December 2022 - National Cattlemen

Border Agents May Have a Beef with Bringing Raw Meat into the Country

On a warm October day at Australia’s Sydney International Airport, biosecurity officers were screening luggage when they discovered more than 13 pounds of undeclared meat, including 4 pounds of beef. The officers acted fast, fining the traveler $2,664 and canceling his visa, forcing him to take the next flight home. Why such a serious response to some meat in a suitcase? The answer is that there are serious animal diseases that raw meat can carry, like Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD).

Since neighboring Indonesia reported FMD earlier this year, Australia stepped up their national biosecurity measures. Travelers entering the country must declare whether they have had contact with farms or livestock, walk over a special pad with antiseptic to kill germs on their shoes, and have luggage inspected by canines and biosecurity officers.

“Australia’s biosecurity measures demonstrate how seriously all countries should treat the threat of a foreign animal disease like FMD,” said NCBA Chief Veterinarian Kathy Simmons. “Constant vigilance is essential for protecting the cattle industry and agriculture as a whole from foreign animal diseases.”

In the United States, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) share joint responsibility for preventing pests and diseases from entering the country. Every day, CBP screens more than 491,000 travelers entering the country by air, sea and land. CBP officers might discover 264 pests and quarantine 2,548 illicit plant, meat, animal and soil items on an average day, according to agency data.

The threats posed by illicit meat products entering the U.S. are constant. On Oct. 27, Border Patrol agents at the Paso Del Norte border crossing in Texas seized more than 484 pounds of bologna and 285 pounds of cheese when a truck was screened driving through a border checkpoint. Last September, CBP officers at Dulles International Airport in Virginia seized 110 pounds of prohibited cow hides and dried beef.

“These interceptions illustrate the very real threat that Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists combat every day in order to protect our nation’s natural resources and economic security, and they meet that challenge with extraordinary commitment and vigilance,” said Acting Area Port Director for the Area Port of Washington, D.C., John Jurgutis, in an agency press release following the bust.

Many illicit shipments are discovered by canine teams, affectionately nicknamed the Beagle Brigade.

“Canines are a critical component to protecting our nation’s agricultural industries from the accidental or deliberate exposure to diseases or pests because the scent of a travelers’ forbidden fruit can’t escape our Beagle Brigade,” said Joseph Martella, area port director for CBP’s Area Port of Philadelphia.

Currently, CBP operates more than 116 Beagle Brigade teams that screen materials at border crossings, airports, cruise terminals, cargo warehouses and mail facilities. Beagles are trained at the National Detector Dog Training Center in Georgia, which conducts 13 weeks of training for canines and their handlers under the purview of USDA-APHIS.

To protect future funding for the National Detector Dog

When illicit items are discovered by CBP officers and Beagle Brigade members, the products are seized and destroyed to prevent any pathogens from spreading. The punishment for failing to declare prohibited agriculture products is a civil infraction of $1,000, but in severe cases, when the items are declared “for commercial use,” penalties may run as high as $250,000.

While CBP officers are protecting our nation’s borders to prevent the spread of foreign animal diseases, protecting your operation’s border is equally important.

“CBP’s seizures of raw meat highlight the very real threat that foreign animal diseases pose to the cattle industry. All it takes is one missed infected item to possibly result in a full disease outbreak,” said Simmons. “Thankfully, programs like Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) provide producers with the tools to strengthen their biosecurity protocols to protect against disease. Following BQA practices, keeping good vaccination and health records, and developing a biosecurity plan are all crucial steps for protecting your farm or ranch.”

Good biosecurity practices have only become more important since Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) was discovered near Australia, one of our largest trading partners. The U.S. has remained FMD free since 1929, but the disease can move rapidly once cattle are exposed. To protect the U.S. herd against FMD, NCBA has continued supporting further investments in the National Animal Vaccine and Veterinary Countermeasures Bank (NAVVCB). The bank was initially created in the 2018 Farm Bill following NCBA’s advocacy. Since its initial creation, we have continued pushing for more funding because, in the event of an FMD outbreak, having a dedicated supply of vaccines saves time when every hour is essential.

Overall, FMD could be a severe economic hit to the cattle industry. Exports of U.S. beef — worth more than $10 billion in 2021 — would cease overnight while corn and soybean farmers would also lose billions. The stakes are high for preventing the spread of a foreign animal disease, which is why so many agencies, industry groups and individual producers are involved in protecting U.S. animal agriculture.

From the law enforcement officers inspecting goods at ports of entry to producers building biosecurity plans to NCBA pushing for federal dollars, everyone works together to guard against the possible threat of a foreign animal disease.

“Protecting the cattle industry is a shared responsibility,” said Simmons. “NCBA will continue doing our part to keep federal agencies working to protect the U.S. cattle herd, and I hope all cattle producers will join us by making biosecurity practices part of your operation.”

To learn more about biosecurity, visit the Checkoff-funded Beef Quality Assurance website at BQA.org

Training Center, NCBA announced support for the Beagle Brigade Act of 2022 in July. The bill would provide specific authorization for the training center, ensuring that canines would continue providing robust inspections at U.S. ports of entry.

A Year in Review

By Don Schiefelbein, NCBA President

As I reflect on the past year, I can sum up our work in two words: trials and triumphs.

This year, we saw the Biden administration unveil yet another proposed Waters of the United States (WOTUS) definition. I know many of us remember the years of uncertainty following the Obama administration’s 2015 WOTUS rule, and the latest rule is only a continuation of everything wrong with the 2015 rule. Within a few short weeks of the rule being unveiled, NCBA led a grassroots campaign to flood EPA offices with letters and emails in opposition to the rule. You — NCBA members — led the charge to tell the EPA to stay off our farms and ranches, and I am so pleased to see you lending your voice to this cause. Your involvement is a triumph in my book!

This year, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) attempted to regulate greenhouse gas emissions for the first time in the agency’s 88year history. The SEC is a Wall Street regulator, not an agency that knows anything about the cattle industry. Their proposed rule would only make our lives more difficult and, once again, you stepped up to tell the SEC how detrimental this rule would be to our industry.

process. This year, NCBA also led a coalition effort to appeal the Northern District of California’s vacatur of the Trump administration’s ESA rules.

Just last month, the President of the United States signed a National Security Memorandum recognizing that food security is national security. This confirms what you and I have known all along — farmers and ranchers are essential to our success as a country. This memorandum takes an important step by bringing defense, law enforcement, intelligence and national security officials into the conversation with industry to develop ways to protect our food system from the multitude of threats that exist in the world. As foreign animal diseases spread through other countries, cybersecurity attacks hit processors and retailers, and worker shortages lead to delays, finding ways to protect our industry from these threats has never been a higher priority.

These are just a few of the many triumphs we have achieved together.

In light of these challenges, NCBA has gone on the offensive. We shared the science that proves the cattle industry is sustainable. We told foreign governments that the U.S. is the most efficient cattle industry in the world,

As a member of NCBA, you are the foundation of our success.

Yet for all the triumphs, our industry faced its fair share of trials.

In the fall, we made agriculture front and center at the U.S. Supreme Court. Our nation’s Supreme Court justices — the highest judges in the land — read NCBA’s amicus briefs arguing for a limited WOTUS definition that protected common farm and ranch water features from EPA regulation.

NCBA also supported our partners at the National Pork Producer’s Council to fight back against California’s Proposition 12, which bans the sale of pork in California that was raised in gestation crates. NCBA recognized the threat on our production practices posed by these politically motivated rules, and we fought back in court.

NCBA also notched a win in federal court when a judge in the 9th circuit granted us intervenor status in a case challenging the delisting of the gray wolf. As wolf attacks on our livestock have increased, we know the gray wolf is a recovered species, and the Trump administration was right to remove it from the Endangered Species List. As an intervenor, NCBA will be defending the interests of cattle producers as this case moves through the legal

High input costs made feed, fuel and fertilizer more expensive. Attacks against our industry from anti-agriculture activists have only increased. In light of these challenges, NCBA has gone on the offensive. We shared the science that proves the cattle industry is sustainable. We told foreign governments that the U.S. is the most efficient cattle industry in the world, and yet, we employ the best conservation and animal welfare practices. We have gone to the variety of climate meetings, conferences and gatherings where you would not expect to see agriculture represented, all to protect our industry.

