASF Corporation Case IH

Elanco Animal Health Farm Credit

Novartis Animal Health U.S., Inc. Y-Tex

ALLIED INDUSTRY PARTNERS ADM Alliance Nutrition, Inc. Agricultural Engineering Associates Agri-Pro Enterprises of Iowa, Inc. Alltech, Inc. American Hereford Association AniTrace APC , Inc. Bank of America Merrill Lynch Barenbrug Beef Magazine Bimeda Certified Angus Beef Certified Hereford Beef CME Group Covidien Diamond V DuPont

Greeley Hat Works Grow Safe Systems, Ltd Hartford Livestock Insurance Huvepharma, Inc. IMI Global, Inc. IMMVAC Kent Nutrition Group, Inc. Kunafin “The Insectary” Laird Manufacturing Lallemand Animal Nutrition Meat & Livestock Australia, Ltd. Midwest PMS, Inc. Miraco/Gallagher Moly Manufacturing Monsanto

Neogen Corporation Noble Foundation Norbrook Nova Microbial Technologies Novus International Nutrition Physiology Co., LLC Parnell PBS Animal Health Phibro Animal Health Pioneer, A DuPont Business Priefert Manufacturing Company Prima Tech Quali Tech, Inc. Quality Liquid Feeds Rabo AgriFinance Ridley Block Operations

Ritchie Industries Inc. Roper/Stetson Roto-Mix SmartLic Supplement — Feed In A Drum Stone Manufacturing Tarter Farm & Ranch Equipment Temple Tag, Inc. The Vit-E-Men Co. Inc./Life Products Tru-Test U.S. Premium Beef Varied Industries Corp.

Verdesian Life Sciences Vigortone Ag Products Yara North America Z Tags North America Zinpro Corporation

PRODUCT COUNCIL MEMBERS American Foods Group Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc./ARCOP, Inc. Beef Products Inc. Cargill Meat Solutions Darden Restaurants Fareway Stores, Inc.

H-E-B

National Beef Packing

JBS

Nebraska Beef Packing

Lobel’s of New York

Outback Steakhouse

McDonald’s Corporation

Performance Food Group

Meyer Natural Foods

Preferred Beef Group

Safeway Sam Kane Beef Processors SuKarne Tyson Fresh Meats Wendy’s International Yerecic Label Company

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1 2015 350/3500 pickups. With available Cummins® Diesel when properly equipped. 2 Based on available 2015 6.4L gas V8. 3 See dealer for copy of Limited Warranty. 4 Includes $500 On The Job Upfit Bonus Cash Allowance on 2014 and 2015 Ram Commercial vehicles (Ram 1500 Tradesman model only). Must take delivery by 1/5/15. See dealer for On The Job incentive details and eligibility requirements. Ram, Tradesman, BusinessLink & Design and On The Job & Design are registered trademarks of Chrysler Group LLC. Cummins is a registered trademark of Cummins Inc.

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6 NATIONAL CATTLEMEN

www.BeefUSA.org

GRSB Releases Global Principles and Criteria for Sustainable Beef The Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (GRSB) membership has overwhelmingly approved global Principles and Criteria for defining sustainable beef and sustainable beef production practices.

Members of the global beef community, including NCBA and others from the U.S. beef community, have worked on this collaborative effort for more than a yearand-a-half to identify and define the core principles for sustainable beef production and delivery.

“Arriving at a common definition, which includes five core principles and detailed criteria for sustainable beef, has been a difficult task and one which took a lot of hours and a great deal of negotiation,” said Ruaraidh “Rory” Petre, GRSB executive director during the Global Conference on Sustainable Beef in São Paulo, Brazil last month. “Our members are to be commended for their commitment to finding common ground and identifying a clear path forward as we work to improve the sustainability of the global beef chain.”

GRSB defines sustainable beef as a socially responsible, environmentally sound and economically viable product that prioritizes Planet (relevant principles: Natural Resources, Efficiency and Innovation, People and the Community); People (relevant principles: People and the Community and Food); Animals (relevant principle: Animal Health and Welfare, Efficiency and Innovation); and Progress (relevant principles: Natural Resources, People and the Community, Animal Health and Welfare, Food, Efficiency and Innovation).

“The passage of a global definition for sustainable beef is truly a momentous achievement, not only for GRSB members, but for the entire global beef value chain,” said Cameron Bruett, GRSB president. “This definition provides a common platform

PRODUCT INFORMATION NADA 141-334, Approved by FDA.

048539 R10

18%

Injectable Solution for Cattle ANTIMICROBIAL DRUG 180 mg of tildipirosin/mL For subcutaneous injection in beef and non-lactating dairy cattle only.

Not for use in female dairy cattle 20 months of age or older or in calves to be processed for veal.

Forrest Roberts, NCBA CEO discusses U.S. beef industry sustainability efforts during the Global Conference on Sustainable Beef in São Paulo, Brazil last month.

and consistent approach to discuss the economic, social and environmental issues we face irrespective of the region of the world one might be located.”

Defining sustainable beef and beef production practices has required the dedication of GRSB members and external experts from each sector of the beef production chain, from cowcalf producers to retailers. GRSB’s unique approach also included input from representatives of several nongovernmental organizations, civil society, processors, allied industry and regional roundtables throughout the value chain.

Bruett pointed out that more than 96 percent of the GRSB General Assembly members voted in favor of the definition, principles and criteria. Every one of the five constituencies – producer, commerce and processing, retail, civil society, and regional and national roundtables voted to approve the definition.

“GRSB’s definition provides clarity to

The National Cattlemen’s Foundation Presents CME Beef Industry Scholarship Sponsored by

Ten scholarships of $1,500 will be awarded to outstanding students who are pursuing careers in the beef industry.

For additional information and to apply today, visit www.nationalcattlemensfoundation.org or call 303-694-0305

The National Cattlemen’s Foundation advances the future of the beef industry with passion and urgency.

discussions about sustainability that have been nebulous in the past,” said Bruett. “It is our expectation that the Principles and Criteria will better enable members of our value chain to discuss beef sustainability clearly and identify the next steps in our collective journey of continuous improvement. If we are successful, each one of these steps will ultimately build consumer trust in our production practices, our products and our positive contributions to society.”

Bruett says the next steps for GRSB will include working with regional and national roundtables to identify areas where improvements and efficiencies can be achieved. He also explained that nothing about GRSB’s work was meant to create a standard or mandate for how beef should be produced in any region or country.

“We know that mandated practices or a single, ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to beef production will not work for our members around the globe,” said Bruett.

“Instead, it is our intention to work with the regional and national roundtables as they identify locally-focused solutions to meet the unique challenges they face in their region. We view our work as an exercise in empowerment, where people on the ground, who have a vested interest in the success of their industry, their ecosystem and their community can achieve results that are relevant locally and meaningful globally.”

For more information on GRSB and its work, visit GRSBeef.org.

Applications Now Open for 2015-2016 CME Beef Industry Scholarship Next year marks the 26th Anniversary of the CME Beef Industry Scholarships. Ten scholarships of $1,500 each will be awarded in 2015 to outstanding students who are pursuing beef industry careers in fields such as: education, communications, production, research and other areas.

The purpose of this program is to identify and encourage talented and thoughtful students who will emerge as industry leaders.

Applicants must be a graduating high school senior or full-time undergraduate student enrolled at a two- or four-year institution for the 2015-2016 school year. They must have demonstrated a commitment to a career in the beef industry through classes, internships or life experiences.

Previous scholarship winners are eligible to apply in subsequent years.

For additional information and to apply today, visit www.nationalcattlemensfoundation.org or call Sara Arp at 303-694-0305.

CAUTION: Federal (USA) law restricts this drug to use by or on the order of a licensed veterinarian.

