February 2022 - National Cattlemen

N A T I O N A L CATTLEMEN

To be the trusted leader and definitive voice of the U.S. cattle and beef industry.

FEBRUARY 2022 • Vol. 38, No. 5 • NCBA.org

MARKET SNAPSHOT WEEK OF 1/17/2022

CURRENT VS. LAST YEAR SOUTH CENTRAL 500-600 LB. STEERS

$180.85

$181.61

.004%

LIVE FED STEERS

$109.52

24.7%

$136.58

CHOICE BOXED BEEF

$210.81

32.9%

$280.27

OMAHA CASH CORN $5.88

$5.15

14.1%

IN THIS ISSUE

3

LEADERSHIP COMMENTS

4

MATERNAL EPD

NCBA’s president reflects on a unique year with gratitude and pride.

Maternal genetics are often overlooked, but they play a vital role in the herd.

6

BEEF 4 GENERATIONS

The importance of carrying on the tradition of ranching.

14

WEATHER

18

MARKET REPORT

20

CHECKOFF

22

FEDERATION

December was a hard month for much of the country.

CattleFax and LMIC examine calf and cow-calf prices in an improving market.

An exciting partnership with Bloomin’ Brands.

NATIONAL CATTLEMEN’S BEEF ASSOCIATION 9110 E. NICHOLS AVENUE, SUITE 300 CENTENNIAL, CO 80112

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States provide beneficial training for nutrition experts.

Don Schiefelbein is Focused on the Industry’s Future A central Minnesota native, seedstock breeder and cattle feeder, Don Schiefelbein shares an appreciation, with many National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) members, of a hard day’s work and the commitment to continuously improve. As he takes the helm of the NCBA this year, he will bring important perspective to the job and is committed to working together to achieve crucial goals.

Schiefelbein is no stranger to cattle industry organizations and servant leadership. After college, he worked for Texas A&M Extension and then for the Limousin and Gelbvieh breed associations before returning to the family farm in 2003. Since then, he’s served in a variety of leadership roles with the Minnesota Cattlemen’s Association, as well as for the American Angus Association, and as an officer for NCBA. “If you are going to be successful, your industry must be successful first, so if you aren’t willing to put the time and effort into serving, then it’s basically going to be a potluck whether or not your industry survives. I’m very fortunate to have been involved in the cattle industry through several different avenues and have seen what can happen when people come together. As NCBA’s incoming president, I hope to continue to do just that,” Schiefelbein said.

Through his involvement in industry organizations over the years, Schiefelbein said the goal and the purpose have often been the same. That’s the drive to protect the individual cattle producer’s ability to operate his or her business as they see fit, find ways to make a profit and pass on a legacy to the next generation.

For Schiefelbein, achieving this has often come down to being innovative and the importance of teamwork in tackling any job.

“My family’s story starts with my father building our operation, thinking outside the box to figure out how to get through the 1980s and bring a big family back to the farm full-time, and now operating as a value-based, family business. This took a lot of resolve and are things that many cattlemen and women can relate to,” Schiefelbein said.

Founded in 1955 by patriarch Frank II, the Schiefelbein family farm has grown dramatically over the years.

“When so many of my brothers wanted to return to the farm, and to survive through the 1980s, we had to focus on a maximum return mentality and what it was going to take to grow the pie,” Schiefelbein said.

Instead of focusing solely on cutting costs, Frank II encouraged his family to think about how they could increase revenue and ways they could improve the operation.

Schiefelbein considers his father a visionary that taught his children to look for ways to improve instead of getting stuck on how things had always been done. He credits this family mindset to the growth and diversification of Schiefelbein Farms that currently supports seven brothers, their wives and five nephews. Each brother is in charge of something that fits with their interests and talents, and Frank II is still keeping a watchful eye over daily operations.

Today, the family-operated business runs more than

1,000 registered females with the majority calving in the spring, farms 6,000 acres and feeds out around 7,500 head of cattle annually. The cattle operation is in its current state largely thanks to a focus on genetics which is integral to the farm’s sustainability story.

“We adopted the philosophy of making every mating count; in other words, every female has to have a high likelihood of producing a high-revenue bull. Every heifer is artificially inseminated twice, and every animal is artificially inseminated at least once, providing every opportunity to have the best genetics possible mated successfully,” Schiefelbein said. “We also have an embryo transplant program using marginal cows as recipients, so if we’re trying to breed a cow that is missing something we just make her a recipient.”

The result quickly produced the most current and highest-value genetics being offered to seedstock customers. And, the family has continued to offer value to their customers with a calf buy-back program that was started more than 25 years ago. Simply put, this Schiefelbein buys back calves from their customers and feed them out in their own feedlot.

“Sustainability, at its core, is about doing things better and more efficient. If you look at genetics, there is no means to do things better and more efficient than through this avenue,” he said. “It wasn’t a generation ago when we used to feed out animals, and it would take you 2 1/2 years to get them to market. With our genetics and buyback coordination with our customers, our goal now is to have every animal harvested at 13 months of age, weighing over 1,300 pounds. That is super sustainable from an efficiency standpoint, from a nutrient use standpoint, and that really has been a game changer in terms of really allowing us to reduce our carbon footprint.”

As he looks to his year as NCBA president, Schiefelbein is serious about helping to lead NCBA’s fight for policies and a business climate that supports cattle producing families. It’s all part of maintaining the opportunity to make a living on the land.

He plans to focus on several priorities, including ensuring NCBA members’ voices are heard as the organization continues to grow and unite its membership and making sure NCBA is at the forefront of issues that impact the cattle industry to protect producer interests. He also plans to continue the organization’s focus on producer profitability and build upon the work in the sustainability space to create opportunities for members and their ability to pass on their operations.

“To me, I just sit in awe of how many people have the opportunity to do something they love to do and would love to do every day with their family by their side. There’s just not many places in this world that gives you that opportunity,” Schiefelbein said. “There are many days when I look up and say, ‘God, why me? Why did I get blessed with this?’ And it truly is a wonderful, wonderful experience.”

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NATIONAL CATTLEMEN 3

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A Year Like No Other

Disagreement Can Be A Powerful Tool

By Jerry Bohn, NCBA President so much uncertainty around our businesses, I am proud that cattle producers saw the value of NCBA and became members. We reached a new height with 26,000 members on our roster, and NCBA continues to provide even more benefits to members. Thanks to partnerships with key companies, NCBA members saw thousands of dollars in discounts on farm and ranch equipment, technology, and even clothing, demonstrating that it pays to be a member.

NCBA membership also provides critical political insurance. As individual cattle producers, it is easy for the government to ignore us, but by uniting behind NCBA, we put the government on notice. Today, NCBA members have a seat at the table for discussions around the most pressing issues in Congress, the White House and federal agencies.

A few months ago, NCBA Vice President Todd Wilkinson testified before the House Agriculture Committee on the need for greater transparency in the cattle markets.

When new “Waters of the U.S.” rules were proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), more than 1,200 NCBA members signed a letter, within a week, urging the EPA Administrator to respect long standing agricultural exemptions for farmers and ranchers.

Throughout 2021, NCBA As individual cattle producers, it is easy secured for the government to ignore us, but exemptions for livestock haulers by uniting behind NCBA, we put the to make their critical deliveries government on notice. Today, NCBA and keep cattle moving members have a seat at the table for from farms and ranches discussions around the most pressing throughout the supply chain. issues in Congress, the White House and When the Biden federal agencies. administration released its Build Back Better proposal, our NCBA stepped up. The iconic Beef. industry was threatened by potential It’s What’s for Dinner. brand helped tax increases. NCBA made it clear to families learn how to cook new cuts Congress that balancing the books of beef and experiment with new on the backs of hardworking farmers recipes, and consumers continued and ranchers was the wrong way to choose beef at the grocery store. to go, and none of the plans to tax As a proud contractor to the Beef producers saw the light of day. These Checkoff, NCBA is protecting beef’s wins were only possible because of reputation in the press while focusing the producers who stood up and on strengthening demand for our joined NCBA. product. The failure of R-CALF’s antiOur industry was built by Checkoff referendum sent a clear sign generations of cattlemen and women that cattle producers see the benefits whose drive and perseverance of the Beef Checkoff. In fact, for every created the conditions for our $1 invested in the Checkoff, cattle success today. I am proud of our producers see almost $12 return on industry’s heritage and grateful for investment. the opportunity to serve you this In the middle of a tough year with past year.

Over the past year, it’s been my honor to serve as president of NCBA. I saw firsthand how cattle producers demonstrated their resilience in a year that was like no other. We saw supply chain disruptions, weather issues and natural disasters, a challenging political landscape, and peaks in the pandemic that prevented us from gathering with our fellow producers. Through it all, the grit and determination of cattle producers shined through, and I’m optimistic about our industry’s path forward.

For me, life started to feel normal when I was able to see friends and fellow producers in person once again. Back in August, I was pleased to see more than 6,000 cattle producers who traveled to Nashville, Tennessee, for the Cattle Industry Convention and Trade Show.

Throughout that week, I heard time and again how happy everyone was to be back together.

The pandemic forced everyone in the beef supply chain to do business differently. At the producer level, we faced challenges selling our cattle.