If you’re reading this column, you are already active in defending our way of life, but there are others that have not yet joined us. We need to stand united. That is why it is critical to reach out to your fellow producer. Please share the updates of what NCBA is doing. Bring them a copy of National Cattlemen so they can learn firsthand about our work. I guarantee we agree on far more issues than we disagree on.

This year, NCBA has gone toe to toe with multinational companies, federal regulators, Congress, and deep pocketed animal rights groups. We punch above our weight, and we thank you for having our back.

2022 NCBA Leadership

President Don Schiefelbein

President-Elect Todd Wilkinson Vice President Mark Eisele Treasurer Joe Guild Federation Division Chair Brad Hastings

Federation Division Vice-Chair Clark Price Policy Division Chair Buck Wehrbein Policy Division Vice-Chair Gene Copenhaver

Immediate Past President Jerry Bohn Chief Executive Officer Colin Woodall

Senior Editors John Robinson Jill Johnson

‘Ol Election Day Ain’t What It Used to Be

By Colin Woodall, NCBA CEO

Remember the days of old when election day would come around and we would all go out to vote and then wait for the results to come out that night so we could get back to our lives on Wednesday knowing who won? It has been a while since that has happened, and I am afraid it is the nature of U.S. elections for many years to come. It was almost five days before we knew that the Democrats would maintain control of the Senate, but as I am writing this column in the middle of November, we still do not know the full picture of their control due to the runoff in the Georgia Senate race.

On the House of Representatives side, we were well into the second week after the election before we knew that the Republicans were going to take control. In fact, the Republicans themselves got fed up and started their leadership elections before the 218th seat was decided. With all the claims about voting fraud and irregularities over the past two years, I remain amazed that so many states and local jurisdictions cannot get their votes counted in a week’s time. There were several states that met their duty to the voters by getting all votes counted on election night, and I can only hope that the struggling states will finally wake up and make the needed

and one reason is that many polls still rely on calling Americans on their landline phones. There are many who no longer have a landline, and if they do, caller ID makes it easy to ignore a call from someone they do not know. How many of you actually pick up your phone when the caller is not one you recognize? Your voice matters, but if you are not answering these polling calls, who is? Polling needs to evolve if it is going to remain an important tool to campaigns, elections and to satisfy our simply curiosity.

The second takeaway is that we know how to operate in a Democratcontrolled Senate. We have friends on both sides of the aisle that are willing to step up and help with our issues. We also have Senators on both sides of the aisle that present challenges to us. The U.S. Senate is structured so that it only takes one Senator to shut things down. Think about the number of times over the past two years where Senator Manchin played spoiler to Senate Majority Leader Schumer’s plans. That is true power, and it can be extremely helpful when the Senator in question is on your side. With another Farm Bill coming up for consideration in the 118th Congress, we expect that Senator Debbie Stabenow from Michigan will want to keep her position as Chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry. She will be joined by Senator John Boozman from Arkansas as the Ranking Republican Member. This is a team we have worked with in the past, so we know we can continue our work with them.

McCarthy has a long track record of being supportive of NCBA and our issues. His position as speaker will allow us even more opportunities to address our policy priorities while working to keep bad ideas at bay.

improvements. Claims of voting fraud have been around long before the 2020 election claims made them such a hot topic. It is going to be hard to convince the American electorate that something fishy is not going on when it takes so long to count ballots. Until that happens, the new normal for us is that election day is simply the beginning of count, recount, and runoff season.

One of the takeaways from this election is that polling is officially dead. The polls have gotten the results wrong for several elections in a row, but the predictions for a “Red Wave” were so woefully wrong that you must wonder who they were talking to. Polling was once a huge part of the political game as it provided significant insight into voter trends and potential election results. Today, however, the same cannot be said

The third takeaway is that on the House side, Representative Kevin McCarthy from California has the votes to be the next Speaker of the House. McCarthy has a long track record of being supportive of NCBA and our issues. His position as speaker will allow us even more opportunities to address our policy priorities while working to keep bad ideas at bay. This also means that Representative GT Thompson from Pennsylvania is poised to take control of the House Agriculture Committee. Like the new speaker, Thompson is a huge supporter of cattle producers and one with whom we have a close relationship.

Finally, NCBA’s Political Action Committee, or PAC, remains a significant player in each election cycle. While the polls may have gotten the results wrong, 90% of the candidates supported by NCBA-PAC won their races. As a PAC supporter myself, I am very proud of that accomplishment. Now, it is on to 2024, and with former President Trump being the first out of the gate, it will undoubtedly be an interesting race for the White House.

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not been endorsed by the board of directors. ©2022 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.

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Leptospirosis – One of the Cattle Industry’s Hidden Production Losses

By Julia Herman, DVM, MS

Beef Cattle Specialist Veterinarian, NCBA, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff

On Nov. 3 of every year, communities around the world recognize One Health Day and how human, animal and environmental health are interconnected and how this interconnectedness can achieve optimal health among the different sectors. When a One Health approach is used, stakeholders can address shared public health concerns like food safety, zoonotic diseases and much more. Disease prevention is key to addressing many of these concerns, and the Beef Checkoff-funded Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program serves a guide for preventive practices. Cattle producers have been contributing to One Health for generations, perhaps unknowingly. Animal care practices such as developing vaccination and herd health protocols, implementing low-stress handling, and providing good nutrition optimizes cattle health and well-being, leading to a safe, wholesome product for families to enjoy and contribute to human health. Stewardship of the animals and land connect animal health to environmental health, which is a practice the cattle industry has been excelling. Identifying and preventing zoonotic diseases is an important component to One Health and a successful cattle operation.

Leptospirosis (commonly known as “Lepto”) is one of many diseases that cattle producers may recognize that is a zoonotic disease, meaning an infectious disease that can that be passed between animals and humans. It is caused by the bacteria Leptospira which has a characteristic corkscrew-like shape (spirochete) that helps its motility. There are hundreds of pathogenic serovars (distinct variants of Leptospira with unique surface structures) that can infect many different mammals, humans included. These serovars can be adapted to specific host species, such as Leptospira borgpetersenii serovar Hardjo (previously known as L. hardjo-bovis) which is specific to cattle, or nonhost-adapted, meaning they can infect multiple host species, such as L. interrogans serovar Pomona Leptospira infect the kidney and/or reproductive tract of farm animals. It can be transmitted directly from animal to animal (or animal to human) via urine or indirectly through the environment. Dogs, rodents, livestock and horses can become carrier animals, which have no outwards signs of infection. It is an important reproductive disease, causing reproductive failures such as bovine abortions and early pregnancy loss. Acute infections are seen less frequently and usually present as reproductive failures. Infected animals can also suffer from weight loss, milk loss and death. Chronically infected animals can become an important reservoir to continually contaminate the environment and increase the risk of other animals becoming infected.

Vaccines have historically been used to minimize the effects of leptospirosis infections in cattle and is the cheapest option for most cattle producers, costing $2.50-$5.00 per dose. However, these vaccines have short-term protection, and chronic infections are not completely prevented. Even when using commercial Leptospira vaccines, chronic kidney infections can still occur, which creates carrier animals that continue to infect the environment, other animals, and potentially humans. These carrier animals continue to have poor reproductive success after infection. In addition, existing vaccines are only covering about seven of more than 300 serovars and are not cross-protective (a vaccine for one serovar does not provide protection from other serovars). New technologies are being researched to determine how better Leptospira vaccines can be developed and best help cattle producers from suffering preventable production losses.