BRIEF SUMMARY: for full prescribing information use package insert.

INDICATIONS: Zuprevo ™ 18% is indicated for the treatment of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) associated with Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida, and Histophilus somni in beef and non-lactating dairy cattle, and for the control of respiratory disease in beef and non-lactating dairy cattle at high risk of developing BRD associated with M. haemolytica, P. multocida, and H. somni.

WARNINGS: FOR USE IN ANIMALS ONLY. NOT FOR HUMAN USE. KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN. TO AVOID ACCIDENTAL INJECTION, DO NOT USE IN AUTOMATICALLY POWERED SYRINGES WHICH HAVE NO ADDITIONAL PROTECTION SYSTEM. IN CASE OF HUMAN INJECTION, SEEK MEDICAL ADVICE IMMEDIATELY AND SHOW THE PACKAGE INSERT OR LABEL TO THE PHYSICIAN. Avoid direct contact with skin and eyes. If accidental eye exposure occurs, rinse eyes with clean water. If accidental skin exposure occurs, wash the skin immediately with soap and water. Tildipirosin may cause sensitization by skin contact.

For technical assistance or to report a suspected adverse reaction, call: 1-800-219-9286.

For customer service or to request a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS), call: 1-800-2113573. For additional Zuprevo 18% information go to www.zuprevo.com.

For a complete listing of adverse reactions for Zuprevo 18% reported to CVM see: http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/ SafetyHealth.

DO NOT USE ZUPREVO 18% IN SWINE. Fatal adverse events have been reported following the use of tildipirosin in swine. NOT FOR USE IN CHICKENS OR TURKEYS. RESIDUE WARNING: Cattle intended for human consumption must not be slaughtered within 21 days of the last treatment. Do not use in female dairy cattle 20 months of age or older. Use of this drug product in these cattle may cause milk residues. A withdrawal period has not been established in preruminating calves. Do not use in calves to be processed for veal.

PRECAUTIONS: The effects of Zuprevo 18% on bovine reproductive performance, pregnancy and lactation have not been determined.

Swelling and inflammation, which may be severe, may be seen at the injection site after administration.

Subcutaneous injection may result in local tissue reactions which persist beyond the slaughter withdrawal period. This may result in trim loss of edible tissue at slaughter.

Made in Germany Distributed by: Intervet Inc d/b/a Merck Animal Health, Summit, NJ 07901 Copyright © 2011, Intervet Inc., a subsidiary of Merck & Co. All rights reserved.

52122 NatlCtlmn_Zup_Stkr_Prod_TabPg_Nov.indd 2

10/3/14

Choose the BRD treatment that gets him back to the herd sooner.

Defeat BRD with ZuprevoTM (tildipirosin), the treatment experts count on for rapid absorption and extended duration.* Ask your veterinarian to prescribe Zuprevo for BRD treatment.

Learn more at merck-animal-health-usa.com.

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IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION FOR USE IN ANIMALS ONLY. NOT FOR HUMAN USE. KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN. TO AVOID ACCIDENTAL INJECTION, DO NOT USE IN AUTOMATICALLY POWERED SYRINGES WHICH HAVE NO ADDITIONAL PROTECTION SYSTEM. IN CASE OF HUMAN INJECTION, SEEK MEDICAL ADVICE IMMEDIATELY AND SHOW THE PACKAGE INSERT OR LABEL TO THE PHYSICIAN. DO NOT USE Zuprevo™ 18% IN SWINE. Fatal adverse events have been reported following the use of tildipirosin in swine. NOT FOR USE IN CHICKENS OR TURKEYS. Cattle intended for human consumption must not be slaughtered within 21 days of the last treatment. Do not use in female dairy cattle 20 months of age or older. A withdrawal period has not been established in pre-ruminating calves. Do not use in calves to be processed for veal.

The effects of Zuprevo™ 18% on bovine reproductive performance, pregnancy and lactation have not been determined. Swelling and inflammation, which may be severe, may be seen at the injection site after administration. Subcutaneous injection may result in local tissue reactions which persist beyond slaughter withdrawal period. This may result in trim loss of edible tissue at slaughter. * Menge, M. et al., Pharmacokinetics of tildipirosin in bovine plasma, lung tissue, and bronchial fluid [from live, non-anesthetized cattle].

The correlation between in vitro susceptibility data and clinical effectiveness is unknown.

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52122 NatlCtlmn_Zup_Stkr_Prod_TabPg_Nov.indd 1

10/3/14 3:59 PM

8 NATIONAL CATTLEMEN

www.BeefUSA.org

Management

Self-fed Supplements Provide Nutritional Benefits for Cattle

By John Paterson, Executive Director of Education During the late summer and early fall months, range grasses are deficient in both crude protein and energy for cows in lactation. Because of limited forage quantity and (or) quality, supplemental feeding of protein-energy, minerals and vitamins is practiced by the producer. The overarching goal of supplementing beef cattle is to provide nutrients that are lacking in the basal diet and to increase the intake and digestibility of lower quality forages and crop residues. It is evident that reproduction is impacted the most by nutrient deficiencies.

Table 1 summarizes the consequences of inadequate intake of energy, protein, vitamin A and phosphorus by beef cattle and lays the foundation as to why supplementation is often necessary.

Commercially available self-fed products are nutritionally balanced to provide not only supplemental protein but also vitamins, and macro and trace minerals. Self-fed supplements can be provided in several different forms such as liquid, pressed blocks, chemical blocks and low moisture blocks. Depending on the rancher’s specific

requirement, supplements can also be formulated to provide additional ingredients such as fats, ionophores, coccidiostats, complexed minerals and antibiotics.

New Mexico State University researchers attempted to determine which supplemental protein delivery system would be selected by a rancher based upon (A) formulation cost, (B) labor and delivery costs or (C) flexibility in feeding location.

The authors ranked a dry supplement delivery number one when considering cost of formulation and flexibility in feeding location (Table 2), but liquid feeds were ranked number one when labor and delivery costs were a major concern by the producer.

Montana State University researchers reported that the most purchased to least purchased protein supplements were: a dry supplement; 2) tub supplement; 3) alfalfa or grass hay; 4) grain only; 5) liquid supplement and 6) a coproduct feedstuff.

A summary derived from numerous experiments at Kansas State University showed that supplements containing between 25 and 35 percent crude protein (CP) were most effective for stimulating forage consumption compared to lower protein supplements.

Table 1

Influence of Inadequate Dietary Nutrient Intake on Reproduction in Beef Cattle Nutrient Consumption

Reproductive Consequence

Inadequate Energy Intake

• Delayed puberty, suppressed estrus and ovulation, suppressed libido and spermatozoa production • Suppressed estrus, low conception, fetal resorption, premature parturition, weak offspring • Impaired spermatogenesis, anestrous, low conception, abortion, weak offspring, retained placenta • Anestrus, irregular estrus

Inadequate Protein Intake Vitamin A Deficiency Phosphorus Deficiency

2015 E

nvironmental

Kansas State workers compared two levels of CP (14.4 vs. 27.5 percent) in a cooked molasses block and found that gains were better when heifers consumed the 27.5 percent protein block compared to the 14.4 percent protein block or no block on a prairie grass hay based diet. Similarly, forage intake was highest for heifers supplemented with the high protein block.

Self-Fed Supplements and Grazing Distribution A Montana State University study (Bailey et al. (2003)) showed that low moisture blocks could be used to improve the uniformity of grazing on rangeland compared to handfeeding of range cake. Results of this study showed cows grazed higher terrain when supplemented with blocks compared to cows which were hand-fed the range cake. Although the cost of the range cake was significantly lower than the low moisture block, travel and labor costs were much higher for the range cake. The total costs of supplementation favored the block compared to the range cake.