Restaurant demand for beef dropped while consumers staying at home were cooking more and trying new cuts for the first time. In this moment,

2021 NCBA Leadership President Jerry Bohn President-Elect Don Schiefelbein Vice President Todd Wilkinson Treasurer Joe Guild Federation Division Chair Clay Burtrum Federation Division Vice-Chair Brad Hastings Policy Division Chair Mark Eisele Policy Division Vice-Chair Buck Wehrbein Immediate Past President Marty Smith Chief Executive Officer Colin Woodall

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF NCBA

Senior Editors

Editor

John Robinson Jill Johnson Sarah Drown

By Colin Woodall, NCBA CEO issue in a way that we would not if As I sit down to write everybody agreed. It allows each side this month’s of the debate to learn more about the column, I opposing views, and even though they have just may not agree, they can still learn new returned from details about the underlying topic. attending the Louisiana Cattlemen’s Debate causes all sides to evaluate Association’s annual convention. As their position to ensure they have not always, the hospitality was first rate, missed anything in their arguments. and the beef jambalaya and blackIt is a time to tighten up and look eyed peas were culinary gems I am for holes. It also provides a chance still thinking about. It was great to to evaluate the opposing views for see old friends, meet new friends and fatal flaws and weaknesses. The talk about the work we do. One of information gleaned from this critical the best parts of working for NCBA is evaluation makes each side better the privilege to get out and visit with prepared to find a resolution. cattle producers across the country Resolution to our contested policy during meetings just like the one in debates is not always easy to find.

Louisiana. While it is nice to have fun Many of the issues we deal with do and catch up, these trips are even not have a “silver bullet” fix associated more important because they give with them. Our discussion on cattle me first-hand exposure to the issues markets is a great example of that, but and concerns on the minds of our the information we discover through members. This knowledge is critical the debate many times results in a in understanding the full scope of path forward that would not have the state of our industry so we can presented itself without the debate incorporate that information into our taking place. The resolution may still planning, strategy and execution. not satisfy everybody involved, but While we are all in the business of I guarantee that all involved will be raising cattle, the experiences and better educated. Many times, we see challenges associated with our way emotion creep into our debates. That of life differ dramatically depending is not altogether bad because it shows on where you live. From alligators to grizzly bears, and everything in between, this is not While we are all in the business of an easy business.

Getting out raising cattle, the experiences and to state and local meetings does challenges associated with our way more than just keep of life differ dramatically depending us informed, it also keeps us grounded. on where you live. From alligators It is easy to get wrapped up in the to grizzly bears, and everything in heat of battle in Washington, D.C., between, this is not an easy business. or in developing the next advertising campaign. When we get the chance the passion we have for this industry to talk directly to you, though, it and the importance of these issues puts all the pieces together as to to our future. The challenge is always why we do what we do as a trade to see if we can come back together association. These local visits also remind me, however, of the challenges after final resolution to work together on the next issue at hand. It is not that come with being a national trade always easy, especially if you are on association, especially one that has the side that comes up short, but we members in almost every state. Chief cannot afford additional divisions among those challenges is the fact that there is no way that NCBA can be among us. Since 1898, NCBA and our predecessor organizations have had right in line with the policy from each heated debate on a host of issues. We of our state partner organizations. In should never do anything to squelch short, we are never going to agree on those debates because agreement on every single issue that plagues cattle all issues leads to some complacency. producers. While I would venture to When we debate and fight, we guess that we agree on at least 85 demonstrate the courage and grit to 90 percent of our policy, those that cattle producers are known for. policy areas where we diverge can We come out of the debate sharper sometimes take us to the brink. and better prepared for the slew of Now, I am one that believes outside groups that want to take us spirited debate and heated discussion down. Bring on the debate, but when are crucial to the effectiveness of an it is over, let us all be prepared to have organization. Disagreements allow us to dig down to the very core of an each other’s backs.

Contributing Writers

Creative Director Graphic Designer

Wendy White Ashley Willits Hunter Ihrman Sigrid Johannes Don Waite Dancinee Jennings

For ad sales contact Shannon Melcher 303-8503339, Shannon Wilson 303-850-3345, or Jill DeLucero 303-850-3321.

Contact NCBA: 9110 E. Nichols Ave., Suite 300, Centennial, CO 80112 (303-694-0305); Washington D.C.: 1275 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Suite 801, 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. ©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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NATIONAL CATTLEMEN

Putting the Focus on the Cow: Producers’ Perspectives on Maternal Genetics and Traits Often cattle genetics conversations focus on bull selection — what is the hottest, coolest bull that just hit the market? However, producers understand that cows are the foundation of any operation and building a proven cow herd can optimize efficiency and profitability.

We talked with two producers who understand the importance of focusing on maternal driven genetics and traits.

Daniel Mushrush and Mushrush Red Angus, located in Elmdale, Kansas, specialize in providing Red Angus and Red Angus influenced seedstock and replacement heifers to the commercial cattle industry. In the heart of the Flint Hills of Kansas, they focus on raising easy fleshing cattle that grow well on expansive grassland. Because of this, they put extra emphasis on traits such as Calving Ease, Maintenance Energy, and Stayability EPD without sacrificing the carcass qualities that cattlemen need. Erika Kenner runs Kenner Simmental Ranch, located in Leeds, North Dakota, where they build hardy, high performing Simmental and SimAngus cattle that thrive in the northern climate. Continuous genetic improvement produces better cattle every year for their commercial cattlemen customers. They strive for added growth without giving up good structure, feet and docility.

Erika: We have a strict criterion for what we expect from our cows, and we are not afraid to cull. We expect our cows to be productive, and we want to decrease problems. Udder quality for example, is one trait we have focused on for years, which can be problematic if we are not strict. We re-evaluate every female after they have their first calf. If there was a problem with their udder or feet, their disposition wasn’t desirable or the calf didn’t measure up, then they either are culled or moved to our recipient pen where we will use them to implant embryos. Sometimes those cows can still raise a good calf, but we don’t want to propagate their genetics.

Daniel: The introduction of data has been the biggest change for us.

We have not changed type per se, but the ability to tweak small things here and there to get the most out of each cow has been important. From a genetics standpoint, I think sometimes the hardest thing to do is be willing to pass up some of the popular bulls.

Maternal type breeding is incredibly ranch specific. One of the hardest things to realize is that most modern genetics will provide more growth than your ranch can express. I support the downstream players to making money.

However, I do not want my ranch to subsidize the process.

Kenner Simmental select genetics for phenotype and EPD to satisfy the producer and consumer.

quote that I consider quite often, “Add the minimum growth necessary, then add convenience traits.”

I like to make decisions with two overarching principles. The first one is, “we can work for the cows, or the cows can work for us.” The second is the old What lessons have you learned, genetic formula of Phenotype (P) = and how have you resolved them As you developed your cow herd, Genotype (G) + Environment (E). through this process? what changes have you made to From a management perspective, I your genetics program to reach your Daniel: One of the founders of the think of phenotype as output or result, operation’s goals?

Red Angus breed, George Chiga, had a meaning our cattle will be a combination of the genes we put on grass in the Flint Hills of Kansas. To keep our cows working for us, we focus on calving ease. If we don’t check our heifers at night, cows don’t get assistance. Some of these cows are several miles from facilities when they calve. We are still providing biuret (a protein supplement) to the spring cows and stockpile fescue to the fall cows halfway through January, so easy fleshing is necessary. You can see where we go with cow traits and the obvious tradeoffs with growth and performance, so we resolve this by largely avoiding calf feds. We are lucky enough to live in the Flint Hills and can focus on extremely low backgrounding costs and summer grass. We go to the feedyard with a large yearling that is ready to gain and get to the size the packer wants today. The added benefit of efficient cattle comes in cost of gain (COG).

Erika: We have learned when The Kenner Simmental Ranch aim to move Simmental and SimAngus genetics forward. selecting bulls to use in our

program to always look at the mother.

Especially when trying to improve udder quality and foot quality, it’s important to evaluate the parents.

Can you talk about the criteria you use when selecting replacement heifers and which EPD you like to focus on?

Erika: When we select replacement heifers, we rely heavily on EPD, but we don’t ever just focus on one EPD. We strive for a balance across the traits.

They don’t have to be perfect, as they are just one component, and we can utilize the bull to cover traits that aren’t exactly where we want. For us, we do not necessarily strive to have EPD in the top one percent of the breed, but we do not want to be in the bottom of the breed.

On top of utilizing EPD, we also factor in phenotype — structure, feet, udder quality of the dam and disposition.

We usually start out by looking at All Purpose Index (API) and see if that number is in the top 30 to 40 percent or better, we look at the rest of the numbers to see how balanced they are. The thing about the indexes is sometimes they can rank high on API and are extremely high in a couple of traits but average or below in others.

Maternal Calving Ease (MCE) is very important as we have seen that EPD to be quite accurate. Sometimes the bull is blamed for all calving difficulties, and yet, if you look at the heifer’s MCE EPD, that is more revealing of a maternal problem, not paternal. We make sure to watch that number closely when

Continued on page 17

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NATIONAL CATTLEMEN

Beef for Generations

By Wayne Greene and Evelyn Greene Beef has been on the dinner table throughout our history in modern society.

When humankind transitioned from being hunters and gatherers to farmers and ranchers, efficiency of our food supply chain increased. The efficiency of producing food has continued to increase throughout our past generations. Statistics show that in the 1930s one farmer fed four other people. In the 1970s, the statistic was 73 people; and today, one farmer feeds approximately 170 people. The data indicates that one farmer has increased the number of people fed by two individuals each year since the Great Depression. Prior to 1950, the increase was only one person per year; but, during the latter half of the 20th century the annual increase in the number of people a farmer fed was 2.4 people. This rapid shift in the increase of efficiency of the American farmer and rancher is directly related to the development and implementation of technology in modern day agriculture. This is especially true for beef production systems. Today, the innovative development of genetics, management, nutrition and reproduction technologies into cow herds results in 36 percent fewer cattle needed to produce the same amount of beef that was produced in 1975. Implementation of these technologies developed by scientists at land grant universities, USDA and private industry has been the foundation of the increased efficiency in beef production.