To properly treat cattle for this disease, an accurate diagnosis needs to occur, which generally involves an investigation by the herd veterinarian, physical exam(s) of affected cattle, and submitting samples to a diagnostic laboratory for serovar identification. Leptospira bacteria are difficult to grow even with the best conditions. Thus, one obstacle for improving diagnostics is the lack of genomic data from diverse pathogenic Leptospira strains because live isolates are very difficult to obtain. Another test that can be used is Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), which detects specific genes of the Leptospira genome in samples. These are not foolproof as the specific genes may not be present in all serovars and so some infections

may be misidentified as a negative sample (false-negative test). Identifying the genomic diversity of the serovars will improve diagnostic test development, reduce false negative results, and better detect and distinguish strains.

Optimizing culture and laboratory isolation of this bacteria has been an ongoing goal for Jarlath Nally, a research microbiologist with USDA Agricultural Research Service. He has worked with several host species and sample types to improve current diagnostic techniques for Leptospira. The novel techniques his lab uses helped discover a new Leptospira serovar in a diary cow in Minnesota, L. borgpetersenii serovar Tarassovi, which is not covered in any U.S. vaccine. Similarly, a new species was identified in soil and water samples from Puerto Rico.

“Finding leptospirosis in these soil and water samples was challenging,” Nally described. “It has helped us understand the environmental sources of infection for animals and humans to better reduce transmission.”

David Wagner, a professor of biological sciences at Northern Arizona University, and his lab have been studying which Leptospira strains are found in different areas through DNA analysis. Through previous projects, his lab has helped identify new Leptospira strains not previously known to infect cattle.

“We really do not understand the true burden of leptospirosis in the livestock industry,” Wagner explained. “Subclinical cases are common in cattle and can occur in vaccinated herds but based on current diagnostics we are unable to fully quantify that true burden and what the industry is losing.”

Together, these researchers are providing a unique approach to understanding leptospirosis in the U.S. cattle population. Using Nally’s culturing and isolation techniques and Wagner’s genetic analysis, they want to generate new genomic information for Leptospira species infecting U.S. agricultural animals and use that information to improve diagnostic tools for detection and characterization of these species. The genomic information will be sequenced to help improve diagnostics and vaccine development using new technologies.

“We know that leptospirosis is a widespread problem in both the beef and dairy industries,” Wagner said. “Our goal is to reduce these production losses by improving detection, investigation and control of the disease in the livestock industry.”

Because Leptospira infections in U.S. agricultural animals are underreported, these types of samples are not readily available. Nally and Wagner collaborate with cattle producers, veterinarians and state diagnostic laboratories to send Leptospira-suspect PCR samples collected from livestock to the USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL). Any positive samples will be transferred to Wagner’s lab for genetic analysis. These samples will add to the growing database of recently described pathogenic species of Leptospira and contribute to developing better surveillance and control options in the future. For more information on diagnostic testing completed at NVSL, visit www.aphis.usda. gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/lab-info-services/sa_diagnostic_tests/ct_diagnostic_ tests or scan the QR code.

Until new detection and surveillance methods are developed, cattle producers are encouraged to continue using prevention practices described in the BQA program that are specific to zoonotic diseases. If any of your operation’s animals are diagnosed with leptospirosis, your herd veterinarian will provide a treatment plan that may include antibiotics and isolating infected animals. Using proper personal protective equipment when handling known infected animals will protect farm workers from potential transmission. Minimize environmental transmission through good sanitation, reduce access to collected water or puddles, and reduce exposure to rodents. If your herd is not already using leptospirosis vaccines in the pre-breeding plan for bulls, cows and replacement heifers, talk with your herd veterinarian about your herd’s specific risks. Vaccines should be provided at least six to eight weeks before breeding season, after the initial primary and booster vaccinations have been completed (always follow label instructions).

“This practical research is industry-driven, and we are eager to partner with the cattle industry to develop a solution,” Nally said.

In collaborations like this project, cattle producers can directly contribute to new research that will positively impact their industry in the future. The value in examining samples from all over the country is understanding the dynamics of the Leptospira species in different regions and environments. This will benefit future herd health planning and risk management for cattle herds as the true consequence of leptospirosis is better described.

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Scanning electron microscopy of a Leptospira bacteria, noting the corkscrew-like shape. (Photo courtesy of Ellie Putz)

Convention Connections Lead to Tour of Southeastern U.S. Beef Production Systems

Global partnerships in animal agriculture set the stage for providing high-quality animal protein to a world population using science-based technology. This was the fundamental message as Auburn University Department of Animal Sciences faculty and students hosted agriculture advisors, counselors, secretaries, and trade advisors from 12 foreign embassies for a study tour of beef cattle production systems in the Southeastern United States in October.

During the 2022 Cattle Convention and NCBA Trade Show, Wayne Greene, department head of Auburn’s Department of Animal Sciences, was introduced to Silke Boger, counselor for agriculture of the European Union. As they were talking, Boger expressed to Greene her interest in sustainable beef production practices in the U.S. and how they relate to practices in the E.U.

From this coincidental meeting, Boger and Greene arranged for representatives from Australia, Germany, France, Italy, Latvia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland to attend the study tour. Greene saw this tour as an opportunity for foreign embassies and counselors to see beef production practices and technology that they otherwise wouldn’t get to see. He sought to show the group how U.S. producers capitalize on technology and scientific data to increase input efficiency and reduce our environmental footprint.

“This is the first of what I hope to be many opportunities for decision-makers in food-animal agriculture from around the world to meet and see first-hand what we do in the development and application of technology to sustain our industry,” Greene said.

The tour highlighted the implementation of science-based technology in U.S. beef production systems designed to deliver ecological, high-quality, safe and wholesome protein for the world population. Faculty shared research on topics like grazing cattle on cover crops, grazing cattle on non-farmable land, and value-added programs.

Greene explained how rainfall variation dictates where certain sectors of the cattle industry are in the U.S. Feedyards are primarily in the West, while the East is home to cow-calf and backgrounding operations.

“I wanted them to understand that whatever we do in terms of increasing production efficiency has a positive role on the environment,” Greene added.

The delegation toured the E.V. Smith Beef Cattle Research Center at Auburn and saw first-hand ongoing beef-forage research to enhance the sustainability of beef production systems. Department of Animal Science faculty presented ongoing research in nutrition, genomics, reproduction and meat science focused on the efficient and safe production of beef protein. During the study tour, the delegation delivered classroom lectures for undergraduate and graduate beef production students on

“Sustainability in Livestock — International Trends and Policy Approaches.” In addition, the delegates interacted with Auburn collegiate cattlemen and women as they served the delegates a beef dinner, and Soren Rodning, professor and extension veterinarian, presented on the Beef Quality Assurance Program.

“It was obvious from the presentations that there was some variability from country to country and most of that variability were the differences between the E.U. and the New Zealand and Australia production systems,” Greene said.

Students were able to learn how U.S. production challenges are similar to those in New Zealand and Australia whereas the E.U. faced many more animal welfare and animal housing challenges due to dense populations.

The representatives spent part of their tour interacting with Alabama cattle producers. They visited both the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association (ACA) headquarters, where they were hosted by ACA leadership, and Alabama Agriculture and Industries headquarters, where they were met by Alabama Agriculture Commissioner Rick Pate and State Veterinarian Tony Frazier. These meetings included roundtable discussions with industry leaders on issues facing beef production systems and production efficiency.

“The delegation gained an in-depth insight into beef production and Alabama cattle grazing systems,” Boger said.

During their tour, Greene observed continuous exchange of culture and ideas amongst the guests. It was an opportunity for these leaders to discuss food insecurity and ecosystem issues that affect the entire world and are not isolated to one country. The tour allowed the exchange of ideas on policy approaches and societal demands related to food chains, livestock production, climate change mitigation, and animal welfare in the U.S., the European Union, and many other parts of the world. Greene was excited from the positive feedback he received and hopes to host another tour in six to nine months with a larger group.