Summary The constant challenge for the cow-calf producer is to match forage nutrients with

animal requirements. Often, because there is not synchrony between these two as well as conditions of drought, supplemental feedstuffs are required to maintain productivity (lactation, body condition, growth of the calf).

It has been shown that diets low in protein have resulted in weak calves at parturition.

A forage and water analysis is critical to determining how well the forage resource meets the nutrient requirements of the gestating cow and replacement heifer.

• Producers often provide self-fed supplements to prevent a decline in reproduction caused by inadequate forage quantity and/or quality.

• Self-fed supplements are provided in a variety of forms. Usage depends upon issues such as flexibility of formulation, labor and delivery cost and placement limitations in a pasture or on range.

• When travel and labor costs are included in the total cost of a supplementation program, self-fed supplements can be less expensive than hand-fed supplements.

• Higher protein supplements (~30 percent) consistently increase intake and digestibility of lower quality forage.

Table 2

Ranking (1=Best) of Different Forms of Supplement Delivery Systems Based on Three Criteria (Sawyer And Mathis, 2000) A. Flexibility of least cost formulation 1. Cubes or meals 2. Pressed blocks 3. Hardened molasses blocks 4. Liquid feeds

S

B. Labor and delivery costs 1. Liquid feeds, dealer filling feeders 2. Hardened molasses blocks 3. Small package meals (e.g. minerals) 4. Pressed blocks 5. Hand-fed cubes

tewardship

C. Flexibility in feeding location 1. Cubes 2. Small package meals 3. Blocks (any type) 4. Liquids 5. Large package meals (protein or energy)

A

ward

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10 NATIONAL CATTLEMEN

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Cattle Producers Need to be Prepared for a Harsh Winter

By Don Day, Jr., Meteorologist Editor’s Note: NCBA members can read weekly updates from meteorologist Don Day Jr. by logging onto www.BeefUSA.org.

It was a memorable November for many cattle producers across the lower 48 states. After a very mild October for most of the nation, November roared in like a lion bringing record cold temperatures and record snow.

Some of the weather highlights in November were quite amazing, especially considering that technically November is not the true start of winter for many areas of the United States.

Record cold temperatures that stood over 100 years were broken in Idaho. At one time over 50 percent of the Continental United States had snow on the ground at the earliest time in over a decade. Residents of the Great Lakes saw early ice on Lake Superior and nearly seven feet of snow accumulated near Buffalo, NY in only 24 hours!

Needless to say, the severity of November has many dreading the hard core winter months of December, January and February, and for good reason as there are indications that there may very well be more cold and snow coming for cattle producers across many areas of the country this winter season.

Many of the key drivers to the very cold weather and snow that many experienced in the winter of 2012/2013 are in place this winter (in addition to a few other features as well).

One of the major features of last winter was an area of warmer than normal water temperatures in the northeast Pacific. While not as warm or as extensive as last winter, there is still a warm pocket of water in the same

Ag Groups Urge Congress to Act on Tax Extenders

Last month, a number of agricultural groups including NCBA and the Public Lands Council, sent a letter to House and Senate leadership urging both houses to act on expired tax policies before the end of the year. NCBA President and Victoria, Texas cattleman, Bob McCan says this is a vital issue not just for agriculture, but for all businesses.

“Producers rely on a stable and predictable tax code in order to plan purchases, make investments and grow their business,” said McCan. “We are already at the eleventh hour for tax planning, and it is incredibly important that Congress pass these extenders as quickly as possible.”

Specifically, the letter asked Congress to focus on Section 179 small business expensing and bonus depreciation. These provisions allow businesses to maximize investments in years where they have positive cash flow, by taking a greater depreciation amount upfront rather than follow the standard schedule. Set at $500,000 in 2013, the maximum amount a small business can currently deduct under Section 179 is $25,000.

“Agriculture relies heavily on large investments in machinery, equipment and other depreciable assets,” said McCan. “And these tax provisions encourage cattlemen and women to make purchases and invest in expansion of their business, in turn investing in the expansion of rural America.”

area. This is important, as the warmer water in the northeast Pacific helps to encourage high pressure to build off the west coast of Canada, which in turn allows the jet stream to take large dips south into the heart of the United States and leaving the door wide open to cold air from the Arctic and Siberian regions to pour south into the lower 48 states.

The high pressure pattern off the coast of Canada returned in November and was a key factor in the severe November cold. Long range analysis suggests that the warm pool will remain in place this winter; therefore, more shots of Arctic chill will likely descent on many cattle producers again this winter.

Like last winter, the most severe cold will be found east of the Continental Divide, east into the plains, Midwest and Great Lakes. Cattle producers in the previously mentioned areas need to be prepared for another harsh December and more periods of cold in January and February.

There will be episodes of warmer weather; however, the cold will dominate again this winter, especially from the Rockies and points east. Only the far west and southwest will be spared from the cold.

One element that is in place this year that was not in place last winter is an El Nino in the sub tropical Pacific.

The El Nino, while not strong, will help increase storm activity in the southern latitudes of the United States, especially between January and March. This will increase the likelihood of strong winter storms for the nation’s midsection and south as well as hopefully bringing some needed rain to the drought stricken areas of California.

Bundle up and make sure all your feed and hay supplies are in good order!

Market Matters Higher Retail Beef Price Signals Strong Consumer Demand

By Tod Kalous, CattleFax Analyst The most recent USDA statistics reported retail beef prices are now about $1 per pound higher than they were at this time last year, with the All Fresh retail beef price near $6/lb. and the Choice retail beef price above $5.25/lb., both record high. Both price series are on pace to average 13 percent higher in 2014 compared to 2013, which would be a record high increase for the All Fresh price series and a near record high for the Choice retail price series since 1980.

In 2003, the Choice retail beef price also increased 13 percent and prior to 1980 the Choice retail price did have 3 years in which it increased by 20 percent or more, but this year’s run of higher prices is still a considerable feat

considering how much per capita net beef supply has declined in 2014.

Per capita net beef supply in 2014 is on pace to be down over 6 percent compared to last year, which may not seem like much, but historically only two years since 1970 experienced as big or bigger year over year declines, 1979 and 1987. And while in both of those years retail prices increased significantly it was not by enough to suggest beef demand was growing. In fact beef demand declined 9 percent in 1979 and 8 percent in 1987. This year that is not the case. Price has increased by more than enough to compensate for the significant drop in beef supply and maintain beef demand with year ago levels. In fact, beef demand is likely to be up 4-5 percent for the year compared to 2013.

USDA All Fresh Retail Beef Price Year-Over-Year Percent Change 16%

13%

14% 12% 10%

10% 10%

8%

9% 7%

8%

9%

6%

6%

4% 3%

4%

6% 5%

5% 3%

3% 2%

2%

2%

1%

1%

0%

0% -2%

-2%

-1% -2%

-2% -2% -3%

-4%

89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 Source: USDA

Years

End-of-Year Tax Strategies for Cattlemen When the clock strikes midnight on Dec. 31, there are very few options taxpayers have to reduce their tax bills.

With higher revenue this year and many unknown tax changes that may or may not be passed by Congress, it is important to understand the strategies producers have to keep Uncle Sam out of their pockets.

Register for the webinar End of Year Tax Strategies for Cattlemen at www.BeefUSA.org. The free webinar will be held at 6:00 p.m. MST on Dec. 9, 2014. Larry Kopsa, CPA, will be the guest speaker, and will be joined by NCBA’s Colin Woodall, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and Kent Bacus, Associate Director of Legislative Affairs.

Kopsa is a member of the firm Kopsa Otte in York, Neb. As a principal in the 28 person firm, he is involved in all aspects of the practice that has an emphasis on tax planning, succession planning and business consultation, along with firm management.