Unfortunately, the rate of growth in the number of people fed by the American farmer and rancher is decreasing. Within the last decade the rate of growth in the efficiency of one farmer or rancher feeding others declined from 2.4 to 1.4 persons per year. We believe a reason for the recent loss of efficiency growth is in part related to the many areas of activism negatively affecting the development and implementation of technology in farming and ranching. Activists, under the banner of animal care and well-being, environmental sustainability, greenhouse gas production, animal harvest for food, deforestation and many other areas, negatively affect food production. At a time in our history when agricultural lands are being consumed by urban sprawl amidst a rapidly growing world population, the need for increasing the number of people a single farmer or rancher can feed is increasingly important.

Increasing the efficiency and quantity of food production is imperative to provide food security in future generations.

Beef Are Recyclers

As farming and ranching developed, beef (and other farm raised animal protein) became a staple on the plate. Beef has been in the human diet worldwide for generations. Beef provides needed high-quality protein supplying dietary essential amino acids, vitamins and minerals for a healthy lifestyle. It fits well in a balanced diet for growth, health, reproduction and maintenance of the human population. However, beef is being threatened by activists from many different angles. There has been a growing campaign to take beef (and meat in general) off the table. In the past, animal protein production faced animal care and well-being, animal harvest for food, greenhouse gas production and other issues brought forth by animal activists. Recently, it has faced the challenges of fake meat, lab-grown meat and alternative protein as a replacement for beef (and meat) to maintain its place on the table. Activists are working hard to take the farm animal out of the food equation. At a time in the world when we must increase the quantity and efficiency of food production to prevent food insecurity, it does not make sense to remove farm animals from the food equation.

There is no other replacement for the efficiency of a cow (and her offspring) harvesting her own food by grazing grass and other forages while converting it into high-quality, nutritious and healthy human foods. The lands used for this activity are most often agricultural lands not conducive to producing any other foodstuff. Additionally, cows and growing cattle, along with pork and poultry, are fed feedstuffs that contain byproducts of other industries that are not feasible for human consumption. These include cotton industry by-products, corn distillers’ grains generated by the use of corn grain for alcohol production and corn gluten and corn bran generated from the production of starch and corn oil. Wheat from flour production generates significant amounts of by-products not consumed by humans to include screenings, bran and germ that is targeted for food animal feeds. Corn, wheat and other grains that do not meet the specifications as food grade are destined for animal feeds. Citrus pulp, apple pomace, potato waste and hundreds of other by-products are found in animal feeds— products humans do not eat. Without farm animals producing high-quality protein for a consuming public, all of these by-products would create a significant environmental hazard by their disposal into waste dumps. These stories are overlooked and never presented by the activists working to remove beef (and other meat) from the diet.

Becoming Beef Activists

If beef continues to be a staple to provide high-quality protein for generations to come, we have to become the activist. Activist is defined as a person who campaigns to bring about political or social change. Those that we think of today as animal activists are those that focus on animal care and well-being, environmental issues, animal harvest for food, health for the consuming public and other issues in order to “save the animal from human consumption.” However, the farmer and rancher are focused on the very same issues except in the direction of using animals to serve humankind by providing a “wholesome, safe, healthy and high-quality protein for human consumption” to feed a hungry world.

Stop and think about what the world looks like tomorrow if the activist working against beef as a safe, healthy, nutritious product for a world population were immediately granted their desires, which would mean “No Beef on the Dinner Table.”

Answer these questions: 1) Is this what our society needs?

2) Would the world be healthier?

3) Would our environment be improved?

4) Would animals (beef, pork, poultry) lead long and happy lives without the fear of being eaten (by humans or animals of prey)?

The answer to these questions is NO, because: 1) Our diet needs to contain high quality protein that supplies dietary essential amino acids, vitamins and minerals that are readily available from animal

products: meat, milk and eggs.

2) Lean beef and other animal protein (eggs, milk and milk products) are recognized as major nutrient dense foods needed for a healthy lifestyle.

3) Food animals convert feedstuffs and by-products not directly consumed by humans that otherwise would not have a value for feeding humans.

4) If food animals were not used for food, they would not be needed in the animal kingdom and would likely become extinct.

Additionally, society would likely face a severe food shortage and economic crisis, the likes of which has never been realized in modern history in this country. The North American Meat Institute reported in a 2012 Meat and Poultry Economic Impact Study that the combined impact of the meat and poultry processing industry contributed approximately $894 billion in total to the U.S. economy, or just under 6 percent of total U.S. GDP. Based on a 2014 economic analysis, beef cattle production contributed approximately $165 billion to the U.S. economy through direct and indirect economic employment opportunities. And these statistics have continued to increase to present day. The nation and world cannot afford to remove these products from the marketplace either economically or nutritionally.

The call by the activist to take beef (and animal protein) off the table must never become a reality. However, if we do not step forward and stand tall to fight the fight it will become a reality within the generation of millennials. If no action is taken, society will have to address many issues that currently do not exist. Some of these are: What happens to the food animals worldwide if they are not used to supply a healthy wholesome protein for humans—their only value will be in zoos? What happens to the welfare of these animals—no one will be able to afford to provide quality care and wellbeing if they are not productive or valued by society? Without being a valuable food staple on the table, food animals will go the way of feral hogs and unwanted horses to be released into the wild creating significant environmental damage if not controlled.

Without cattle, the non-cultivatable land in the world not conducive to growing crops will have no economic value. Many by-products of multiple industries will not be utilized. Rangelands world-wide will not be valued for their contribution to food production. At a time when world food hunger and world-wide food security is “front and center,” does it really make sense to give the activist what they ask for?

Who Needs to Know

Balance is the foundation to success. When the scale gets tipped one way or the other too far in either direction, it requires a readjustment to gain a “new normal.”

The activists work to slowly and methodically shift the fulcrum to create change (and then readjustment of balance) in the direction of their goal. Unfortunately, the work of the activists does not have farmers, ranchers or the consumers’ interest within their heart. They do not seem to see (or even care) where the balance point should be placed. Activists tout healthy food, clean environment and animal care as their concerns. And, consequently, their message gets millions of people joining their cause (oftentimes unknowingly) targeted toward destroying the food animal industry. Let’s look at this from a different perspective. Is the American farmer and rancher focused on producing a healthy, This is what we do in beef production high-quality product while and all of animal agriculture. If we do maintaining our environment for the next generations while not take our message to the consuming simultaneously providing public someone else will. And their quality animal care and wellagenda is to take meat off the table. being for the animals in their care? The answer is certainly, yes. We know that—but does the world? The public will “stand up” in support of environmental management for future generations, quality animal care and well-being to provide a valued life for animals and the production and delivery of safe and wholesome nutritious food. This is what we do in beef production and all of animal agriculture. If we do not take our message to the consuming public someone else will. And their agenda is to take meat off the table. Since the Meatless Monday movement began in 2003, it has taken hold in more than 40 countries and been adapted in over 22 different languages simply because of the presentation that it’s “good for you” and “good for the planet.” We know beef is good for you and good for the planet, but does the public?

In society, each crisis of the day/month/year is overcome in some way or another.

The direction of that solution depends upon those providing solutions. The farmer and rancher has always been innovative in sustaining their livelihood through the hard times and good times. Otherwise, the dramatic increases in production efficiency presented at the beginning of this article would not have been a reality. Our forefathers stood tall and fought for a better way. Today we must do the same. We must continue to be innovative in the way we develop a safe and wholesome product for our future generations. Farm-level innovation over the past decades includes the incorporation of improved genetics, better management, enhanced efficiency and greater productivity. All these things have led to an enhanced environment for future generations and the sustainability of our food supply. This is very ironic because the environment and sustainability of beef production is often presented in a negative light by anti-beef activists, and beef production is indeed sustainable while utilizing waste products from other industries. In fact, beef production adds sustainability to other industries. Very few industries can claim such a positive movement in efficiency and sustainability. To feed our future generations beef (and other animal protein), we must continue this fight.

The Future Depends on Us

Today, individuals, activists and politicians are working against us. We believe balance is a key to our continued success. We need balance across all sources of protein for a well-balanced diet. Looking ahead to meet the global food security challenges, we need to recognize it will take balance between both plant and animal products. It will take innovation and adoption of best practices to ensure all global food security. We must continue our efforts to increase the efficiency of food production Continued on page 8

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NATIONAL CATTLEMEN

Beef for Generations

Continued from page 6 including animal protein. The future of beef for generations depends upon it.

We are thankful that every day we have our industry Checkoff funds providing quality data and information, our national and state cattle organizations providing leadership, scientists providing new technology, media outlets providing quality information and farmers and ranchers working hard to deliver a quality product. But that’s not enough—we have to do more. In order to sustain beef for generations, it will take activism. We must fight activism with activism, just as we fight fire with fire. It’s time we set a backfire along the inner edge of the fire line to consume the fuel in the path of the activists that are so focused on destroying the consumption of animal protein. It is our call to produce a wholesome, healthy, high-quality protein; to provide quality care and wellbeing for animals in our control; and to not only sustain but to improve the environment for generations to come. If we have beef for generations, it will take all of us—individuals and organizations—to continue putting beef on the table.

We challenge you as a reader of this article to become an activist. Be an activist for beef. You make a difference.

All of us worldwide want a safe, healthy and wholesome protein on the dinner plate produced in an environment that is sustainable for generations to come. We promote the same message as animal activists except from a different side of the fulcrum. In animal agriculture, we are the original animal activists. Let’s stand up and be an activist for change in the right direction. Our next generation is dependent upon it.

About Wayne Greene:

About Evelyn Greene:

Wayne Greene is department head and professor in the Department of Animal Sciences in Auburn University’s College of Agriculture. He is a beef cattle nutritionist and widely published in the scientific literature focused on the development and implementation of technology for increased efficiency in beef cattle production systems.

Evelyn Greene is president of the American National Cattlewomen’s Association. Her presidential theme is “#Beef for Generations.” Evelyn is an alumnus of the Masters of Beef Advocacy Program and is Beef Quality Assurance certified.