“I think we left this event with a lot more opportunity to get more ambassadors to come out to a production environment,” Greene said about future tours.

To Greene, this tour was an investment that was well worth the time and cost. Stakeholders, students, and faculty engaged with foreign agriculture leaders and were able to share insightful details about Southeastern American beef production.

“We must continue to be proactive in delivering technology to the marketplace for increased efficiency of production and transparency of our production methods in order to feed a growing world population high-quality protein far into the future,” Greene said.

Foreign ambassadors meet In Alabama to see beef cattle production in the U.S. and visit Auburn University.

New Fence Technology Improves Grazing and Decreases Labor

Tim Canterbury is the fifth generation of his family to ranch cattle in Howard, Colorado, south of Salida and Leadville. In 2021, the U.S. Forest Service approached him regarding virtual fencing, and as a rancher who grazes cattle on federal lands, he had a lot of questions.

“I asked every question that I thought every federal land-user would possibly think of,” Canterbury said.

Virtual fencing is an emerging technology in the cattle industry, driven by ranchers’ need to increase the efficiency and health of their grass and pastures. It replaces interior physical fences and corrals by using GPS collars on cattle to emit a radio frequency that creates a virtual perimeter wherever the owner decides. The collars track cattle’s location and movement. Fences can be altered digitally to quickly alter grazing behavior and location.

In the summer of 2021, Chaffee County passed a ballot initiative, Envision Chaffee County, for a tax to raise money for agriculture in the county. The purpose of the ballot initiative was to sustain the clean air and water, beautiful landscapes, vibrant small towns, recreation, and friendly people of Chaffee County. Part of this initiative raised money for agricultural projects. After the ballot passed, the National Forest Service approached Canterbury and other local ranchers to gauge their interest in doing a trial with virtual fencing from a company out of California, called Vence. The Forest Service would utilize a $100,000 grant to erect 10 satellite towers in the mountains where these ranchers graze their cattle. The ranchers, including Canterbury, would purchase the collars for their cattle and all data would be private to the rancher.

Raising cattle in the rough, timber-covered mountains of Colorado, Canterbury questioned whether the satellite towers used to control the fencing would have enough coverage in his area. In the Sawatch mountain range, Canterbury might graze cattle on pastures anywhere from 5,000 to 6,000 acres, a lot of ground to cover on horseback. Virtual fencing gave him more control over where his cattle graze within those allotments, and the collars allowed him to locate his cattle quicker to gather them. For the trial, he chose to collar 100 cows on one forest allotment.

“The coverage is better than I expected, but it still has its downfalls. Like today, I was gathering and moving cattle from one pasture to another… we gathered about 100 pair, and we were missing about 20. So out of 6,000 acres, with two guys, we felt pretty good about that,” Canterbury said.

One of the biggest benefits for Canterbury is the data he can collect on individual cows. Using a phone app, he can select any collared animal and monitor its activity from the last 10 days. This information helps him to know where his cattle tend to graze, how often they move to water, and more.

According to Todd Parker, representative at Vence, the collars are “designed to work in all the harsh environments that cattle ranching exhibit.” Producers in Montana, Colorado, Arizona and Texas use the collars with climates ranging from below freezing with snow to arid, hot and dusty.

“Training is critical. I did precious little training. I collared the cows on a Saturday and loaded the cows on Monday, then hauled them to the allotment,” Canterbury said.

On the other hand, Canterbury’s neighbors who were able to train the cattle on collars for a week before moving them to the high country saw more success keeping cattle within the boundaries and moving them.

Parker explained that the collars are just one source of pressure put on cattle, other pressures include feed draw, water draw, herd mentality, predators, fire threat, calving and breeding. Different situations and environments allow these pressures to either

work in tandem with the pressure of the collar or to work against it.

Canterbury is eager to see how this fencing can add value to his ranch, whether that means adding cattle to his allotments or increasing calf weights through targeted grazing.

“With virtual fencing, the producer can quickly adapt to challenges brought on by drought and other environmental changes,” Parker said.

One of Parker’s customers in Montana is facing serious drought. With virtual fencing, this season he was able to keep his cattle off his long-term water to store it for a later date and instead he kept cattle on pastures where the water would dry up first. If the cattle had been left to graze the pasture as they pleased, they would’ve overgrazed the area where the long-term water was available. Effectively utilizing the resources he had, this producer saved water and feed.

Throughout the experiment, Canterbury and the other participants of the trial constantly evaluated the pros and cons. Some of which include: Pros –

• Virtual fencing is flexible

• Make changes by phone or computer, or pre-program a grazing schedule More precise use of grazing land and water sources

• Data collection and animal health metrics on individual livestock

• Reduce labor

• Manage invasive species and fuel load

• Protect riparian areas by exclusion Cons –

• Initial investment is a barrier

• Battery life of collars (estimated need is 1-2 batteries per season depending on intensity of rotation and size of perimeters)

• Tower installment

• Time to train cattle to respond to collars

In October 2022, at the end of his trial, Canterbury compared the cost of the collars and fencing to the benefit he gained in the reduced labor and time, the benefit to the land, and the additional data he was able to gather on his cattle, not only for himself but for the Forest Service. Overall, Canterbury was pleased with the result and plans to buy more collars and use them next season. He expressed disappointment that 25-28% of the collars did not last the whole season whether from defect or dead battery. But he is encouraged that once the bugs are corrected, this technology will be reliable and efficient.

“There are tremendous benefits I will get out of using virtual fencing and the collars,” he said.

Virtual fencing is just beginning to take root in the U.S., but a number of other countries like New Zealand, Australia, Norway and the U.K. are actively using the technology. Parker acknowledged that the economics may not work right now for small operations less than 100 head, but he recommends virtual fencing for mid- to large-size ranchers and grass-fed dairy producers.

“You have to see what the cows have been doing historically and what you are trying to do with them today, and you have to be fair to the cows in everything you are doing,” Canterbury said.

It’s a learning process, he added, and he and his fellow producers are finding out what works best for the cattle and the environment.

A Complex Puzzle to Grains Outlook Impact on Feed

By Andrick Payen Analyst – Grains & Oilseeds, Rabo AgriFinance

The 2022 harvest season has come to an end, now we need to look at the second half of the season to find enough supplies. Estimated feed grain production is predicted to decline in 2022-23 by 8.5% compared to last season. In the meantime, demand for byproducts remains strong as feeding operations seek to lower feed costs but prices remain elevated. The supply of feed grains and byproducts looks a bit more complicated with challenges surrounding the transportation of grain and the elevated cost due to higher energy costs.

Drought conditions impacted this year’s feed grain production, from corn to sorghum and wheat to barley. In total, the USDA is estimating a decline of 8.5% in feed grain production for 2022-23. Harvest is done, and now the question is, how do I offset my feed cost? The drought in 2012 was in many ways more difficult than today’s as corn was impacted more severely and yields declined at larger extent than today’s drought. However, in 2012, feedlots had options to help offset some of the feed cost, especially as there were plenty of supplies of wheat and sorghum. Historically, wheat accounts on average 2% of the volume of total feed utilization, back in 2012 this number jumped to 8%. This year, the picture is a little different for 2022-23; the number is only 1% as drought took a big toll on yields in most of the great plains for wheat and sorghum.

Byproducts offer some hope but like everything else, prices are at record levels and availability, while better, continues to lag pre-pandemic levels. DDGS (distillers dried grains with solubles), a popular byproduct and puzzle piece, continue to struggle to bring prices lower. In fact, depending on where your

Defeating Drought with Data

It doesn’t matter if you are ranching on 20 acres or 20,000 acres, drought negatively impacts producers from coast to coast. While we can’t make it rain, we can use data and technology to reduce drought’s effect on the bottom line.

During a recent Cattlemen’s Webinar Series event, Jimmy Chapman with RanchSense, John Fargher with AgriWebb and Matthew Jones with Regrow discussed tools and technology that can help producers make important decisions during times of drought.