Besides serving on the board of directors of the Nebraska State Chamber of Commerce, Kopsa is active on numerous local, state and national organizations. He is a frequent speaker, has authored numerous articles for various magazines, and also serves as an adjunct professor at York College teaching income tax courses.

NCBA is focused on addressing tax extenders during the lame duck session of Congress and will focus on tax reform

in 2015. Priorities for the session include reinstating Section 179 expensing and 50 percent Bonus Depreciation to 2013 levels, as well as extension of the Conservation Easement Tax Credit and key charitable deductions. During the webinar upcoming tax reform efforts for 2015 will be discussed, as will key provisions supported

by NCBA, such as estate tax (Sec 2032A), cash accounting, depreciation schedules, and 1031 Like-Kind Exchange. Join the webinar to learn about these important tax provisions and how they may impact your operation.

For more information or to register for the webinar, visit www.BeefUSA.org.

Larry Kopsa

Colin Woodall

Kent Bacus

www.BeefUSA.org

NATIONAL CATTLEMEN

11

Market Matters

Demand for Red Meat on the Rise

By: Jessica Sampson, Agricultural Economist and Jim Robb, Director Livestock Marketing Information Center Record high beef and cattle prices have generated a lot of thinking and concern about beef demand. Discussion of this topic often centers on per capita consumption, but consumption is not demand. Per capita consumption can decrease while beef demand is increasing. In fact, this combination has been happening annually since 2011 in the United States.

What Is Demand?

Consumption is only one part of the two components of beef demand. Demand is price and quantity, together. Or, how much is consumed, or purchased, at a given price.

When beef price increases, people normally buy less. Economists call this changing quantity demanded. The demand relationship itself can shift positively or negatively based on changes in incomes, tastes and preferences, the price of pork, etc. Increased demand is a result of a positive shift in the demand relationship.

United States per capita beef consumption is a calculated number; it is not survey based. Per capita consumption (or more correctly, disappearance per person) is U.S. beef production plus beef imports, minus exports, plus the change in stocks, divided by the U.S. population. That amount of beef is then put on a retail weight basis which accounts for how it appears in a grocery store.

If production and trade stay the same from year-to-year, but population grows, per capita consumption declines. If exports grow, per capita consumption generally drops.

Beef demand is notoriously difficult to measure, as are shifts in the price and quantity relationship. One of the difficulties is consumers are all different and data on what they actually eat are very limited. Further, consumers do not exactly buy beef; they buy hamburger, rib-eyes, tri tip, etc. and these cuts are all very different. Still, broad measures of demand are useful.

Beef Demand Index Using the estimates incorporating per capita consumption, inflation adjusted retail beef price, along with a few economic assumptions, a long-term measure of beef demand change can be calculated. One way to summarize these changes is to develop an index.

If U.S. consumer demand appears to be shifting positively, the index value increases.

Demand increases are most obvious when consumers buy more per person and also pay a higher price. Demand changes are more ambiguous when price and consumption are changing in opposite directions. The concept of the beef demand index refers to mapping out changes, or shifts, in demand over time relative to a base year (i.e., 1990=100). One way to understand the index is to note that creating it involves calculating the real beef price we would expect to observe if beef demand was consistent with that experienced in the base year. This “expected” relative real beef price is compared to the real beef price actually transpiring in the marketplace to indicate changes. For example, the third quarter demand index value of 87 in 2014, for the base year of 1990, suggests beef retail prices were 13 percent lower in 2014 than they would have been if the demand profile had remained at the 1990 level. This example estimate of 13 percent quantifies the magnitude of demand reduction experienced since 1990. Importantly, the demand index also allows for year-to-year comparisons of recent changes.

Red Meat Demand Improves The Choice Retail Beef and All Fresh Beef Demand (AFBD) Indices for the third quarter of 2014 each rose by 9 percent year-over-year. This demand increase was

a big change, and incorporates per capita beef consumption declining by 4 percent and real beef prices increasing by 14 percent compared to the third quarter of 2013.

The above description provides one of multiple historic examples of how beef demand can improve when per capita consumption declines, highlighting critical concepts. To better understand this, in the third quarter of 2013 beef prices experienced a 5 percent increase compared to 2012. If third quarter of this year only recorded a 5 percent price increase compared to 2013, beef demand would have been unchanged. The third quarter real beef price that transpired in the marketplace realized a 14 percent increase; this signals ongoing demand enhancement.

While consumers are being offered less beef currently, largely reflecting production reductions, there is nothing forcing consumers to pay 14 percent more for beef and the fact they voluntarily do so is a very positive thing for all industry stakeholders.

Beef is not the only red meat experiencing positive demand growth in the face of higher prices. In the third quarter

of 2014, the pork demand index rose by 7 percent. That increase included a 10 percent price increase compared to year ago levels, higher than the 6 percent year-over-year increase in 2013, and a per capita pork consumption decrease of 1 percent compared to 2013.

RETAIL ALL FRESH BEEF DEMAND INDEX

Index Value 120 100

In the recent third quarter, the beef demand index was the highest it has been since 2005 and pork demand was the best since 2004. The question is: are the factors that have positively influenced red meat demand transitory or will they continue?

Third Quarter, Using CPI 1990=100

100 99 91 89 86 84

80

75 73 75 77

82 82 83 85

92 87

83 83 78

78 79 74 75 76

87

60 40 20 0

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

Data Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, USDA-ERS, Compied & Analysis by LMIC

2006

2008

2010

2012

2014

Livestock Marketing Information Center

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12 NATIONAL CATTLEMEN

T H E

www.BeefUSA.org

F E D E R A T I O N

O F

STATE BEEF COUNCILS

Building beef demand by inspiring, unifying and supporting an effective state/national checkoff partnership.

States Alive!

Focusing on high population areas, influencers and millennials – and with some help from the Federation Initiative Fund – state beef councils and the Beef Checkoff Program are reaching out to further build the case for beef in the diet.

The Georgia Beef Board conducted three Beef 101 Tours and Seminars recently, focusing on retail and foodservice professionals to build greater understanding of what producers face on a day-to-day basis.

Each of the tours had about a dozen attendees, and included a farm tour, where they got a sense of the daily routine of cattle producers, their seasonal struggles and marketing; a visit to the University of Georgia Meat Science Department, where attendees learned about beef quality and yield grading; a tour of a meat locker facility; and a carcass breakdown demonstration, where retail cut questions were answered.

Six Pennsylvania State University students attended the day-long training, learning how to better create open and positive conversations about beef. The M2M participants gained the experience needed to talk with consumers about nutrition, animal welfare, environmental impact and other key issues. Joe Hansen, NCBA, helped provide an overview of the beef industry’s current landscape and a tutorial on social media engagement.

“Research has shown that our target consumer – the millennial – wants to hear directly from other millennials,” said Bridget Bingham, PBC executive director. “We’re thrilled to help bridge that gap and, at the same time, provide passionate youth ambassadors with the platform to confidently deliver the beef story.”

The students were also able to visit with Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary George Greig, who joined the group for lunch and participated in a candid question and answer session.

Meanwhile, the Ohio Beef Council participated in a Team Cuisine Cooks Camp at the Tri-Rivers Career Center that allowed 13 instructors and 29 senior vocational culinary students from across Ohio to expand their knowledge of foodservice and culinary arts.

Dave Zino, NCBA executive chef, communicated the value, versatility and profitability of beef on restaurant menus, while Glen Feichtner, an Ohio beef producer, shared important beef production and sustainability messages with the students.

After the presentations, the students were able to create several unique recipe applications with Top Sirloin. Participants received checkoff-funded Beef University training materials to serve as a resource on beef production and further emphasize the importance of beef within foodservice operations.

“This project helped teach culinary students how beef makes its way from our pastures to their kitchens,” according to Elizabeth Harsh, OBC executive director. “We think this opportunity will help us build future long term relationships not only with this influencer group of students, but also their extended network as they become established within the foodservice industry.”