The Evolution of Beef Demand Through the Pandemic Call it fortune or fate, but the decision Robert and Amy Hess, owners of Bow Creek Cattle Co., made to begin selling retail beef directly to consumers came at just the right time — before COVID-19 and its drastic impact.

In 2012, the couple from Hershey, Pennsylvania, had taken their Red Angus cattle operation and expanded to the wholesale market, starting with selling to a local hotel, the Hershey Hotel. That is where the business started, Amy said.

The relationship with the restaurant grew, and soon Bow Creek Cattle Co. was providing 30 to 40 head of cattle for the hotel each year.

“But we knew we had a problem, because about 80 percent of our business was to one venue,” Rob said.

This realization partially led to the opening of a retail store on the Hess’s farm in 2018, Rob said. In addition, in 2019, the couple decided to introduce an online, e-commerce store to sell retail cuts.

“Honestly if we hadn’t done that, we would’ve had a pretty serious problem when COVID-19 happened, because overnight what was 80 percent of our sales closed,” Rob explained.

Before opening the retail store, Rob and Amy knew they needed to diversify their clientele because their entire business hinged on three wholesale clients — Troeg’s Indepedent Brewing, The Hershey Country Club and The Hotel Hershey.

Another saving grace for the Hess’s was that they had a set schedule with a USDA-inspected processor before the pandemic disrupted supply chains, and we saw the obvious bottleneck in animal processing facilities. That 80 percent of their product that was meant to go to wholesale markets was fortunately diverted to retail customers, Rob said.

Having a relationship going back

10 years with their USDA-inspected processor allowed Amy and Rob to have a secure place to send their finished cattle during a time when many producers across the country struggled to find places to harvest their cattle.

And direct-to-consumer sales exploded during the onset of COVID-19 as families quarantined, and many businesses and restaurants were closed for extended periods. Consumers enjoyed the opportunity to try new dishes and recipes with cuts of meat they were not familiar using.

“During COVID everyone’s cooking at home, so they want to do different things,” Amy said. “They want to branch out and learn new dishes. So, some of those cuts like bite, coulotte, tri-tip, that aren’t so popular in the Northeast, are becoming much more popular.”

To their surprise, most of the sales at their new store were from locals, rather than the tourists they expected to see. Since Hershey is a main tourist location in the Northeast and the capital of Pennsylvania is close by, Rob said he expected to see that be a larger portion of their customers.

However, the start of the pandemic in 2020 likely disrupted this. Prior to COVID-19, Rob said Bow Creek Cattle Co. was 75 percent wholesale and 25 percent retail sales. During 2020, that shifted to be 25 percent wholesale and 75 percent retail — a complete 180.

Now, as the pandemic continues to alter consumers’ buying decisions and their travel habits, the Hess’s business is split 50/50 between wholesale and retail.

Another unforeseen result of the pandemic was the demand for online purchasing with local pickup. When Rob and Amy created their online store, they expected to use it primarily for shipping cuts of beef. They did not expect consumers to want to order online and

pickup at their farm store. This has become popular though and is easier to manage than shipping large quantities of beef.

The Hess’s started by selling 30 to 40 head of Red Angus cattle to Hershey Hotel, and they have now grown to sell approximately 80 to 90 head each year, both wholesale and retail.

Rob knows that consistent quality is key to keeping their customers satisfied.

“We selected Red Angus years ago and we stay true to it, because we want to provide the highest consistency possible, and we believe that through genetics, through the feed, through the processor and how we do that, is the greatest likelihood of providing

consistency,” Rob said.

Due to their quality genetics and being Beef Quality Assurance certified, allowing them a BQA label in the state of Pennsylvania, they can sell their product at a premium.

“We felt it was important for our customers to understand that we care about all of those things. We want to make sure that our cattle have proper nutrition, that they’re being cared for in a stress-free manner — that really can affect the quality of beef you’re producing. And we want customers to know that we care about that animal from its birth to the time we take it to the butcher,” Amy said.

Timing proved to be an important factor in the success of Bow Creek Cattle Co. When other producers across the country faced challenges at the beginning of COVID-19, Rob and Amy were fortunate to be setup to adapt to the new needs of consumers. Their onsite store and online presence allowed them to continue selling a consistent, quality product to Hershey locals. And their long-standing relationship with a USDA-inspected butcher was vital.

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John Lacey’s Legacy of Service One would be hard pressed to find someone more dedicated to the service of the beef industry than John Lacey of Lacey Livestock in Paso Robles, California.

He not only is a leader in his home state of California, but he is also the only person to serve as both president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (1996) as well as its predecessor organization the National Cattlemen’s Association (1990).

And now, he has recently completed an 11-year-term of service as chairman of the National Cattlemen’s Foundation (NCF).

This past summer, during the NCF Trustees meeting, John stepped down as chair and the gavel was passed to Dave True of True Ranches in Casper, Wyoming.

When asked about John’s service, new NCF Chair True said, “John has truly given his all to this industry — not just to the Foundation but also NCBA,

its predecessor organization and in so many other critical ways. John served in the officer roles of NCA, including its president. And then, hearing the call of the industry again, he once again stepped to the plate to serve as the first president of the brand new, fledgling National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

His calm and steady guiding hand provided the necessary direction to this unique organization through its infancy.

I am absolutely convinced that John’s thoughtful and even-tempered leadership contributed significantly to the solid foundation of NCBA. Through his efforts and dedication, all cattle people are better off today than if he had decided to stay home in Paso Robles.”

While his retirement as chair of NCF didn’t happen with a lot of fanfare, the association wants to take a moment to

W.D. Farr Winners Congratulations to this year’s recipients of the National Cattlemen’s Foundation annual W.D. Farr Scholarship! The scholarship, established in 2007, recognizes outstanding graduate students who plan to pursue careers furthering the beef industry.

Leddy and Mueller will be recognized during the 2022 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show, Feb. 1-3, in Houston, Texas.

The scholarship honors the successful career of the late W.D. Farr who was a third-generation Coloradan, pioneer rancher, statesman and banker known for his extraordinary vision. His dedication to improving agriculture, livestock and water development resulted in significant changes in farming methods that impacted ranchers and farmers throughout the nation.

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thank John for his hard work and dedication.

As a thank you, John was presented with two brand plaques with the Lacey Livestock Brand (pictured) — one to hang at home and one will hang in the NCBA offices on the Legacy Brand Wall in Denver.

Thank you to John, who isn’t finished yet, and continues to serve as an NCF Trustee.

If you are interested in a Brand Plaque for the Legacy Wall in the Denver NCBA Headquarters visit nationalcattlemensfoundation.org.

MACI MUELLER Mueller has been an integral part of the growth and success of her family’s firstgeneration seedstock operation, Lienetics Angus Ranch, in Princeton, Nebraska. She received her bachelor’s degree in animal science from the University of NebraskaLincoln and a master’s degree in animal breeding and genetics from UC Davis where she is also earning a doctorate in animal breeding and genetics.

Mueller is passionate about providing research and education to make the latest advancements in genetics and reproduction applicable to beef cattle producers.

Her goal is to use her knowledge and skills to enhance beef production efficiency through genetics.

KIERA LEDDY Leddy graduated from Oklahoma State University with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural communications and is pursuing a Juris Doctorate at Drake University Law School in Des Moines, Iowa. She is a fifth-generation rancher helping her family raise Charolais cattle in Stockholm, South Dakota Upon graduation, Leddy will return home to help farmers and ranchers navigate the regulatory and statutory framework surrounding wetlands, permits, zoning, and land use as well as estate and business planning. Her personal experience growing up on a multi-generational farm guided Leddy toward a career in law and communications.

NATIONAL CATTLEMEN 11

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Disease Traceability: An Important Safeguard for the U.S. Cattle Industry As the old adage goes, “when you know better, you should do better.”

We know NCBA members understand the importance of continuous improvement and innovation, especially when it comes to animal health and food safety. To continue to capture consumer demand for beef and to maintain a healthy cattle herd, it is critical to ensure that we are focusing on reducing disease outbreak risks through animal disease traceability.

“While traceability does not prevent disease, it is an essential tool to provide information to producers, veterinarians and state and federal officials when responding rapidly to an animal disease outbreak,” said NCBA’s Director of Animal Health and Food Safety Policy Chase DeCoite.

What is the regulatory history of traceability?

In January 2013, the Animal Disease Traceability (ADT) Rule was created to require animals to be identified and accompanied by an Interstate Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (ICVI) or other movement document when crossing state lines. In September 2018, USDA published the APHIS Over-Arching Goals to Enhance Traceability, which includes electronic identification tags for some animals and increased data-sharing.

What is NCBA’s stance?

It’s important to note that NCBA looks at this issue from an animal health perspective and we are committed to working with USDA to ensure that their long-term strategy can be implemented efficiently and without creating unnecessary or costly burdens for producers, which includes protecting cattle producers from liability once the animals have left their operations.

“We are working with producers as well as regulatory agencies, such as USDA, to ensure that traceability systems are realistic and allow farmers and ranchers to continue raising high-quality beef,” DeCoite said. “For traceability programs to be effective they must be modernized, and have the ability to operate at the speed of commerce. It’s essential that traceability processes include data security tools that allow producers to maintain confidentiality of personal and proprietary information.”

What USDA action do we anticipate?

Last spring, USDA announced their intent to pursue rulemaking on animal disease traceability using electronic identification (EID). This year, we expect that USDA will move forward with the publication of a proposed rule for mandatory electronic ID (EID). This technology will move the industry’s disease traceability efforts into the 21st century and reduce the amount of time it takes to conduct important disease tracebacks in the event of a foreign animal disease outbreak.

While we agree with this path forward, we are also working to ensure this transition will be as costeffective and convenient for cattle producers as possible.