As a rancher, Jimmy Chapman realized he was spending a lot of time driving around the ranch to survey water and check gates. He envisioned a technological solution that was user friendly and to the point that ranchers could use to automate systems. When he discovered this tool didn’t already exist, Chapman decided to create one himself. After two years of development, RanchSense was born to help ranchers and landowners more effectively manage their land by sending up-to-date ranch conditions directly to their devices.

RanchSense uses satellite technology to monitor water levels in tanks, removing the need to drive for hours checking visually. And, because solutions are 100% solar powered, the technology can be used anywhere with no geographic restraints. A pressure transducer sits at the bottom of the tank to measure water and data is delivered to the producer’s cell phone.

Access to this type of information helps producers reallocate precious time to other priorities, find leaks, attract wildlife, and provide peace of mind when away from the ranch. Understanding water usage and regular monitoring also helps manage water efficiently during times of drought.

“We’re on a mission to free up landowners’ time so they can better steward the land, care for their animals, and provide for the people they love,” Chapman said.

John Fargher grew up on a 400,000-acre cattle ranch in Australia and understands the importance of making real-time decisions, especially in dry conditions. He co-founded AgriWebb, which offers a software solution that makes ranch management easier and helps producers meet livestock business goals.

Based on an individual ranch’s map, AgriWebb’s holistic management platform provides data such as animal and pasture records allowing producers to stand in a pasture and make immediate decisions. According to Fargher, the data helps ranchers track animal performance, enabling keep/cull decisions to be made earlier thereby optimizing resources and putting them into animals that will give the best outcome. In addition, the pasture management tools provide real-time, mapped forage rates and water point management information, providing the information needed to make the best decisions about when to move animals across pastures and maximize pasture utilization.

Currently there are 15,000 producers utilizing the technology with 19 million animals and 133 million acres on the platform. Users have increased productivity 9-10% by making good decisions regarding culling and grazing management based on the available data.

“The more tools, insights and data we have at our disposal sets us up for success as an industry,” Fargher said. “Having the right information helps producers make critical decisions during drought and can help them bounce back after drought.”

While knowing what’s happening on the ranch today is important, planning for the future sometimes means looking to the past. Regrow uses satellite imagery from as far back as 30 years to bring historic data that producers can use to make decisions today. Matthew Jones with Regrow believes that historical perspective can be leveraged to help with current and future drought situations.

Jones recommends looking at historical data from previous multi-year droughts to understand best management options for producers. Regrow monitors nearly 400 million acres of land annually across 45 countries with a goal of keeping ranchers ranching.

The data can help maximize vegetation cover, diversity and production; reduce the need for supplemental feed; minimize bare ground and overgrazing effects; maintain soil health, increase soil organic carbon and minimize greenhouse gas emissions.

“We want the next generation to be successful,” Jones said. “By taking historical data we can make better decisions today, which leads to healthier land and water for tomorrow.”

As information becomes more readily accessible, historic and current data can tools in the technology toolbox to defeat drought today, and in the future.

operation is located, if we evaluate DDGS on an USc per Mcal, the spread between corn and DDG is being reduced by higher DDG prices removing part of the incentive to add DDGS into the ration. Another byproduct of interest is corn gluten feed or CGF. Due to the relationship as a substitute to cattle rations, CGF has been following DDG prices as inclusion of other feed substitutes increases in diets. Unfortunately, CGF production is well below pre-pandemic levels and stagnant.

While the cost of feed is seeing higher prices driven by weather impacts on the production of feed grains or byproducts being in high demand and production not being able to recover, transportation cost is another unwelcome factor that we must deal with and one that should be factored into our budgets. Whether we look at truck or rail deliveries, both modes of transportation have seen an increase in their rates. Whether it is the increase of diesel prices or fuel surcharges, the uncertainty on the energy markets plus the volatility in grain markets will make it a challenge for feeding operations to find a comfortable margin and account for all the moving pieces.

The drought has brought a very challenging environment to feeding operations and the uncertainty on the energy markets has made it difficult for operations to account for all the cost and moving parts to get feed grains and byproducts on time at a price that works for them. The harvest season is over, and the outlook for feed grains and byproducts doesn’t look too optimistic from a production perspective as drought conditions impact grain production regions.

As we move into 2023, all eyes will be on the development of soil moisture in the corn belt as current levels are very low. This has already been noticed under winter wheat conditions, in which quality is affected by low moisture levels.

By Matt Makens Atmospheric Scientist

With winter

upon us, we are setting history. Well, certainly pushing the rarity with this third La Niña winter in a row. Since 1950, there are only two other occurrences when we had three straight La Niña winters.

This is the point when scientists begin to argue on the best definition of La Niña but let us not get lost in technicalities of measurement styles. Similar cycles from 1973 to 1976 and 1998 to 2001 are other notably long events. Some also include 1954 to 1957 depending on which method of La Niña measurement one uses. This is not to say our winter will be just like those other three-peat years.

Before you assume this winter will be like all other La Niñas, I want to use an example to show how different each can be. The images show a comparison between the previous two years of our current La Niña, which shows clearly that no two La Niña years are exactly alike.

The most significant difference between years creating these contrasting impacts is where the warmest and coldest areas of sea surface temperatures are positioned. This is not just in the ENSO (El Niño Southern Oscillation) region, but throughout the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans much closer to the country.

For an example, the sea surface temperatures in the Gulf of Alaska can support or deter strong storm systems for Alaska to British Columbia before diving southward into the Northern Rockies of the U.S. Further, the Atlantic Ocean’s surface temperature conditions, from along the East Coast to Greenland and Iceland, may act like a block preventing storm systems, along with the coldest of temperatures, from ever reaching the Eastern Seaboard. These may sound like nondescript areas of influence on a global scale, but they are significant combined with La Niña and driving our winter pattern. The past two winters are great examples of these variations creating much different scenarios across the country.

There are many other factors to consider of course, but for a general look at the winter forecast these are the “biggest” players if you will. I should include sea ice across the Arctic, but that is me getting carried away.

For this winter, the main storm flow will approach western North America from the Gulf of Alaska. From there, storms will hit the Canadian Rockies down through the U.S. Northern Rockies headed toward the Great Lakes and Ohio Valleys. Occasionally this storm flow will ‘sink in the middle,’ meaning a dip will drive storms and cold air farther south from the central to southern plains.

In general, this year will have a classic La Niña pattern in which wetter conditions will favor the Pacific Northwest and Ohio Valley. Other factors contributing to this La Niña, as discussed above, will drive variations in how far south the cold is able to go occasionally. Meanwhile, much drier and relatively warmer conditions will cover the southern U.S.

To look deeper into winter weather patterns, let’s take a moment to look at aspects of El Niño and La Niña winters. A reminder, in the weather world, winter is the calendar months of December, January and February.

I’m often asked about the pattern which created the winter of 1978-79, the COLDEST winter (by far) since 1895 for the U.S. This was during a neutral phase between El Niño patterns. That is not to say we cannot have a very cold winter with La Niña. Many readers are recalling 202021 right now.

Aside from the cold, I think the most important aspect of any winter outlook is moisture. This is particularly true this year as we continue to see significant drought levels across the country. In this perspective, with La Niña holding on as

Key Medical Antibiotics Become “Prescription Only”

In June 2023, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) will implement their Guidance for Industry (GFI) #263 which instructs animal drug companies to voluntarily change labels so that antibiotics, which are medically important for human medicine and currently available over-the-counter for animals, will require a prescription from a licensed veterinarian for legal use.

GFI #263 builds upon FDA’s previous GFI #213, which brought 96% of all medically important antibiotic drugs used in water and feed for animals under veterinary oversight and limited their use to treatment, control, and prevention of specific diseases. GFI #263 addresses the remaining 4% of the medically important antimicrobial drugs not covered by GFI #213 and includes other dosage forms such as injectable and topical products.