OBC plans on continuing the partnership with the Team Cuisine Cooks Camp, which is located in Marion, Ohio, as well as exploring similar opportunities across the state with vocational culinary programs.

All three state projects were partially funded through the Federation Initiative Fund.

Participants in a Georgia Beef Board Beef 101 Tour and Seminar were able to get their retail questions answered during a carcass fabrication demonstration.

Partners in the project were the University of Georgia Meat Science Department, Partisover Ranch and Extension Agent Clay Talton. Additional funding was provided through the Federation Initiative Fund.

“We received nothing but positive feedback throughout all three tours,” according to Suzanne Bentley, GBB director of industry information and public relations. “They really allowed us to build and maintain relationships with retail and foodservice professionals and the companies they represent.”

According to Bentley, these kinds of tours are beneficial because they provide hands-on teaching rather than impersonal information through literature. Because of the success of the program, the GBB plans on conducting two similar tours each year.

In November, The Pennsylvania Beef Council conducted an interactive spokesperson training with millennial students at the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture in Harrisburg. The event was part of the PBC’s inaugural “Millennial to Millennial” Recruitment Program, which aimed to identify young adults who have a passion to advocate for the beef community in Pennsylvania and the United States. The team will help educate the public about beef at large consumer expos and events throughout the year.

Participants in the Pennsylvania Beef Council’s Millennial to Millennial Recruitment Program included Joe Hansen (NCBA), Kaitlyn Carey, Ezra Swope, PDA Secretary George Greig, Emma Foster, Emily Line, Andrea Foore, Courtney Love and Bridget Bingham (PBC).

Future chefs and their instructors got first-hand education about beef at the Team Cuisine Cooks Camp, creating unique recipes from Top Sirloin.

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11/18/14 12:31 PM

14 NATIONAL CATTLEMEN

www.BeefUSA.org

Issues Watch

The Beef Community: Reclaiming a Seat at the Table

By Season Solorio, Executive Director, Issues and Reputation Management, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a Contractor to the Beef Checkoff Food has gone from being a topic of conversation around the dinner table to an intensely debated topic and some would argue that food is perhaps the most debated topic of our time. A few months ago the Checkoff-funded Issues and Reputation Management team learned that The New York Times was hosting a conference (or a debate) called “Food for Tomorrow: Farm Better. Eat Better. Feed the World.” Despite the title, the line-up featured no farmers, ranchers, feedyard operators, growers or anyone involved in modern agriculture on the agenda. It did prominently feature major consumer food influencers, including Mark Bittman, cookbook author and columnist for The New York Times; Michael Pollan, author and professor at UC Berkley; Sam Kass, White House Chef, Executive Director of Let’s Move! and Senior Policy Advisor for Nutrition Policy for President Obama; Tom Colicchio, celebrity chef, Top Chef judge and owner of several high-end restaurants and steak houses in New York and Las Vegas; and many other celebrity columnists, activists, media influencers and chefs. Yet there wasn’t one person on the original agenda that was raising food or implementing continuous improvement practices on their farms to help feed the world.

Carlyle, Ind.; and Bruce Rominger, farmer, Rominger Brothers Farm, Winters, Calif.— were identified and invited to be part of a sponsored panel discussion at the event.

These agvocates willingly left their farms and ranches during peak busy season to spend two days at an elite “food mecca” outside of New York and were willing to endure what we warned them would be tough questions and potentially criticism by some of agriculture’s biggest and most vocal detractors.

On the first day of the meeting, Mark Bittman, columnist for The New York Times, delivered the opening remarks and declared a war on the food system, recommending prompt action be taken to fix a broken food system that pollutes, sickens and uses too many resources. Most of the crowd gave him a standing ovation. Those of us in the room not standing or clapping, including the farmers, silently questioned whether or not we were welcome here, what we were doing here and whether or not it would be worth our investment of resources. We knew our work was certainly cut out for us.

Over the next 48 hours though, the spirit, the tenacity and the compassion that only those people involved in agriculture can understand, overtook the small but elite crowd of 200 attendees. The charismatic farmers, Joan, Julie and Bruce, introduced themselves and started to form relationships with attendees. “Oh, a farmer! Thank you for being here!” people exclaimed in delight

Joan Ruskamp (second from left), cattle feeder from Nebraska, participates in New York Times Food for Tomorrow Food Dialogues, sponsored by the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance. USFRA is funded overall in part by the Beef Checkoff Program but with strong sponsorship support and leadership at this specific conference and program.

Many ag groups lamented about a major media outlet hosting a meeting about food production, without including farmers and discussed the possibility of attending.

But with an incredibly steep price tag for a two-day registration and an agenda full of anti-conventional agriculture critics, the risk seemed too high for most to attend. Farmers, through programs such as the Beef Checkofffunded Masters of Beef Advocacy program, wrote into The New York Times to express their frustration about being left out of this important conversation, but the frustration seemed to fall on deaf ears.

And yet one group, as a result of strong leadership and financial support by groups like the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, as a Contractor to the Beef Checkoff, stepped up to the plate and took on the challenge—the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA). USFRA is a group of 80 farmer- and rancher-led organizations which was formed to help elevate farmer and rancher voices about how food is raised today.

Many of your beef industry leaders, including Forrest Roberts, Dawn Caldwell and Max Bozeman who represent beef voices on the USFRA Board, as well as myself through serving on the USFRA Communications Committee, said “we can’t not be at this meeting.”

Under the USFRA banner program, a “Food Dialogues” event was sponsored, organized and planned at The New York Times conference. Three diverse farmers— Joan Ruskamp, cattle feeder, Dodge, Neb., Masters of Beef Advocacy graduate, blogger, Cattlemen’s Beef Board Member and Taste Subcommittee Member; Julie Maschhoff, pig farmer and vice president, public policy and public relations, The Maschhoffs,

and asked their questions ranging from antibiotic use in livestock to sustainability (a phrase thrown around frequently at this meeting,) the USFRA board and leadership members who attended, engaged in similar dialogues, answering questions about their specific commodities. I personally sat across from Tom Colicchio and his communications person over dinner, answering their questions about CAFOs, antibiotic use in livestock, lean beef and grazing cattle on public lands.

I shared the ways that the beef community is continuously improving the way we use technologies, such as antibiotics, through programs like Beef Quality Assurance and offered up the opportunity for them to come visit a “CAFO.” As bread was literally broken together, the conference attendees and the farmers slowly began to realized they had much more in common than not.

The following morning, the USFRA sponsored farmer and rancher panel kicked off day two of the meeting, I looked around the room and reflected for a moment. I saw Tom Colicchio, my dining companion from the previous night, standing in the room. I watched as Michael Pollan and Mark Bittman walked into the room. Panel moderator Frank Sesno, director of George Washington University School of Media and Public Affairs and former CNN Washington, D.C., bureau chief, introduced the farmers and wasted no time jumping into tough topics that had been brought up the day before, including antibiotics, feeding crops to livestock, environmental impact of raising food and more. The farmers shared their stories, their challenges and examples of how they’re continuously improving. Perhaps most importantly, they shared their intense desire to be part of the conversations about the food

Seth Watkins (left), cattle farmer feeder from Iowa, participates in New York Times Food for Tomorrow dialogue.

they raise. Joan Ruskamp pleaded passionately with the audience, saying: “We want to feed you. We don’t want hungry kids either. That is a passion for us too. We will get better. We want to be part of the conversation you are having. PLEASE let us be involved in your conversation about our food for tomorrow!”

For only the second time during the meeting, people applauded mid-speech—and it wasn’t the small number of ag folks in the audience that started the applause.