“As USDA initiates a rulemaking process to enhance traceability, we know that for this program to be effective, it has to be manageable for producers,” DeCoite said. “We will continue to work with USDA throughout the rulemaking process to ensure that state and federal funds

can be used for producers to purchase the required EID tags.”

In addition, the current ADT regulations do not apply to animals under 18 months of age, and we will continue to urge USDA to maintain this in their rulemaking process.

How can producers voluntarily contribute to traceability efforts?

For producers who are interested in contributing to voluntary traceability efforts, NCBA member policy encourages partnership with U.S. CattleTrace. This non-profit organization collects four data points — animal ID, date, time and GPS location of the readers — and securely manages this data for animal disease traceability.

The program began as a pilot project in Kansas and has since expanded to encompass regions across the U.S. As of December 2021,

the secure database now holds over 2 million individual cattle reads for animal disease traceability. In order for the program to become nationally significant, more producers and entities need to participate.

“Without buy-in from all segments of the cattle industry, disease traceability will not be achievable. That is why we look forward to membership from each of our segments, including individual producers, industry stakeholders and more,” said Callahan Grund, executive director of U.S. CattleTrace.

To become a member, visit uscattletrace.org.

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The Importance of Colostrum

By Mark Z. Johnson, Oklahoma State University Extension Beef Cattle Breeding Specialist Being ready and prepared before the start of calving season can make life much easier for cowcalf producers and potentially save a calf. By the time calving season starts, you need everything on hand that might be necessary and all equipment and facilities in working order. Operators need several doses of colostrum or colostrum replacer on inventory before the start of spring-calving season.

Adequate colostrum intake is extremely crucial for newborn calves in order to gain passive immunity. Calves born after a prolonged delivery through the pelvic canal can suffer from severe respiratory acidosis. Such calves are less efficient at absorbing colostral immunoglobulins or antibodies even if artificially fed colostrum.

The only disease protection baby calves will receive is from the passive transfer of antibodies from the colostrum they ingest.

Colostrum also contains transferrin and lactoferrin, which bind iron and restrict bacterial growth.

These factors, together with immunoglobulins, help limit growth of bacteria in the gut.

Colostrum or colostrum replacer will need to be administered by bottle suckling or tube feeding within a few hours of birth for maximal absorption of immunoglobulins. The general rule of thumb is the sooner colostrum is ingested the better, and calves will typically stand, walk and nurse within one hour after birth.

Bottomline: if there is any question of IF a calf has received adequate colostrum, then colostrum should be administered immediately to the

newborn. Calves that miss getting timely colostrum ingestion are much more likely to suffer from calf scours, which can have lifelong effects on general hardiness and disease resistance.

Previously obtained colostrum must be kept frozen to protect the integrity of the large protein molecules that make up the various immunoglobulins. Fresh colostrum can be stored in one-quart doses by putting that much in a gallonsize Ziploc bag. Lay the bags flat to freeze in the freezer. When the time comes to thaw the colostrum and feed it to the newborn calf, the “best practice” is to thaw in a warm water bath at 122 degrees Fahrenheit for one hour. Avoid thawing at room temperature or in a microwave oven.

The amount of immunoglobulin ingested is a major factor in final blood immunoglobulin concentration and disease protection. A practical rule-ofthumb is to feed 5 to 6 percent of the calf’s body weight within the first six hours and repeat the feeding when the calf is about 12 hours old. For an 80-pound calf, this will equate to about 2 quarts of colostrum per feeding.

Commercial colostrum replacers contain more than 100 grams of immunoglobulin per dose.

Always read the label before purchasing. It is important not to confuse supplements and replacers. Supplements are used to boost antibody protection a calf gets from nursing and contain 40 to 60 grams of immunoglobulins, which is not enough to provide protection in a calf that has not nursed.

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December. One For the Books.

By Matt Makens, Atmospheric Scientist I’ll have to begin by updating last month’s article, which discussed significant weather events of 2021. The deadline for that piece was just after the severe weather outbreak that included the Mayfield tornado event of Dec. 10. After publication, the month continued to remain active, with another significant event, Dec. 15, on which tornadoes, wind and hail were reported from Colorado and New Mexico to the Great Lakes. Both of these significant days of December were added to the billion-dollar disaster list for 2021.

As mentioned in that January article, preliminary tornado reports did remain just below average for 2021, even with the unusual number of additional tornadoes reported through the end of December. Wind reports bumped to near average due to that extensive wind event on Dec. 15. Hail reports ended the year far below average.

If you look at December in total, it was not what one might expect for a winter month in terms of severe weather. There were a preliminary 1,272 severe weather reports, including tornadoes, wind and hail; the fifth most active month in total reports.

If we look at just tornado reports, December was a significant story. The month had the second most preliminary monthly tornado reports of the year with 200, second to May that had 289 reports. The top tornado days of 2021 were not in the spring months, which we would consider as our ‘tornado season’. The most daily tornadoes in the preliminary reports came on Dec. 10 with 102 reports and Dec. 15 with 57 reports.

(Preliminary reports are subject to change as officials review all reports.)

This furthers the point that severe weather can strike any day of the year, even

if it doesn’t fit with a traditional severe weather season.

December was clearly a significant month for 2021’s severe weather totals, but it wasn’t just unique to 2021; it was of historical importance, too. We need to look at a long history to put it into a proper perspective. To do so, I’ve plotted all December tornadoes above to show you how widespread they can be and that the month has seen a fair number of tornadoes.

For the period of record, more than 1,500 tornadoes were reported during the month. The December average is about 22 per year, so we were significantly more active than average in 2021.

Let’s take all of those reports (for all tornado strength ratings) and break them down by year: 2002 has the most, followed by 1982, 2015, etc.

Where will 2021 stack up against these? It is too early to say. Above, I wrote, “The month had the second most preliminary monthly tornado reports of the year with 200,” and each of those reports will need to be verified. I use the word “preliminary” a lot when describing the events of December 2021 because there will be several reports of the same tornado. NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center will go through all reports to eliminate the duplicates before finalizing the tornado

tally. Even without knowing how the final tally will end, it is still safe to compare 2021 to those top years of 2002 and 1982.

So, December 2021 was significant not only for the year but in history too.

Speaking of history, yes, there are issues with tornado detection and identification over the years, and many tornadoes decades ago may not have been reported.

So, take the period of record with some acknowledgment that detection and reporting have changed over the decades.

With all of this in mind, what made the month so active? I do not want to get too far into the weeds on the setup but let us look at the basics. To create severe weather, we need a lot of energy in the atmosphere, which comes from a strong contrast between temperatures and a steady supply of humidity. In this case, we had periods of extremely cold temperatures in Canada and a developing snowfield over the Northern Plains and upper Midwest to reinforce the cold.

We had extreme heat over the southern U.S. and a very warm Gulf of Mexico to contrast the cold to the north. The Gulf of Mexico was the primary and steady source of the humidity needed. The basics were in place for intense storms to develop. What reinforced this was some energy from the Pacific Ocean that was able to rapidly gain momentum (wind) as it passed over the Rocky Mountains.

When you combine all these things, there was a very active weather period driven by strong contrasts between temperatures and a supply of humidity.

There was something else significant to December aside from these events, the drought growth over the plains. From eastern Colorado and New Mexico into Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas it was very dry. Texas was hot, adding to drought growth there as well.

This drought growth is part of the forecast we have discussed previously. In a traditional La Niña pattern, we have drought across the South, and this year is no different. The outlook has not changed in that regard either — La Niña remains, and the impact continues through spring.

Outlook, March through May:

Northwest: Cooler-than-average conditions probable for this region, and coolest for those in the farthest northwest. That may be helpful to keep the spring melt from being too quick. There may be periods of moisture, but any surplus is most likely for the mountainous locations.

West: Unless we see a dramatic change in the ocean conditions just offshore, likely quite a warm and dry period. Warmest of all will be the southernmost areas, and coolest will be the northern coastline. Drought growth is likely throughout the spring.

Northern Rockies: Near-normal precipitation for the northern areas, but farther to the south from the plains of Wyoming across Nebraska to be drier than average where drought conditions need to be monitored. Temperatures likely to run above normal for the season’s average, but bouts of cold weather will occur too.

Historically, there have been some very cold weeks during similar patterns.

Southwest: Warmer and drier than average. This region will see drought growth and an early runoff/ snowmelt. Water storage amounts will be a concern for spring and summer.

South: Drought growth with hot and mostly dry conditions likely for Kansas to West Texas. Any available surplus precipitation is more likely around Arkansas than elsewhere.

Upper Midwest: This region and the Ohio Valley likely do the best in terms of precipitation. Expect areas of above-normal precipitation. Early spring moisture will favor snowpack which will reinforce some cold snaps, but as we warm through mid-tolate spring temperatures will run well above normal after we lose the snowpack and begin the thaw.

Ohio Valley: Like the upper Midwest, a favorable outlook for precipitation. However, the best chances for surplus moisture will come earlier in the period, trending drier toward May and then summer.

Temperatures will be warmer than average for the period overall, but analogous years have shown potential for sharp cold snaps in March and early April in this pattern.

Southeast: Although I see some potential for Florida to catch moisture and end up above average, most of this region likely does not. A warmer and drier than average period is likely.

Northeast: Although there will be periods of seasonal and even colder-thannormal weather early in the season, the end result will be a much warmer than average spring. Moisture will favor those areas nearest the Great Lakes, western Pennsylvania and along the border with Canada.

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NOMINATE YOUR NEIGHBOR FOR THE

2022 ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP AWARD Do you know a fellow cattlemen who is an excellent steward of the land?

Has a neighbor put outstanding environmental practices into place to better their operation?

If so, nominate them for the 2022 Environmental Stewardship Award.

For more information on how to get started, contact esap@beef.org or check out the website at www.environmentalstewardship.org

NOMINATIONS ARE DUE MARCH 11, 2022

Contact your state affiliate, NCBA staffer or sponsor representative for more information and assistance in submitting an application.

