Checkoff Update

Investing in Beef Promotion, Nutrition, Education & Research

CHECKOFF PROVIDES BEEF TO OSU STUDENTS

The Ohio Beef Council (OBC) recently sponsored the Ohio State University’s (OSU) Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow (ACT) club’s Farmer’s Share event on campus. This event is held in conjunction with multiple other clubs within the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) on the Oval to educate college students about where their food comes from. OBC provided steak samples for the event that were distributed in reusable Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner. (BIWFD) containers. The OSU Meat Science club prepared the meat and shared tips on cooking and preparing beef, specifically cooking temperatures for steak. The team also shared beef recipes and informational pieces. The event reached the largest audience in its history including a visit from Brutus the Buckeye which attracted attention as students were making their way across campus.

BEEF: FROM FARM TO PLATE HIGHLIGHTED IN PRESENTATIONS TO FOOD AND NUTRITION PROFESSIONALS

OBC nutrition coordinator, Anna Gest, recently visited with dietetic interns at Ohio University to discuss beef’s journey from farm to plate. The presentation included information about the beef life cycle, sustainability, beef grading and labeling, and beef’s nutritional benefits. Gest also attended a Food and Nutrition Forum meeting with Ohio State undergraduate nutrition students where she was able to share information about her work with agriculture and nutrition and answer student’s questions about beef in a healthy diet. The American Academy of Pediatrics, Ohio Chapter, recently held their annual meeting where Gest visited virtually with conference attendees to discuss beef’s role in childhood nutrition and how beef is a great first food for babies. All conference attendees received literature about beef nutrition. Over 300 physicians and pediatric professionals registered for the conference. These events host ideal candidates with which to share the story of beef as they either are or will become industry experts that consumers trust to provide diet and nutrition advice.

NEW AUCTION MARKET SIGNS CREATED FOR BEEF CHECKOFF EDUCATION

The Beef Checkoff works to keep beef top-of-mind with consumers through initiatives such as consumer advertising, partnerships, public relations, education, research, foreign marketing, new-product development and so much more. As the Checkoff reached it’s 35th anniversary, many producers are not familiar with the Beef Checkoff and its importance in driving the demand for beef. In response, new signs have been created for placement at auction markets in Ohio to encourage producers to learn more about how their checkoff dollars are invested in beef demand building programs. These signs are available to any auction market and will be distributed throughout the year. To request a sign at your auction market, contact the office at beef@ohiobeef.org.

BEEF PROMOTED TO RACERS AT THE OSU 4 MILER RACE

OBC was a presenting sponsor for Ohio State’s 4 Miler race in Oct. Over 30,000 racers gathered in The Shoe to #FinishOnThe50. Beef was well represented as it was featured on all race materials, promotional pieces, and advertisements. OBC had a presence on the grounds to hand out beef jerky, beef swag and teach racers about the nutritional benefits of beef. Leading up the event OBC partnered with former Buckeye football great, Zach Boren, to promote beef as an essential protein in race preparation diets. These videos were divided into six social media posts with over 118,000 views. Social media posts from Ohio State Buckeyes promoting beef gained over 1.5 million impressions and over 29,000 engagements. Race promotions included ads in the Columbus Dispatch, five different radio show mentions and web ads on OhioStateBuckeyes.com. Instadium signage was included at four different games with an attendance total of over 370,000.

The Ohio Beef Council and the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board are responsible for developing programs that increase the demand for beef. For more information, contact the Ohio Beef Council at 614-873-6736, beef@ohiobeef.org or visit www.ohiobeef.org. Ohio Beef Council Operating Committee: Erin Stickel, Bowling Green, Chairman • Bill Sexten, Washington C.H., Vice Chairman • Stan Smith, Canal Winchester, Treasurer • Mandy Atterholt, Loudonville Dave Felumlee, Newark • Lou Ellen Harr, Jeromesville • Stephanie Harris, St. Clairsville • Jake Osborn, Lynchburg • Becky Reed, Springfield • Sam Roberts, South Charleston Allan Robison, Cable • Garth Ruff, Malta • Kurt Steiner, Creston • Susie Turner, Somerset • Barb Watts, Alexandria • Elizabeth Harsh, Executive Director