Throughout the rest of the day, many panels after the farmer panel reflected on what the farmers had to say about sustainability, antibiotic use and other key issues. Sam Kass, White House chef, said anyone who referred to changes being in antibiotic use on the farm as “toothless” was wrong and reiterated to the audience that the livestock community is making significant changes in the way antibiotics are used, through Guidance 209, 213 and the Veterinary Feed directive, which will phase out the use of medically important antibiotics for growth purposes and phase in more veterinary oversight. Seth Watkins, a farmer feeder from Iowa, who is very involved with Iowa Beef Council, Iowa Cattlemen and Iowa Team Beef, was invited to be part of the last panel discussing “Who Will Farm and How?” which was moderated by Mark Bittman. Seth shared his thoughts on the challenges facing farmers today and shared the conversation efforts he’s implementing on his farm to be able to raise food for future generations.

As the two-day conference came to an end, Mark Bittman once again returned to the stage to give his closing remarks. As he walked up on stage, I noticed he wore a red t-shirt underneath his blazer that he hadn’t been wearing earlier in the day and I thought I could faintly see the word “beef ” peeking out.

My issues management senses heightened, preparing for what I assumed would be a shirt that said “Eat less beef ” and I began scenarioplanning for how to deal with the backlash.

Bittman started out by saying, “I don’t like hearing that we don’t talk about positive stuff,” and went on to reference the farmer panel saying “We learned that everyone wants to be sustainable…Not that much to argue about.” He went on to say that it’s not about targeting individual farmers, but rather about

Mark Bittman, New York Times contributor, dons an Iowa Team Beef Running Shirt given to him by an Iowa farmer feeder, during his closing remarks.

reforming the food system, which will take input from everyone [including farmers] to do that. As he removed his blazer to reveal the Iowa Team Beef running shirt that he was wearing underneath (photo below), Bittman said “If Bruce Rominger is big ag, I’m with big ag” (Bruce was on USFRA’s panel) and closed out the meeting reminding the crowd that it’s not about us and them and that it’s not about being adversarial.

As I digested his words, I was reminded that dialogue doesn’t always mean that we see eye to eye. We would never expect or really try to change Mark Bittman’s opinions and we certainly didn’t like everything he said over the course of two days. He remained critical about antibiotic use and government involvement in agricultural regulation, yet he seemed to welcome our farmers’ voices and he publicly acknowledged the things that they had shared. Finally … the dialogue we wanted all along.

Where do we go from here? We have a moment in time with the agriculture community to leverage this shift in the conversation and to reclaim our seat at the table. Working through groups like USFRA, we’ll be further amplifying farmer and rancher voices, whether it is the four farmers who were at the New York event, the five new Faces of Farming and Ranching winners who were announced the same week at the National Association of Farm Broadcasters meeting or the farmers who are part of the new James Moll documentary, FARMLAND, and bringing those stories to life through conferences, videos, in-person experiences, traditional media outlets or websites, such as FoodDialogues.com and FactsAboutBeef. com. Through the Beef Checkoff, we’ll be launching our new Masters of Beef Advocacy modules, helping more advocates like Joan and Seth understand how they can get engaged in conversations. We’ll be releasing new “virtual immersion” experiences, bringing the beef lifecycle to life through video and electronic content on the Checkofffunded FactsAboutBeef.com website, to help those consumers who can’t get out to a farm understand how beef is raised today.

I’m often asked how being involved with groups like USFRA helps build demand for beef. I can tell you firsthand that few other commodities were called out as negatively as beef was at this conference. Through your Beef Checkoff investments in programs like Beef Advocacy and Training, we’re able to give farmers and ranchers like Joan and Seth the training, as well as the confidence, they need to be able to engage in dialogues about how we raise beef, which is instrumental in continuing to grow beef demand. Through USFRA, are we able to take those strong advocates and efficiently leverage resources in order to be able to get those advocates a seat at the table at major events such as this.

Without your investment in USFRA or the Beef Checkoff, there would be no beef voice at the table and the food elite would have been able to have an unchecked discussion with the highest ranks of food influence.

What do we need to continue our current success? Simply put—we need you. The time is now for you to reclaim your seat at the table. If you’re a producer, a state beef council or a state cattlemen’s affiliate, get involved by signing up to take the new Masters of Beef Advocacy courses at www.beef.org/ mastersofbeefadvocacy. If you’re a company, consider investing in USFRA so that we can make more opportunities like this possible.

We need to continue to have farmers and ranchers engage in the dialogue about how they raise food. And we can’t be at the table without you.

This information brought to you by the Checkoff-funded Issues and Reputation Management team.

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16 NATIONAL CATTLEMEN

www.BeefUSA.org

New Holland New Generation LM Series Telehandlers: Five Models and Countless Applications Telehandler demands for livestock and hay producers vary. While some producers require a telehandler with the reach to pick up, transport and stack large bales, others need a compact machine for daily use for livestock duties. With New Holland’s new LM Series, there are five telehandler models to suit producers’ specific needs.

New Holland’s new generation of LM Series telehandlers has been completely redesigned to deliver improved performance together with premium operator comfort.

Two large- frame standard configuration models New Holland’s two LM Series largeframe standard-configuration models — the LM6.32 and LM9.35 — are designed for applications including material handling, yard work and stacking large bales. These telehandlers are the ideal choice for broad-acre, mixed farm and contract applications.

The LM6.32 and LM9.35 have maximum capacities of 7,054 and 7,716 pounds, and maximum lift heights of 20.6 and 29.8 feet respectively.

Powered by Tier 4A 4.5-liter NEF engines, with a maximum power output of 121 horsepower, these telehandlers feature a full powershift 4F/3R (four-forward and three-reverse speed) transmission with clutch-free changes between each gear.

Gear selection is on the joystick, while a column-mounted power shuttle lever allows convenient direction changes. A 31.7-gpm hydraulic gear pump and threemode steering system add to the high level of performance offered. Transport speed is 25 mph.

LM7.42 Elite large-frame model offers auto features The LM7.42 Elite large-frame model has a maximum capacity of 9,259 pounds, and maximum lift height of 22.9 feet.

The LM7.42 Elite large frame model features a powershift 6F/3R transmission

with the ability to select Auto mode.

Effective in speeds 4, 5 and 6, Auto mode selects the most appropriate gear in relation to engine and forward speed and is well-suited for transport duties. Gear and direction changes are made using the buttons on the armrest-mounted joystick.

Three steering modes Four-wheel steering mode provides the large-frame LM telehandlers with a turning radius of just 12.8 feet, tight enough to maneuver around many obstacles.

Crabsteer mode creates the ability to move a load into or out of an area in a diagonal direction. Front-wheel steering is great for general use and transport applications, allowing the telehandler to be operated just like a standard tractor. The LM7.42 Elite also features auto wheel alignment when switching between, all-wheel, crab and front steering.

Two compact models: small in size, big on performance Offering tremendous lift height and lift capacity combined with a tight turning radius, the 75-hp LM5.25 and 101-hp LM6.28 telehandlers are more versatile than a tractor with a loader and more efficient than a larger skid steer, so producers don’t have to compromise on productivity.

Especially suited for mixed farming, these compact telehandlers can do more work in more places — and do it faster.

The LM5.25 and LM6.28 measure just 70.8 and 79.2 inches wide respectively.

With a turn radius as small as 11.2 feet, these compact handlers can operate in tight spaces. Heights of just 78 and 79.2 inches enable either machine to work in low buildings such as poultry houses. But their compact dimensions don’t mean limited capacity. The LM5.25 and LM6.28 have maximum capacities of 5,512 and 6,172 pounds, and maximum lift heights of 18.9 and 20.8 feet respectively.