NATIONAL CATTLEMEN 17

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Putting the Focus on the Cow: Producers’ Perspectives on Maternal Genetics and Traits Continued from page 4 we are selecting heifers to stay in the replacement pen or in the sale heifer pen. If the MCE EPD is too low, often we will cull them. We also pay attention to Maternal Weaning Weight (MWW), which usually follows Weaning Weight (WW), and in our herd, we tend to have high performance, so it’s usually not one we worry about. Maternal Milk (MM) is another one that can get too high. We need to make sure the cows can milk, but we also need to remember that Simmentals were a milking breed at one time. Stayability (Stay) is very important, especially as I talked earlier about the longevity of the cows.

However, it does take time for that number to catch up. Stay measures how long the females stay in the herd after they have had their first calf. If a breeder culls all the females out of a sire before breeding due to disposition, feet, or structure, that doesn’t count against the Stay number. On these young sires, I feel we need to keep that in mind, and it’s another reason why it’s good to always look at all the EPD and pay attention to the Docility (Doc) EPD. We Docility score all our calves at weaning.

Daniel: I think most people are surprised when they see our replacement pen at AI time. As seedstock providers, we are trying to push the envelope. We will breed many sub-700-pound heifers that go on grass. Our Flint Hills grass will make them all weigh 1,000 pounds in October, whether they weigh 700 or 850 going in (again P=G+E). We look at the complete set of EPD available to us — udder scores, disposition scores, and foot scores — that will keep them trouble free. An ideal heifer for me will be above average calving ease, middle of the road growth, low maintenance energy, high stayability and high heifer pregnancy. We cull the ones that are too small and too big; a consistent size is a priority to us. We follow the Teichert model of exposing more heifers than we need and stick to a short calving window. The genetic decisions made are fairly conservative by modern industry standards. I don’t mind being second to the party on proven bulls and miss out on the disasters.

Maternal-minded cattle breeders can sometimes get in a cycle of going back to eyeball tests and not using data. I can see why that is tempting; the data sets are lower for those traits at the breed associations, they are slower developing and have a lower heritability than a marbling or yearling weight. I see it differently though, because these traits are slower to develop and harder to predict, which is even more reason to concentrate on them with laser focus. Growth and marbling can come in a generation. It takes a lifetime to build a cow herd. Why not use the tools and “shorten” a lifetime to a decade or two?

When looking at your operation’s goals, how do you add value to your cow herd?

Daniel: Keeping feed costs down while keeping the cows grazing. I would rather move polywire fence than load Dried Distillers Grain (DDGs) in a mixer wagon any day, especially with expected commodity costs this winter. Lastly, cows need time to amortize. The more calves she has, the better. Additionally, we keep our labor costs low. If the cows are working for us, we spread costs over more animals to get it down on a per unit basis. I don’t like any cows who are extra work. Some of this comes with a cost. To get to a herd that is working for us, we need to maintain a high level of culling to eliminate cows that don’t fit the system.

Erika: We add value to our herd by not needing to cull as many of the calves. In our operation, we hope the bull calves make the bull pen. If we must consistently cull bulls from certain cows or bulls, then they are not adding value to our program. Same for heifer calves. If we can eliminate culling them

and either add them to our herd or sell them in our production sale, that adds value for us.

How do you manage input costs for your cow herd?

Erika: We try to make efficient females. They need to be easy fleshing or easy keeping. We can utilize cover crops and corn stalks in the fall and through the winter, depending on the weather. If there’s not too much snow and they can still get to the corn and cover crop, they stay out there. We also grow most of our own feed which helps with input costs.

In the summer, we rotational graze. We don’t have the small cells because of our breeding groups, but we rotate pastures frequently to save our grass, which allows us to graze through the fall and save on feed.

Daniel: One example is our management of cool season pasture. Since it is replacing purchased and delivered feed, we go to great lengths — via managed grazing apps — to increase our grazing efficiencies and keep that high valued winter grazing going through a rumen. It also keeps the calves on fresh grass, and we go through fewer treatments and keep more cows raising a healthy calf. The other way to avoid unnecessary inputs is to simply avoid cattle that consume

Mushrush Red Angus is a family-run operation located in the Kansas Flint Hills. too much. Cattlemen in Iowa can use genetics that cattlemen in New Mexico should not. Genetics and environment always work in tandem to produce the result. We plug the genetics in, and we tweak the little things that we can within the environment to make marginal changes.

Improving maternal performance may seem like the less popular route, but in the cow herd it can increase

overall profitability. Invest in your cows, and do not be afraid to use likeminded producers as resources. Examine what EPD you use the most to manage your herd, consider looking at new EPD and choose the ones that benefit your operation the most. Producers can find additional resources by contacting breed associations local extension offices or a local land grant university.

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NATIONAL CATTLEMEN

Calf Prices and Cow-Calf Returns Improving in 2022 and 2023 significant

By Katelyn McCullock, Director of that may allow producers nationally to rethe Livestock Marketing Information role if that is build herds. Cow-calf return estimates are Center possible and based on cash values and include pasture SEASONAL PRICE INDEX – STEER CALVES Feeder cattle prices ended 2021 500-600 Pounds, Southern Plains, 2011-2020 may speed up rent. LMIC uses the Southern Plains, Index with a bang, and across many of the or slowdown with a spring calving season to provide 1.15 U.S. auctions, prices were among the that timeline. these estimates. They do not include 1.10 highest seen all year. Feedlots had Feeder cattle government payments or program strong closeout at the end of 2021, which and calf prices payments.

1.05 contributed to their willingness to pay up are expected All producers may not be able to 1.00 for feeder cattle. Average fourth quarter to continue capitalize on the improvement in cow-calf steer calf prices in the Southern Plains to improve in returns. Drought played a significant role 0.95 averaged $172.17, with December striking each of these in setting up these circumstances, and 0.90 $179 per cwt. This is important because years, leading another year of poor pasture conditions seasonally, first and second quarter prices to cow-calf could easily mean further herd liquidation.

0.85 for steer calves are typically higher than returns staying The last two years, drought has been 0.80 those set in the fourth quarter of the positive for primarily in the West and Northern Plains Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec previous year. Over the last 20 years, first the next two of the U.S. The drought monitor and Max. Index Avg. Index Min. Index quarter has increased 6 percent from the to three years. snowpack will be something to keep an Data Source: USDA-AMS, Compiled & Analysis by LMIC prices in the quarter before. There have 10/22/21 This assumes eye on through the first quarter of this Livestock Marketing Information Center only been three first quarters in the last the cow herd is year for the western U.S. Winter feed 20 years to post a quarter over quarter down about 2 supplies are expected to be very tight well above historical levels. This did not decline. The second quarters compared percent on Jan. 1 of this year and another in the West. Montana and the Southern appear to dampen the retail demand in to the fourth quarter of the previous year 1 to 1.5 percent down on Jan. 1, 2023.

Plains are showing more problem areas 2021, as cull-cow values were above 2020 is less consistent, but over the last 20 Along with drought, the demand which are concerning. The Southern values nationally. The cull-cow market is years that quarter is usually 7 percent for ground beef will also play a role in Plains region of the country was largely not expected to decline significantly in higher. Over the last 20 years, seven cull-cow values. It is not expected that not part of the beef cow herd culling that the next two years, in part because the second quarters have been below the the demand for ground beef will wane happened over the last two years but was demand for lean ground beef is expected fourth quarter of the prior year. If 2022 substantially but the role of imports in part of the last major cyclical cattle cycle was assumed to be an average year, it to be firm. Retail beef prices hit record the lean market will continue to evolve. downturn. would put first quarter prices at $182.5 highs in 2021, and ground beef is well South America will likely continue to LMIC’s expectation is for the per cwt and second quarter averaging positioned to keep beef on the center take steps into the world market. The contractionary phase of the cattle cycle $184.22 per cwt. Those are both about 11 of the plate for the price-conscious last two years have seen high volumes of to continue beyond 2022 and could percent higher than 2021’s averages for imported beef, as U.S. beef prices were change in 2024. Weather will play a consumer. the respective quarter.

Seasonally, the second half of AVERAGE ANNUAL CATTLE PRICES ESTIMATED AVERAGE COW CALF RETURNS a calendar year usually sees lower Southern Plains Returns Over Cash Cost (Includes Pasture Rent), Annual prices compared to the first half $ Per Cwt $ Per Cow 275 550 of the year. However, this year 250 there may be a counter-seasonal 450 trend influenced heavily by a 225 350 smaller beef cow herd size which 200 is anticipated in the Jan. 1 Cattle 250 175 Inventory Report. LMIC expects 150 150 third and fourth quarter averages 125 to be slightly higher than the first 50 half of 2022 and about 7 percent 100 -50 higher than 2021 prices. These 75 expectations are contributing to -150 50 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2021 2023 a positive cow-calf return value in -250 500-600lb Steer Calves 700-800lb Feeder Steers Fed Steers 2022. Next year is anticipated to 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 be even higher as calf prices seem C-P-06 C-P-66 Data Source: USDA-AMS, Compiled and Forecasts by LMIC Data Source: USDA & LMIC, Compiled by LMIC 01/06/22 01/06/22 likely to increase further. LMIC has Livestock Marketing Information Center Livestock Marketing Information Center cow-calf returns reaching a level

Beef Cow Inventory vs.

Annual Fed Packing Capacity

Where is the Balance?

35 34

Beef Cow Inventory

33 32 31 30 29 28

Annual F.I. Fed Packing Capacity

27 26 25 24 23 22

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025

be maintaining positive margins across the system.

As evidence that recent capacity has been inadequate, pre-COVID the beef cowherd was declining from its peak of 31.7 million head, while annual federally inspected fed slaughter capacity was estimated at 26 million head. With no widespread drought at the time, the liquidation clearly indicates a capacity imbalance was squeezing the cow-calf segment. This was before the pandemic made the problem worse.