Antibiotics are a powerful tool for both animal and human health. They can be used to prevent and treat infections caused by bacteria. However, when antibiotics are not used properly and responsibly, bacteria can become resistant or unresponsive. Antibiotics can continue to be effective for prevention, control, and treatment of disease through good stewardship and responsible use. GFI #263 is consistent with FDA, CVM’s five-year action plan for supporting antimicrobial stewardship in veterinary settings, as published in 2018.

What do these changes mean for cattle producers in the United States? After June 2023, producers will need a valid veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR) to obtain medically important antibiotics. All medically important antibiotics previously available over-the-counter will require a prescription from a veterinarian licensed in the state where the cattle reside.

Producers should identify a veterinarian as a partner in supporting the health of their cattle. By having a veterinarian who is familiar with you and your cattle, the veterinarian can be prepared to provide appropriate care in case of an illness or infection. Before illness occurs, set protocols for common conditions with your

veterinarian so that you have access to the antibiotics needed to take swift action on your own and recognize when you need to involve your veterinarian. Illness and infections are never convenient. The best time to talk to your veterinarian is before animals are sick. Planning with your veterinarian ensures you can care for your cattle herd in a timely manner and when it matters most.

Please look for additional information concerning these marketing changes for medically important antibiotics in animals in future issues of National Cattlemen.

the main driver of winter, I expect drought conditions to increase, particularly those in the Southeast.

Drought numbers will increase to some degree elsewhere, too, potentially all states in the southern tier. On the flip side, there will be some drought improvement for parts of the northern tier of states, mostly the Northern Rockies, Pacific Northwest and Ohio Valley. This entire pattern does not change until we transition out of La Niña, which I expect is to come after the winter and through the spring of 2023.

With that being of great interest, La Niña should fade going through 2023, and this gives the opportunity for a lengthy neutral pattern or even the emergence of El Niño. Current projections place the tropical Pacific waters into neutral territory by spring. Some modeling indicates a very rapid changeover to El Niño, meanwhile others are slower in the transition. In either case, there will be a lag between ocean changes and weather patterns.

The atmosphere will take time to adjust to the warming waters in the ENSO Pacific region, and we may stay in a La Niña atmospheric pattern for months following the ocean’s transition. By the summer, though, a neutral pattern has the highest probability in both ocean and atmosphere. And, from the summer through winter 2023-24, we have a growing chance of El Niño conditions (as shown in what limited modeling can project that far away, as well as in the analog years I have selected for this winter outlook). Historically, we have not recorded a fourth consecutive winter of La Niña conditions, however unlikely (honestly, extremely remote), La Niña trying to redevelop after a neutral period is theoretically possible.

I am including the outlook for December through February 2022-23. This is based on a composite of analog years — those years of the past that best fit the pattern expected for this winter. When comparing this outlook to the output of various models, models indicate the extent of the cold will be far less than what we expect from history, but the precipitation pattern remains consistent between the data.

Let us discuss a hypothetical change to the outlook for La Niña. In this case, La Niña fades much faster than expected. For the winter outlook, we could see more moisture across the southern U.S., and we would find that models were right in making the winter months much warmer than the history-based forecast. Again, as a hypothetical, that would be the change to the winter outlook which is relatively minor — bigger differences would arrive after February. We would likely see bigger forecast changes arrive in the spring including more widespread moisture than expected and fewer chances for lateseason cold outbreaks.

Future National Cattlemen articles will address any changes that are necessary based on the speed of our weather pattern’s transition. Also, I will be keeping tabs on La Niña during the ‘Weather Watch’ on Cattlemen to Cattlemen episodes airing on RFD-TV.

Third Quarter Export Sales

By Katelyn McCullock Director of Livestock Marketing Information Center

U.S. beef exports declined year-over-year in the third quarter of 2022, down slightly from 2021. This was the first year-over-year decline in seven quarters. Previous quarters had increases of 2-45% starting in the fourth quarter of 2020. It’s been a remarkable run and one that we can attribute rather handily to the rise of China into the U.S. beef market. Still, many other countries helped usher in large gains, including Taiwan, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, and strong increases from countries outside the top 10.

The third quarter saw declining purchases from Taiwan, which had been increasing the last three quarters. Taiwan’s third quarter was 18% less than 2021, along with declines from Hong Kong, Japan, Mexico, and South Korea. Canada was unchanged, while Vietnam was up more than double last year. China, although still posting yearover-year positive change, posted the smallest increase since second quarter 2019. Third quarter 2022 is still the largest single quarter of exports to China ever.

The month of September saw a substantial step down, more than offsetting the gains seen in July. August was even with a year ago. September posted a 16.7 million pound decrease from 2021 and was the smallest single month since February. It was also the first month China was below a year ago this year, and in several years. China has been on a steady growth path since it re-opened its markets to U.S. beef in 2017. What kind of sign do we take from September? Has China’s seemingly insatiable appetite for U.S. beef been quenched? Is this merely a pause due to a darkening global economic situation?

Hard to tell. But the news has certainly cycled through another round of released pork and wheat reserves trying to alleviate very high food prices in China and likely worsening economic conditions there and elsewhere.

Other interesting export news in the third quarter was the increase in alfalfa exports. The U.S. shipped the largest quantity on record, surpassing last year (which was the previous record) by 13.7%. China is one of the largest purchasers of U.S. alfalfa hay, and also posted a record high third quarter, and accounted for more than 60% of total U.S. alfalfa hay export volume. China was not the only strong buyer of U.S. product; Saudi Arabia increased as well, more than a 100% increase from last year, and the highest quarter since Q1 2020. United Arab Emirates (UAE) also posted a strong quarter, up 90% from first quarter 2020.

It’s rather shocking the U.S. was still able to post a record-large quarter given Japan, the second largest purchaser of U.S. alfalfa hay, posted the smallest quarter since 1994. More than 20% of all U.S. alfalfa hay exports went to Japan last year, and this year that tally is closer to 19%. South Korea saw a drop of more than 40% from 2021.

These strong increases came when alfalfa hay prices have been more than $200 per ton for more than a year, but it may point to the strong interest from China and other countries to maintain their domestic livestock situations. However, the large decreases from other countries could point to significant headwind from a price and economic perspective. Both South Korea and Japan decreased both beef and hay purchases substantially in September. Beef exports were down 8% and 10% respectively and could be pointing to a longer, more damaging economic reality.

Year-to-date beef exports are up 5% and will very likely close the year still posting a new record high. Mathematically, beef exports would have to fall 14% in the fourth quarter from the 2021 figures to fall below the annual 2021 figure and would be the lowest quarter since first quarter 2019. LMIC is expecting U.S. beef exports to fall next year, but how much will be highly dependent on the global economic health. Key trading partners that have led the way for several years appear to have taken a step back. The shipments in the final quarter of 2022 will be critical to understanding how these countries are faring. August was the largest beef export month to China last year and this year. However, the five-year average points to rising volumes towards the end of the year. The U.S. is not the only supplier of beef in the world, and the strengthening U.S. dollar on the back of increased interest rates — further increases expected — will likely be a headwind.

By Mike Miller, Senior Market Analyst, CattleFax

The increase in beef cow slaughter levels this year has been well documented. Expectations coming into 2022 were for an increase in beef cow slaughter compared to 2021, however, not to the degree that has occurred. Droughtlike conditions have persisted throughout much of country which in turn has led to considerably more forced culling than many anticipated or had hoped.

Beef cow slaughter will increase nearly 400,000 head in 2022 compared to a year ago and total nearly 4.03 million head. This represents an increase of 11% compared to 2021 and a 25% increase compared to the five-year average. In fact, the 2022 total will be larger than any other year dating back to 1996.

For perspective, these numbers are even more extreme when analyzing the culling rate. The 2022 beef cow culling rate will be about 13.4%, up from 11.8% in 2021 and 10.6% in 2020. This represents the highest culling rate any time in the past 50 years, with very few years topping 12%. Keep in mind that the long-term average beef cow culling rate is 10%.