Powered by a 203 cu.in. 3.3L Tier 4 Final engine, the LM5.25 features a single-speed hydrostatic transmission, while the LM6.28 is powered by a 268 cu.in. 4.4L Tier 4A engine with a dualrange transmission. Both models have an inching pedal. Use the single drive pedal to speed or slow the machine, with less need to operate the brakes. The inching pedal helps increase precision and is ideal for applications such as stacking bales and handling grain.

Exceptional comfort: best-in-class visibility, ergonomic controls and operator comfort The all-new 360 Vision Cab offers class-leading space and comfort with excellent all-around visibility and an unparalleled view of the front of the forks when fully lowered. Not only does the extra visibility boost loader work productivity, but it also speeds up attachment changeovers.

Easy maintenance: unique under-hood configuration for swift daily maintenance The LM Series features a unique under-hood configuration that makes carrying out daily maintenance even simpler and tool free. The hood opens wide and all service points can be reached from ground level.

NCBA member discounts on New Holland telehandlers New Holland is proud to partner with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

As a member of the NCBA you can save on New Holland telehandlers and on other select New Holland equipment. New Holland offers SMART solutions with a full line of products to fit any operation.

NCBA members can gain access to exclusive offers from New Holland at www.

BeefUSA.org/newholland.aspx, and can learn more about New Holland equipment by visiting their local New Holland dealer or www.newholland.com/na.

SAVE $1,000

SAVE $250

T6 Series Tractors: T6.140,T6.150,T6.155,T6.160,T6.165,T6.175

Disc Mowers: H6730, H6740, H6750, H6830, HM234, HM235, HM236

Self-Propelled Windrowers: H8040, H8060, H8080, Speedrower 130, Speedrower 200, Speedrower 240, Speedrower 160, Speedrower 220, Speedrower 260

Wheel Rakes: DuraVee 817, DuraVee 1020, DuraVee 1225, DuraVee 1428, DuraVee 1631, H5980, HT152, HT154, ProCart 819, ProCart 1022, ProCart 1225

MegaCutter Mounted Disc Mower-Conditioner: 530 Rear Mount

Box Spreaders: 130, 145, 155, 165, 185, 195

Large Square Balers: BB9060, BB9080, BigBaler 330, BigBaler 340

Haybine Mower Conditioners: 472, 488, 499, H7150

Telehandlers: LM5020, LM5030, LM5040, LM5060, LM5080

ProTed Rotary Tedders: ProTed 3417, ProTed 3625, ProTed 3836

T7 Series Tractors: T7.170,T7.185,T7.200,T7.210,T7.220,T7.235,T7.250,T7.260,T7.270

Bi-Directional TV6070 Tractor

SAVE $750 Round Balers: Roll-Belt 450 Utility, BR7050, BR7060, BR7070, BR7080, BR7090, Roll-Belt 450, Roll-Belt 460, Roll-Belt 550, Roll-Belt 560 Disc Mower-Conditioners: H7220, H7320, H7230, H7330, H7450, H7550, H7460, H7560, Discbine 313, Discbine 316

SAVE $500

Compact Wheel Loaders: W50B TC, W80B TC TS6 Series Tractors: TS6.110,TS6.120,TS6.125,TS6.140 T5 Series Tractors: T5.95,T5.105,T5.115 (Prior model T5000 Series Tractors are also eligible where available) T4 Series Tractors: T4.85,T4.95,T4.105,T4.115 (Prior model T4000 Series Tractors are also eligible where available) PowerStar T4.75 Tractor Small Square Balers: BC5050, BC5060, BC5070, BC5070 Hayliner, BC5080 Type Forage Harvesters: 790, FP230, FP240

Rustler Utility Vehicles: 115, 120, 125

ProRotor Rotary Rakes: ProRotor 3114, ProRotor 3223, ProRotor 3226 Duratank Spreaders: 2000S, 2600S, 3400S Hydrabox Spreaders: 425V, 550V M-Series High Capacity Spreaders: M2080, M2090 WORKMASTER Tractors: WM35, WM40, WM45, WM55, WM65, WM75 Rolabar Rakes: 57, 256, 258, 260, 216 Unitized Crop Chopper 38 Flail Harvester F62B Forage Blower H5400 Crop Mergers: H5410, H5420, H5430

SAVE $300 Skid Steer Loaders: L213, L215, L218, L220, L223, L225, L230

CLOSER CUTTING. FASTER DRYDOWN.

SMARTER PRODUCTION. Quality hay starts—and finishes—with the SMART design of the new center-pivot Discbine® 313 and 316 disc mower-conditioners. A MowMax™ II disc cutterbar with ShockPRO™ protection cuts hay cleaner, all while increasing durability in tough conditions. For faster drydown and better hay quality, the WideDry™ conditioning system is 22% wider than previous models.

Closer cutting. Faster drydown. SMART hay production. Get it all in a new Discbine® 313 or 316.

See your AUTHORIZED New Holland dealer today about two new, SMART ways to cut and condition hay. www.newholland.com/na

©2013 CNH America LLC. New Holland is a registered trademark of CNH America LLC. NHDB10137577ME

18 NATIONAL CATTLEMEN

www.BeefUSA.org

2014 Had Hits and Misses for NCBA Issues Continued from page 1 agency. The administration had extended the comment period on this proposed rule until after the election, but the issue is far from over.

While legislation was introduced this year to halt this agenda, it unfortunately stalled.

However, with a new Congress seated, we will look for revived and bi-partisan interest in legislation to address the concerns of landowners.

On the trade front we have again had a great year, with strong international beef demand, as we are poised to top last year’s record export value. Our largest trading partners for U.S. beef remain Japan, Mexico and Canada with exports adding in excess of $300 per head in value for U.S. cattle producers. Unfortunately, despite strong support and continued adherence to tariff elimination by our trade negotiators, the Trans-Pacific Partnership has seen very limited movement. We will continue to look for movement this next year, as breaking down high tariff barriers is in the best interest of cattle producers and the U.S. economy.

While we have strongly supported trade, based on sound science, we have spent much of this year reviewing and working on comments for two proposed rules from USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. These rules have been proposed to allow the importation of fresh and frozen beef from regions in Brazil and announcing the FMD-free status of the Patagonia region of Argentina allowing for the importation of fresh and frozen beef. With a long history of Foot and Mouth Disease in these areas, it is vital that we carefully review the effect these rules could have on our herd health and security. No trade is worth sacrificing the health of our herd, and we do not believe APHIS has adequately assessed these risks, or that Argentina or Brazil have shown the ability or commitment to adhere to our standards.

As expected, the World Trade Organization ruled in favor of Canada and Mexico on the amended U.S. COOL rule. The USDA amended that rule to include the born, raised and slaughtered origins, in an effort to comply with the WTO. In October, WTO released their opinion that this amended rule violated our international trade obligations and discriminated against Canadian and Mexican livestock. This brings our economy one step closer to retaliatory tariffs and we continue to call on Congress to fix COOL before we further damage these trading relationships.

Unfortunately, this was not a strong year for talking tax reform, but we continue to urge Congress to pass key tax extenders and give producers and small businesses certainty in the current tax year. We are hopeful Congress will pass Trade Promotion Authority, giving the President greater powers to negotiate and fast track a possible Trans-Pacific Partnership.

And we will continue to work this next year to encourage Secretary Vilsack and the Administration not to move forward with their plans for a duplicate Beef Checkoff. A duplicate checkoff would be a waste of producer dollars, and give the Administration unprecedented control over beef promotion, research and education, and jeopardize the work of the current Beef Checkoff Program.

In this next year, it looks like producers will continue to enjoy a strong market and strong demand for our product. We expect to continue to see greater regulation from a lame duck administration, but with the strong support of our membership, we will continue to fight over-regulation and increased government involvement. Your Political Action Committee, NCBA-PAC dollars, made a huge difference in this past election, and gave us new members on the Hill who we can work with to ensure our policy goals are a priority in the next Congress.