Some have expressed concerns that planned additions will result in excess capacity again. However, demand growth suggests packing losses are not a given. Consumer-oriented and vertically aligned beef programs should support processing margins even through the tightest supplies in the cattle cycle. Additionally, the rapid growth of beef-on-dairy will prove to be a timely innovation to buffer tighter beef cattle supplies.

Labor market challenges may also make Saturday slaughters less prevalent in the future, emphasizing the importance of increasing capacity through new builds, expansions and technological innovations. It is also possible that new capacity, ultimately, replaces the oldest and least efficient facilities – many of which were built

Million Head

By Patrick Linnell Analyst, CattleFax Beef industry news and popular press have been buzzing after the White House press release and virtual roundtable on competition in the meat packing industry in early January. Chief among the topics discussed was the administration’s plan to financially support increases in meat and poultry packing capacity.

The need for additional packing capacity is nothing new or unfamiliar to the industry. An imbalance is easy to spot, but what does the industry need to achieve balance?

For decades, the beef industry operated with excess packing capacity, which resulted in poor packing margins and ultimately plant closures. This is one reason processing additions were slow to materialize until recently.

However, the dynamics that drove decades of cowherd liquidation and plant closures have shifted.

Global and domestic demand for U.S. beef is record strong with longterm growth patterns expected to continue. Contrast this with beef demand that was cut in half from 1980 to 1998. The demand growth can support a much more stable industry from cowherd to processor. Margin allocation will cyclically vary, but the key to a stable and healthy industry will

Source: USDA, CattleFax

four or more decades ago.

New additions are expected to be operational and ramping up towards full efficiencies in the coming years. Expect other efficiency gains through technology and robotics.

Current projections suggest capacity could facilitate cowherd regrowth to near 32 million head, but that is contingent on expansion projects coming to fruition to avoid capacity deficits and margin imbalances again.

Furthermore, capacity increases

Years

currently underway would be poised to benefit from larger cattle supplies if the cowherd were to expand.

Bottom Line: A significant margin realignment began at the close of 2021 and more will come. But increases in packing capacity are needed to better balance cattle supplies and achieve a healthy, sustainable cattle and beef industry. Without capacity increases, the industry risks undermining any future expansion of the cowherd.

NATIONAL CATTLEMEN 19

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Monitoring Calving Stages and When to Intervene

By Julia Herman, DVM, MS Beef Cattle Specialist Veterinarian, NCBA Each year calving season brings the promise of new beginnings, long nights and learning opportunities. Even well experienced cattle producers learn something new every calving season, from a malpositioned calf to an unexpected weather event. Having a refresher on recognizing the stages of labor, minimizing dystocia, and when to intervene can save much time, energy, and even the life of the calf or dam.

Dystocia, or difficult calving, can have negative effects on the calf and dam immediately after birth and potentially well into the next breeding season. It is very important that, if assistance is needed, intervention occurs early in the calving process. The Checkofffunded Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Program already provides a framework for effectively managing the cattle herd throughout the year, and we have pulled together some quick tips on recognizing the stages of labor and when to involve your herd veterinarian.

First, understanding the normal calving process will help you know when abnormal happens.

Normal Calving Process

Calving occurs due to a complex interaction of physiological processes1.

The normal calving process begins when the fetus has matured enough that the uterus and placenta are unable to provide the demands of the fetus. An increased production of cortisol and other steroid precursors will cause a fetal stress reaction.

Uterine muscles will respond to these hormone changes by contracting as the cervix dilates. Once the cervix is fully dilated, the calf is forced into the birth canal. Further pressure is produced in the vagina and stimulated abdominal pressing. Once this process starts, it is irreversible. The calf must be delivered promptly or problems, including death, could occur to either the calf, the dam or both animals.

•

or stress to the cow or calf is evident, or the cow/heifer has quit trying, then a vaginal exam should be performed to determine the next step which could include assisting the calving yourself or calling your herd veterinarian for surgical intervention.

Stage III Labor: Expulsion of fetal membranes. » Time frame: For both cows and heifers, this should take 8 to 12 hours. Do not attempt to manually remove fetal membranes from the uterus as this can increase the risk of bleeding, infection and future fertility problems. Work with your herd veterinarian if retained fetal membranes are suspected.

uncomfortable with this assessment, contact your herd veterinarian early in the calving process so timely intervention is possible3.

Cleanliness is very important during the calving process. In your calving toolbox, you should have: a clean bucket, disinfectant such as betadine or chlorhexidine, OB lube, obstetric chains, handles, a bag of rectal sleeves and latex gloves, cow halter, and a clean/dry calving area (if possible).

Bright lights are a must especially

for late night calving. If you have a calf puller or calf jack, it is essential that everyone is trained properly on how to use it safely and that it is functioning correctly.

Calving chains and handles should be placed in a bucket with warm water with chlorhexidine, dilute betadine or dilute ivory soap. To prevent injury to the calf, chains should be applied properly in a half hitch above and below the fetlock (Figure 1).

Be sure the cow or heifer is fully

Dystocia Management and Calving Intervention Several factors can contribute to dystocia in cattle. Fetal-maternal mismatch (calf is too big or dam is too small) is the most common cause, though there are many other factors.

Regardless of the reason, if no progress is being made during the calving process for either a cow or a heifer, a vaginal exam should be completed to assess the situation. If you are

Figure 1: Proper placement of calving chains with half hitch above and below the fetlock.

Continued on page 21

Stages of Labor

Cows and heifers will all go through the same three stages of labor, although cows tend to progress more quickly than heifers. Prediction of calving times can be valuable, yet these should be used as guidelines, and your monitoring of each calving animal should guide your decision making. It is important to monitor both groups closely, and remember to pay close attention to the heifers in case they need assistance. Dilation of the cervix begins shortly before calving during the preparation stage. Once this starts, calving usually occurs within 24 hours.

Dystocia can occur at any stage when the dam fails to progress normally.

Below are common signs to look for in each stage of labor. 1,2 • Stage I Labor: Calf has moved into position for expulsion. Stage ends when ‘water bag’ is seen or liquid comes out of the vulva. » Time frame: Cows should progress within 1 hour. Heifers may take up to 4 hours. » Signs can include: Mucus or discharge from vulva, standing away from herd, elevation of tail or tail switching, signs of discomfort and restlessness. In mature cows, this stage could go unnoticed.

• Stage II Labor: Begins with entrance of fetus into pelvic canal and appearance of water bag at the vulva. Abdominal contractions begin. Stage ends when calf is delivered. » Time frame: Stage can last from 30 minutes up to 4 hours in cows, but intervention should be assessed at 2 hours.

Heifers could take longer. It is important to check the cow or heifer every 30 minutes unless you see abnormalities. If progress is being made, let her push on her own. If no progress is made, excessive fatigue

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NEWS Partnership Blossoms Between Beef and Bloomin’ Brands Chefs and executive leaders from Bloomin’ Brands and Standard Meat Company recently visited the Checkoff-funded Beef Culinary Center at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) office in Centennial, Colorado. The Bloomin’ Brands team, including culinary and research and development professionals as well as operations and supply chain managers, traveled from across the country to learn how underutilized beef cuts can add selection and value for their customers.

Bloomin’ Brands is one of the world’s largest casual dining companies with more than 1,450 restaurants throughout 47 states, Guam and 20 countries. The company’s well-known restaurant brands include Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba’s Italian Grill, Bonefish Grill and Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar. Standard Meat Company, family owned and operated since 1935, processes steaks into portion-controlled servings for Bloomin’ Brands restaurants.

According to Mark Johnson, director of foodservice engagement at NCBA, Bloomin’ Brands came to the Beef Culinary Center looking for ways to better utilize beef cuts and develop new ideas on how they can be used in various applications across multiple restaurant concepts.

NCBA staff shared information on a wide range of topics including Checkofffunded consumer market research and product quality research. Guests learned about consumer preferences, beef aging and tenderness, and the National Beef Tenderness Survey, and they experienced a fabrication demonstration. In addition, Colin Woodall, NCBA’s CEO, provided an overview of the beef industry and shared issues and challenges currently facing producers.

“This was a great opportunity to bring decision makers representing large, national brands to the Beef Culinary Center and showcase what the Beef Checkoff does for foodservice operators,” Johnson said.

Chef Alex Reitz, associate director of culinary at NCBA, prepared lunch for the group, creating beef dishes and presenting them in various ways as ideation for the Bloomin’ Brands family of restaurants.

“It was a pleasure cooking for the group because they were excited about the information and dishes shared and were very engaged,” Reitz said.

“They walked away with some great ideas how to incorporate beef into

TRENDING IN FOOD & MEDIA

their menus and create unique experiences for their customers.”

For some attendees the visit reinforced what they already knew about the Beef Checkoff, but for others this was the first time learning about the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. brand and the services NCBA offers to foodservice operators on behalf of the Checkoff.

“Beef is at the core of what we serve, and NCBA is a premier NCBA staff answered questions regarding source of information,” said Randy Scruggs, vice sustainability and quality. president of supply chain for Bloomin’ Brands. “From product innovation to market trends and challenges, they introduced new ways for us to think about beef.”

The group asked plenty of questions, especially about sustainability. Bloomin’ Brands is committed to “bringing and serving people together” and is constantly working to “improve how we support our people, preserve our environment, and increase the quality and sustainability of our ingredients in order to provide an exceptional guest experience.” Visitors were pleased to learn about the beef industry’s continued dedication to sustainability and the positive role beef plays in the climate conversation and left knowing the beef served in their restaurants supports their commitment to sustainability.

In addition to sustainability, the pandemic was a topic of conversation as well.

The team at Bloomin’ Brands discussed their quick pivot to increase online ordering, curbside pick-up and third-party delivery to serve customers outside of the restaurants.