CattleFax projects that beef cow slaughter will decline in 2023 and total 3.3 million head. This will represent a 700,000 head decline from this year and approach the fiveyear average total. While this is good information to have, how this plays out seasonally is likely more useful.

Typically, the seasonal pattern for beef cow slaughter is to begin the year at relatively low levels with building totals into the late spring/early summer. This pattern is followed by a slight decline during late summer and then a significant increase into the fall. We anticipate the seasonality of beef cow slaughter may be a bit different next year.

Expect beef cow slaughter totals to remain elevated during the first quarter of 2023 albeit lower than 2022 levels. This is expected to be followed by a slow build toward a first half of the year peak in May or June. Anticipate a smaller-than-normal increase into the normal annual fourth quarter peak.

Election Attention Turns to the Farm Bill

January after an election is always a busy time in Washington, D.C., as newly elected and re-elected members of Congress come to D.C. with their policy priorities for the next two years. For NCBA, we will engage on policy goals established by our grassroots membership, including the Farm Bill.

Authorized every five years, the Farm Bill is the most comprehensive piece of legislation impacting agriculture. The Farm Bill authorizes billions of dollars to fund numerous agricultural and food programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). While a vast majority of the funding is allocated to food programs, the Farm Bill also authorizes funding for commodities, conservation, research, and crop insurance to name a few. After years of Washington, D.C., spending, however, some members of Congress may tighten the purse strings when crafting the 2023 Farm Bill. The previous Farm Bill clocked in at $800 billion, but the same bill would cost more than $1 trillion this time when considering inflation.

“Many newly elected members of Congress ran for office on promises to cut Washington spending,” said Kent Bacus, NCBA Executive Director of Government Affairs. “As we go through the Farm Bill process, NCBA will work to educate these members on why certain programs are essential for the cattle industry.”

Farm Bill provisions on risk management, disaster recovery, voluntary conservation and animal health are especially important for producers.

Risk management programs such as Livestock Risk Protection, help producers hedge against the risk of poor weather or price fluctuations in the cattle market. These programs offer greater certainty in an uncertain business, which supports producer profitability.

Voluntary conservation programs, like the Environmental Quality Incentives Program or Conservation Reserve Program, recognize the value of producers’ voluntary conservation activities and help them implement conservation practices free from government mandates.

Disaster assistance programs help producers recover from devastating drought, wildfire, heat, blizzards, floods and other natural disasters.

NCBA will continue to prioritize the inclusion of strong animal health provisions in the Farm Bill to safeguard the cattle industry from the introduction and spread of foreign animal diseases. We are monitoring the progression of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) and Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) across Asia and other parts of the world, and we will continue to push for greater safeguards to protect our national herd from these devastating diseases. In the last Farm

Bill, NCBA successfully advocated for the creation of the National Animal Vaccine and Veterinary Countermeasures Bank (NAVVCB), which currently holds FMD vaccines that will be critically important in protecting our herd if we are exposed.

“The vaccine bank is a critical part of our nation’s response to a foreign animal disease outbreak,” Bacus said. “It is critically important that Congress continues to fund the vaccine bank and ensure access to all the necessary tools our animal health officials and producers will need in the event of an outbreak. NCBA will continue to be a strong supporter of animal health provisions that protect the entire U.S. cattle industry and our continued way of life.”

For the 2023 Farm Bill, NCBA will continue building on the successes of previous years to encourage more investment in these key programs.

“NCBA remains opposed to the inclusion of a livestock title in the Farm Bill,” Bacus said. “Existing titles already house programs important to the cattle industry and adding a separate livestock title may allow the introduction of unnecessary and damaging policies that allow for more government intervention in our operations.”

Over the coming months, NCBA will focus on educating Congress on the importance of crafting a new Farm Bill before the current one expires in September 2023.

“NCBA has already begun meeting with Representatives, Senators and their staff to advocate for issues that are important to cattle producers,” Bacus added. “I encourage you to contact members of Congress and tell them that the cattle industry needs an on-time Farm Bill that supports risk management, disaster recovery, voluntary conservation and animal health programs that strengthen our industry.”

THE FEDERATION OF STATE BEEF COUNCILS

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

End of the Year Roundup

It’s hard to believe 2022 is coming to a close. State beef councils across the country celebrated beef in innovative ways the past 12 months, reaching a variety of audiences. From sports marketing and streaming television to nutrition education and foodservice outreach, here is a year-end roundup of unique state efforts promoting beef.

On a Quest for the Best BBQ

The days may be getting cooler, but the grill is still hot for the recently launched season 3 of Texas Beef Council’s popular television series “BBQuest.” Host Kelsey Pribilski and co-host and influencer Jess Pryles are taking viewers beyond the pit to dive deeper into the world of Texas barbecue than ever before. Throughout the series, they visit pitmasters and cattle ranchers to experience a day in the life of the people who make it all possible.

Find the new season streaming on Hulu or online at www. BeefLovingTexans.com.

Football and Beef are a Perfect Pair

The Ohio Beef Council (OBC) recently partnered with Ohio State Football player Cade Stover and The Ohio State University (OSU) to create a new Ohio Stories video.

The video series is designed to put a face on the beef industry and help connect consumers while providing information about how beef gets from pasture to plate.

The video was released Sept. 1, just prior to the season kick-off. Stover, one of the team’s captains, describes himself as, “just a small-town country boy that lives on a farm and plays football for Ohio State.” He attributes his success and determination on the football field to the work ethic learned raising cattle on the farm. To date, the Stover Family video on Facebook has a reach of nearly 361,000 with 96,055 views, 751 comments and 1,900 shares, as well as 74,271 views on YouTube. ESPN also used clips from the video to introduce Stover during the OSU vs. Wisconsin game on Sept. 24.

To extend the football partnership even further, OBC and The Ohio State University

published Gameday Taste & Traditions. The booklet, which included Buckeye traditions and tasty beef recipes, hit the stands with 35,000 copies printed along with a digital version available online. Each home game also featured OBC on the video board, along with a special Buckeye Football tradition, while the stadium announcer encouraged fans to check out the beef recipes. For more information, visit www.ohiobeef.org.

Retail Toolkit Promotes Beef’s Role in a Healthy Lifestyle

The California Beef Council developed a Retail Registered Dietitian Toolkit designed to encourage supermarket beef sales through healthy eating education. The digital toolkit aims to guide supermarket registered dietitians in conducting in-store and virtual tours, providing beef cooking tips, and educating shoppers on the topics of beef sustainability, how cattle are raised, reading beef package labels, and how lean beef fits into a heart-healthy lifestyle. Retail dietitians play a crucial role in promoting a healthy plate to shoppers, and beef not only plays a key role in a healthy lifestyle, but also to a retail store’s bottom line.

“Beef brings in more dollars than any other protein at retail, but we also know that escalating prices and health misconceptions can be purchase barriers for shoppers,” said Christie Van Egmond,

director of retail and foodservice marketing at the California Beef Council.

“Surprisingly, many cuts that are considered lean are also less expensive cuts, and we hope that this digital toolkit for retail dietitians will help lay that education foundation by being a go-to resource for retail dietitians.”

The Retail Registered Dietitian Toolkit is available online at www.CalBeef.org.

States Partner to Support Beef Nutrition Education

In partnership with the Nebraska Beef Council (NBC), the Kansas Beef Council (KBC) extends funding for nutrition outreach to state beef councils with access to high populations. As a recent example, the California Beef Council, with the support of KBC and NBC, hosted an educational session, booth and dinner for the California Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Annual Conference in Oakland, California.

The Checkoff-sponsored session was presented by registered dietitian Amy Myrdal Miller. As the president of Farmer’s Daughter Consulting, Miller discussed the challenges farmers and ranchers face and the technological methods that are utilized today to promote resilience in agriculture and allow producers to continue to provide for a growing population.