It’s time to get your boots on Capitol Hill!

Have your voice heard in Washington at the NCBA Legislative Conference.

NCBA LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE MARCH 24-26, 2015 WASHINGTON,DC

Make YOUR business THEIR business!

For more information visit www.BeefUSA.org Sponsored by

Have you ever wished you could have an Help us achieve our goal of $1,250,000 impact on the future of the cattle industry? for the 2014 election cycle!

You can by contributing to NCBA-PAC Make a contribution—make an impact! We all have our $937,000 as of October 24, 2014

We can’t all run for office or travel to Washington, D.C., to speak with each representative or senator. We can’t familiarize ourselves with every issue.

We have our ranches to run.

But, we can help elect officials who understand our needs. We can provide our staff in Washington, D.C., the access they need to Congress. We can give them the opportunity to address the issues for us.

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 Diamond Spur Club .................$5,000 per calendar year  Platinum Spur Club .................$2,500 per calendar year  Golden Spur Club ....................$1,000 per calendar year  Sterling Spur Club ......................$500 per calendar year  Dollar-a-Day Club .......................$365 per calendar year  Bronze Spur Club ........................$200 per calendar year  Copper Spur Club .......................$100 per calendar year  Contributors Club ..................$25-$75 per calendar year Contributions to NCBA-PAC are not tax deductible for federal income tax purposes.

I would like to contribute the following amount: $____________________________ Bill me quarterly: I elect to pay by:  Check/Money Order  Credit Card Make Checks Payable to: NCBA-PAC 1301 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 300 Washington, D.C. 2004 • 202-879-9129

own level at which we can offer our support.

Contributors Club .................................$25-99 Copper Spur Club......................................$100 Bronze Spur Club ......................................$200 Dollar-a-Day Club .....................................$365 Sterling Spur Club .....................................$500 Golden Spur Club .................................. $1,000 Platinum Spur Club............................... $2,500 Diamond Spur Club .............................. $5,000 To learn more or donate, visit: www.beefusa.org/politicalaction.aspx PAC or call 866-BEEF-USA NCBA

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www.BeefUSA.org

NATIONAL CATTLEMEN

19

Beef It’s What’s for Breakfast

By Dave Zino, Executive Chef Getting consumers excited about beef for breakfast has always been a challenge for the checkoff. Many consumers see beef as a lunch or dinner option rather than a breakfast staple.

Throughout the years, the checkofffunded Culinary Innovations team has developed recipes for breakfast. The team has developed everything from breakfast burritos, to tacos, to stratas and even a custom breakfast beef sausage. To date, the team has developed more than 20 breakfast recipes. Although 20 may not seem like a lot, it gives the marketing team plenty to work with when reaching out to influencers and the millennial target.

One of my favorites is the newly developed Beef and Egg Breakfast Mug. As the name implies, the recipe was developed to work in a coffee mug. It is the perfect carrier for a delicious, protein-packed breakfast. This recipe is a quick and easy way for today’s onthe-go generation to get their day started.

Thanks to the culinary team, a nutritious breakfast is just a minute and a half away. The recipe below calls for two versions of browned ground beef. The first version is the Basic Country Beef Sausage recipe, which calls for sage, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and crushed red pepper.

The second version calls for a packet of taco seasoning. If these versions don’t strike your fancy, simply add your favorite seasonings to the ground beef while you are browning it. Think Cajun, Asian or even Caribbean for some fun recipe twists!

When convenient, brown the ground beef with your favorite seasonings; drain and

let it cool. Divide the ground beef into eight equal portions and place into eight quart size resealable plastic bags. Here comes the fun part; add your favorite vegetables to the Ground Beef. For the taco version, add diced tomatoes, green onions, pickled jalapenos and shredded pepper jack cheese. For other versions you might want to add baby spinach, diced bell peppers or zucchini. Once the veggie decision is made, it’s time to seal the bags and place them in the refrigerator.

Depending on the size of your family, you can double or halve the recipe. The beef and vegetable mixture will last up to four days in the refrigerator.

Rise and shine, it’s time for breakfast.

Open the refrigerator and grab a beef and veggie bag and one egg. Spray a microwavesafe coffee mug with nonstick cooking spray. Crack the egg into the mug and add 1 tablespoon of water; then whisk together.

Stir in the beef mixture. At this point I like to

Total Recipe Time: 5 to 10 minutes (breakfast preparation and cook) Preparation Time: 25 to 30 minutes (make ahead preparation)

bags. Close securely and refrigerate up to 4 days.

2. For each serving, spray on 6- to 12ounce microwave-safe mug or bowl with non-stick cooking spray. Add 1 egg and 1 tablespoon water; whisk with fork. Stir in 1 bag refrigerated beef-vegetable mixture.

3. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH 30 seconds. Remove from oven; stir.

Continue to microwave on HIGH 30 to 60 seconds or until egg is just set. Stir.

Top with cheese. Let stand 30 seconds or until cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Serve with toppings, if desired.

crushed red pepper in large bowl, mixing lightly but thoroughly. Heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot.

Add beef mixture; cook 8 to 10 minutes, breaking into ½-inch crumbles and stirring occasionally.

Beef and Egg Breakfast Mugs 1 recipe basic country beef breakfast sausage (recipe follows) 1 cup chopped fresh vegetables such as tomato, baby spinach, bell pepper, zucchini or green onion ½ cup shredded reduced-fat cheese such as Cheddar, Monterey Jack or American 8 large eggs Salt and pepper (optional) Toppings: Dairy sour cream, salsa, sriracha, ketchup 1. Prepare basic country beef breakfast sausage. Remove skillet from heat; let cool 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Evenly divide beef and vegetables into eight food-safe quart-size plastic

Basic Country Beef Sausage: Combine 1 pound ground beef (93 percent lean or leaner), 2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage or ½ teaspoon rubbed sage, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ to ½ teaspoon

Taco Seasoning Variation: Prepare recipe as directed above, substituting 1 packet (1 ounce) reduced-sodium taco seasoning mix for herbs and seasonings.

Makes 8 servings Cook’s tip: Frozen vegetable blends or frozen shredded potato nuggets may be substituted.

add a few drops of hot sauce to the mix. Place the mug in the microwave oven. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 30 seconds; remove and stir the mixture. Continue to microwave on high another 30 to 60 seconds or until the egg is just set. If you like, sprinkle cheese on top and you’re good to go.

Another one of my favorite breakfast recipes is Beefy Sweet Potato Hash. This perfect recipe gives new life to leftover steak, roast or pot roast. The dish is made with sweet potatoes and taco seasoning. I prefer using leftover pot roast, as it reheats so well and the flavor seems to improve with reheating. With a chill in the air, this is a hearty way to start your winter day.

As always, you can visit www. beefitswhatsfordinner.com and click on the recipe tab for these recipes and many more.

We know at the end of the day beef owns the dinner table, but thanks to the efforts of the culinary team, beef now owns the breakfast table as well.

mono-unsaturated fat); 225 mg cholesterol; 297 mg sodium; 2 g carbohydrate; 0.4 g fiber; 21 g protein; 4.9 mg niacin; 0.3 mg vitamin B6; 1.6 mcg vitamin B12; 2.3 mg iron, 25.4 mcg selenium; 3.8 mg zinc; 188.6 mg choline.

Cook’s Tip: Cooking times are for fresh or thoroughly thawed ground beef. Ground beef should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160° F. Color is not an indicator of ground beef doneness.

This recipe is an excellent source of protein, niacin, vitamin B12, selenium, zinc and choline; and a good source of vitamin B6 and iron.

Nutritional information per serving: 178 calories; 9 g fat (4 g saturated fat; 4 g

www.BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com

2015 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show - February 4-7, 2015

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