Even with restrictions easing and people eating out more, e-commerce has become an impressive part of their business, and they have made the necessary adjustments to accommodate the higher demand.

The pandemic certainly hit foodservice particularly hard, but its impact rippled across industries around the globe. Now that people are getting out and companies are conducting more business in-person, the Beef Culinary Center is buzzing with activity.

“We haven’t been able to host guests in the Beef Culinary Center during the pandemic, so it was nice to bring a group here in-person again,” Johnson said. “The work we do to help foodservice partners incorporate beef into menus across the country should make beef producers proud.”

Beef Tailgating Tour Travels to College Games Across Southeast

SUPPLY CHAIN & PRICES Outlets like CNN and Bloomberg focused on consumer impacts of elevated meat costs in the U.S.1 Concerns about supply chain disruptions and food prices drove a continued increase in social media mentions.1

GOOD NEWS FOR BEEF Outlets like Yahoo! News and Parade featured beef recipes for the holidays.1

TAILGATE T OUR BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com

BEEF SUSTAINABILITY Reuters and CNN covered a new technology to reduce methane emissions from cattle manure: zapping it with lightning.1 TIME Magazine and other outlets positioned beef as a major contributer to climate change.1

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GOOD NEWS FOR BEEF The Colorado Sun showed how cattle ranches can preserve natural wildlife habitats.1

PLANT-BASED DIETS & MEAT ALTERNATIVES Inc., Bloomberg and Yahoo!

Entertainment covered advancements in non-plant-based meat alternatives, like air protein and cultured meat.1 Taco Bell reportedly dropped Beyond Meat after a failed test of a plantbased carne asada product.1

1.

GOOD NEWS FOR BEEF Prevention and Yahoo! News reported that consumers should avoid ultra-processed meat alternatives.1

#011122-07 National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. (2021). Traditional and social media listening dashboards. Retrieved from Meltwater: www.meltwater.com

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One of the great American fall traditions is tailgating with friends and family before football games. Sizzling beef on the grill, the sweet smell of smoke wafting through the air, tossing the football and cheering on your favorite team are experiences that linger in many memories. With beef holding a special place on tailgating menus, the events offer the perfect opportunity to engage with consumers.

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, made beef the official protein of the 2021 ESPN Events Tailgate Tour.

The event, which made stops at more than 20 college football games, including four bowl games, provided an opportunity to share beef’s sustainability message with a broad consumer audience.

While beef was served and sustainability messaging was showcased at every event, cattle producers serving as beef ambassadors were also on hand at select events. The Tailgating Tour served as another opportunity for consumers to interact with farmers and ranchers and learn important information about beef nutrition and sustainability in a more connected and comprehensive way.

Along with beef samples, spice packets were given away with a special QR code directing back to sustainability information on BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com.

NATIONAL CATTLEMEN 21

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Monitoring Calving Stages and When to Intervene Continued from page 19

•

Presentation refers to whether the calf is coming frontward, backward or transverse.

• Position refers to whether the calf is right-side-up or upside-down with only right-side-up being considered normal.

• Posture refers to the relationship of the calf’s legs and head to its own body.

Checking the position of the calf will determine how to place chains and move forward.

Calves may be pulled frontwards or backwards as long as both legs are in the same direction (Figure 2 and 3). However, backward presentation and any other presentation should be considered abnormal and grounds for intervention.

Having contact information for your herd veterinarian posted in the calving area or barn is a key preparation step before calving season. Even with close monitoring, timeliness of intervention will improve the success of the dystocia for the calf and the dam. Calling the veterinarian sooner can provide Figure 2: Calf is in a frontward presentation, a better outcome in case a Cesarian-section or fetotomy is right-side-up position and a normal posture needed. Close monitoring of cattle of both front legs and head extended into the during calving season improves birth canal. dilated before moving on. Manual pressure can be applied using your forearms, hands grasped and extending your elbows out in a V-shape to gradually dilate the cervix and prevent tearing.

When figuring out how the calf is positioned, it is important to remember these terms in describing 1:

the chance of identifying problems early in the process. Both the calf and dam will benefit from early intervention if needed. Follow your herd health plan or veterinarian’s instructions on care of the cow and calf after dystocia, including pain management, colostrum administration or other advice. You can refer to the following resources or the BQA National Manual for further tips on biosecurity, record keeping, and herd management at bqa.org.

Recognizing and handling calving problems. https://agrilifeextension.tamu. edu/library/ranching/recognizing-andhandling-calving-problems/ (Accessed January 10, 2022).

3 Hilton 2019. Pulling a calf? Here’s the best way. https://www.beefmagazine. com/calving/pulling-calf-here-s-best-way (Accessed January 10, 2022).

References: 1 Mortimer 2017.

Calving and handling calving difficulties. https://beef.unl. edu/documents/ herd-health/2015Calving-and-HandlingCalving-DifficultiesDecember-2017.pdf (Accessed January 10, 2022).

2 Extension Animal Science Program, Texas A&M University.

Figure 3: Calf is in a backward presentation, right-sideup position and posture of both hind legs extended into the birth canal.

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T H E F E D E R AT I O N O F S TAT E B E E F C O U N C I L S Building beef demand by inspiring, unifying and supporting an effective state/national Checkoff partnership.

Future Dietitians Learn About the Benefits of Beef Beef is packed with nutrients, and state beef councils work tirelessly to convey the nutritional benefits of beef to health professionals and consumers across the country. Reaching health professionals early in their careers is an effective strategy to educate future dietitians about nutrients found in beef and debunk myths about the cattle industry. Many SBCs provide tours and training to connect dietetic interns with producers and arm them with accurate information they can share with their clients in the future.

Sharing Beef’s Nutritional Message The Colorado Beef Council (CBC) hosted 25 dietetic interns from local universities, health departments and hospitals to learn how beef can be part of a healthy lifestyle. The interns came together for a collaborative training featuring topics such as beef as a foundational food for health, beef sustainability and how to communicate beef’s nutritional message.

Dietetic interns are required to complete approximately 1,000 practice hours in the areas of clinical, foodservice and community nutrition before taking a national examination to become a registered dietitian (RD). RDs create nutrition plans to improve the health and physical conditions of patients and educate them on how to maintain a balanced diet. Experiences like the one offered by the CBC provide information about the nutritional benefits of beef that future dietitians can share with

their clients.

According to one intern in attendance, “One of my big takeaways was the fact that as dietitians we have a lot of work to do in order to debunk the myths that are out there about beef.

When incorporated into a balanced diet with plenty of vegetables, fruits and whole grains, lean red meat has many essential nutrients that our bodies need. I always appreciate these events that broaden our knowledge and teach us more about relevant topics in nutrition.”

The Colorado Beef Council works to network and collaborate with medical professionals including registered dietitians, nurse practitioners and physicians to educate how beef fits into a healthy and sustainable eating pattern that all can enjoy. For more information, visit www.cobeef.com.

A Decade of Nutrition Communications Training The Kansas Beef Council (KBC) hosted nutrition communications training workshops for students enrolled in dietetic internship programs at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City and Kansas State University in Manhattan. More than 30 dietetic interns and faculty members participated in the events. Sessions with Abby Heidari, registered dietitian, and director of nutrition for the KBC; Donald K. Layman, PhD, protein research expert; and Melissa Joy Dobbins, registered dietitian, allowed students to apply evidence-based guidelines as they practiced delivering science-based protein recommendations in a variety of potential settings, including one-on-one patient counseling and recorded Top Sirloin steak cooking demonstrations.

These Checkoff-funded sessions are designed to provide accurate, peer-reviewed information and practical experience with beef to aspiring professionals who will reach thousands of consumers and clients with dietary advice during their careers. Participants at the KU workshop also had the opportunity to learn from Wabaunsee County ranchers Wrenn and Arturo Pacheco while KSU interns heard from Isaac and Jill Carr.

The 2021 event marked the tenth year for Checkofffunded dietitian training sessions in Kansas. For more information, visit www.kansasbeef.org.

States Work Together to Educate Health Professionals Nutrition advice, dietary recommendations and serving suggestions are topics nutrition professionals discuss with countless clients during their careers. Now, more than ever, those insights are influenced by the knowledge of how food is grown and raised. With grant funds and support from the Iowa Beef Industry Council (IBIC), the Arizona Beef Council (ABC) works with dietetic intern programs from across the state to provide students the opportunity to see the beef community on a tour from Gate to Plate. The ABC and IBIC see great value in reaching these dietetic interns before they enter the work force as registered dietitians as their courses often skip over beef nutrition and its role in a healthy diet.

Students from the University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University joined ABC staff for a virtual tour of the Quarter Circle U Ranch, a cow-calf ranch raising primarily Angus cattle.

A prerecorded video was shown while Chuck Backus, ranch partner, participated live talking about the lifecycle, handling, breeding, branding and vaccinating of the cattle at this ranch. The tour was followed by a nutrition presentation from a

registered dietitian who shared how beef can be incorporated into a healthy diet and provided the latest nutrition research as supporting evidence.

Two weeks later, the students again met via Zoom for a live tour with Bass Aja at Pinal Feeding Co. This tour showcased the incredible amount of science that goes into feeding cattle to ensure their health and raising a high-quality beef product.

Following the tour, students learned techniques for using social media to showcase nutrition information along with beef nutrition messages.

This tour and others like it are made possible with funding from a partnership with IBIC. “Connecting ranchers with future dietitians and health professionals continues to build common ground between ranchers and key opinion leaders who will impact thousands of consumers over the lifespan of their careers,” said Rex Hoppes, IBIC executive director. “The Gate to Plate tour continues to be a success story for the Arizona Beef Council, and we look forward to working with their team to drive beef demand in the future.”

For more information, visit www.arizonabeef.org and www.iabeef.org.

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