Additionally, a farm-to-table event hosted at the Koopmann family ranch provided the opportunity for 50 registered dietitians to tour the operation and participate in a panel discussion focused on

sustainability measures and beef production practices. These events encouraged a total of more than 300 dietitians to consider benefits and tradeoffs in terms of nutritious and sustainable diets recommended to patients and clients.

Checkoff-funded state partnerships like this are essential to communicate accurate, science-based information about beef nutrition to key influencers who live in states with high populations. For more information, visit www.kansasbeef.org.

National Chef Convention Features Beef

Several state beef councils teamed up under the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. brand to be a supporting sponsor of the 2022 American Culinary Federation (ACF) National Convention, the biggest annual gathering of chefs, culinary students and foodservice professionals in the United States. While the convention was held in Las Vegas, Nevada, and in part funded by the Nevada Beef Council, the California Beef Council (CBC) was also represented.

Collaboratively, these state beef councils, along with those from Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Texas, provided an opportunity for chefs to enjoy beef through three different pop-up tastings, including a beef-for-breakfast tasting during a morning session. Convention attendees were invited to learn more about beef at the tradeshow booth, which featured beef educational resources such as foodservice beef cuts posters, and information on the BEEFoodservice mobile app that the CBC launched in 2020 for foodservice professionals.

This annual convention provided a platform to showcase beef’s taste and versatility. It also served to educate and network with chefs from across the country and in all culinary fields including restaurants, research, corporate, education and more.

For more information, visit www.nevadabeef.org.

The Power of Influence

Beef’s versatility, taste and nutritional profile make for a great story to tell, however, to reach consumers in an ever-changing digital world, outside influencers are needed to share information. NCBA, a contractor of the Beef Checkoff, continues to work with food, culinary and agricultural influencers to engage with consumers across the country about beef’s positive message.

But what exactly is an influencer, and how do they promote beef? An influencer is anyone with significant influence on an audience. They affect change on buying behavior or way of thinking based on their status, position or fanbase. According to Digital Marketing Institute, half of consumers are heavily influenced by reviews and recommendations from family, friends and influencers. Additionally, a large majority of consumers trust the opinions that they see on social media.

Working with influencers allows NCBA to amplify marketing messages and interact with consumer audiences through credible third parties. NCBA partners with chefs, recipe creators and members of the beef industry to tell the beef story in a knowledgeable and authentic manner in their own voice but armed with relevant information.

The Food, Culinary and Agricultural Influencer program worked with 34 influencers in 2022 to create 227 posts sharing beef recipes, meals and stories from the ranch. The program reached more than 17 million consumers, with 950,000 engagements including likes, comments, clicks and shares. In addition to the social component, four in-person events provided opportunities for influencers to engage directly with producers and armed them with accurate information about beef to share with their networks.

Throughout the year, beef education is shared with the influencer network,

Beefing Up the Holidays

Beef is bringing people together this holiday season as families and friends gather around the table to reflect on fond memories and create new ones. In addition to being the centerpiece of holiday dinners, beef is the perfect ingredient for side dishes, brunch favorites and appetizers.

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a contractor of the Beef Checkoff, is decking the halls and sharing beef’s taste, nutritional benefits and versatility with consumers from coast to coast. Whether families are enjoying the sound of waves crashing on the beach or listening to a crackling fire in a cozy home on a snowy night, beef adds something special to every gathering.

Social media will be a primary driver of beef’s message with engaging posts on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and TikTok, along with digital and audio advertising on Google, YouTube, Spotify and SiriusXM. A 12 Days of Holiday sweepstakes will encourage followers to join the holiday fun and new recipes including Cheesy Beef

Beef Advocacy Program Seeks New Applicants

The Beef Checkoff-funded Trailblazers program is seeking applications for its next class of beef advocates. Trailblazers, developed by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, takes advocacy to the next level by giving participants the tools and training they need to promote beef to new audiences while addressing and correcting myths.

“Trailblazers develops the next generation of beef advocates through a highly engaging and interactive program,” said Chandler Mulvaney, director of grassroots advocacy and spokesperson development at NCBA. “Our goal is to empower the beef community to share their stories, which ultimately helps safeguard the work of cattle farmers and ranchers across the country.”

Trailblazers is looking for new spokespeople to participate in a year-long, hands-on program designed to train, equip and empower beef advocates. Selected candidates receive training to become expert communicators, excel in media interviews and understand how to build confidence in beef related practices when talking to consumers.

Each year, 10 new Trailblazers are selected to create a tight-knit community that works together to find solutions to social and practical issues impacting the beef community. Throughout the year, Trailblazers receive advanced inperson and virtual training from subject matter experts, learning how to effectively engage on various social media platforms, interact with the media, and

enhance public speaking skills. Upon completion of the program, Trailblazers serve as industry spokespeople and inform beef advocates at the local and state levels on advocacy, media and spokesperson best practices.

“The Trailblazers program increased my confidence to share the truth about beef in my own unique way while providing the resources, experiences and network to do so,” said Trailblazer Shaye Koester of North Dakota. “This professional, yet fun program is like no other.”

Applications will be accepted through Dec. 30, and selected participants will be notified midJanuary. Applicants must be at least 21 years of age, have completed their Masters of Beef Advocacy certification, and provide at least two references with their online application. To apply, visit the website and for more information, contact Chandler Mulvaney at cmulvaney@beef.org

including trending market research, beef cuts and preparation methods, and how beef is raised and grown. Instilling the good qualities and benefits of beef in these content creators results in additional promotion of beef beyond the paid partnership. The twelve food and culinary members of the Beef Expert Network shared more than 300 beefcentric posts that were not paid content. This content reached approximately 600,000 consumers with approximately 40,000 engagements.

Short-form (Instagram) and longform (YouTube) videos continue to be popular content for influencers to share. Social media platforms often prioritize video content, extending the opportunity for organic reach. Additionally, beef industry/ranching content continues to perform particularly well with paid amplification. Consumers want to see ranching information directly from the ranch as a complement to more formal industry channels.

Influencer engagement will continue to be an important part of the marketing mix in the future. To connect with this content, follow Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube.

Artichoke Dip and Steak Crostini with Horseradish Whip are sure to add to the holiday festivities.

Influencers will be hard at work sharing beef recipes and cooking tips with their followers. And beef will be featured through e-commerce ads on national retail partner websites and apps encouraging shoppers to add beef to their online carts.

The Beef Checkoff is also reaching out to nutrition influencers, including registered dietitians, by sending a holiday mailer featuring heart-healthy recipes and kitchen tools to showcase beef’s role in a healthy lifestyle even during holiday celebrations.

Even Tony Romo will be at the table with his Holiday Playbook, helping take the beef game to the next level. From quick-and-easy weeknight meals and comfort classics to tried-and-true holiday dinners and leftover inspirations, delicious beef recipes for every occasion are available at www.BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com.

Whether an intimate dinner for two or a large party, beef is helping family and friends make memories this holiday season.

HOLIDAY MEAL PLANS & PRICES

SAVINGS FOR SHOPPERS

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the price of uncooked beef steaks dropped 4.8% in September compared to a year ago. Prices for uncooked beef roasts are down 2.8%.

SUSTAINABILITY IN THE SPOTLIGHT

NEW ENERGY SOURCE

More than 30 news outlets posted a story by Reuters that said methane emissions are seen by scientists as the top threat to climate stability.1

Anaerobic digestors are being used by more cattle operations to convert manure into energy. In October, there was a 339% increase in stories about this process and its potential benefits.1

STEAK SATISFACTION SURVEYS

More

NCBA’s

a recent increase. 93% said they were satisfied with the eating experience at home. 91% said they were satisfied with Ground Beef & roasts.

CLASSIC COMEBACK

Vintage beef recipes are getting new attention. Salisbury Steak was featured in The New York Times Magazine. The Washington Post said Bouef Bourguignon is among its alltime most popular recipes.

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