Arizona Cattle Growers' Report

ARIZONA CATTLE GROWERS’ IS ON TOP OF THE FAKE MEAT FAD

Since the start of the fake meat fad, the Arizona Cattle Growers’ Association has been watching the product very carefully.

ARTICLE BY ASHLEE MORTIMER, DIECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

During October, my family holds a Pumpkin Fest & Corn Maze, where people from around the state visit to have a wholesome family day on a real farm. Since opening the farm up to the public ten years ago, I have met and visited with all types of people. Some who believe chocolate milk comes from brown cows, beef is full of pesticides, and others who think organic inherently means healthier. One of our primary purposes for inviting the public to the farm is the opportunity to educate them about farming and ranching because the general public is not receiving accurate information. This last weekend the Yavapai Cowbelles participated in this initiative as they spoke to festival guests, shared the story of ranching, and gave out hundreds of beef samples.

Through my involvement in agriculture, I have learned the importance of consumer education, respecting consumer decisions, finding common ground in agriculture practices different than my own, and not bashing others’ food choices or farming/ranching practices. I hope for other agriculture sectors, food marketing, and consumers to return the favor and not bash or spread misinformation about farming/ranching. The bottom line is that there is no one size fits all to being sustainable, eating, or growing/raising food; however, life would be much simpler if we all worked together and supported each other. Since the start of the fake meat fad, the Arizona Cattle Growers’ Association has been watching the product very carefully. When the “Beyond Burger” and “Impossible Burger” hit the market, my impression was that these products were just another option for the 3.2% of Americans who are vegetarians already eating plant-based foods. As the fake meat campaign began to tell lies about cattle’s impact on the environment, the health effects of beef, and animal treatment, the conversation became more than fake meat vs. real meat. The conversation morphed into a labeling and misinformation conversation. Political reform must take place to place restraints on falsely labeling products with misinformation, protect the consumer’s buying power, and protect the producer’s selling power.

We are doing the following to combat misinformation and labeling:

ACGA has reached 171,060 people over the past two and a half months through social media campaigns directed towards the consumer about animal welfare and the environment. ACGA has participated in multiple media interviews concerning fake meat and the impact it has on the Arizona rancher.

ACGA is supporting NCBA’s fake meat lobbying efforts and will support bills brought forth at the Arizona Legislator this session based on our policy book.

Two to three times a week, I receive media interview requests. Many recent requests have been concerning the fake meat fad, other recent requests involved fall, pumpkins, and cattle. In one interview, I was able to share the following personal story about pumpkin compost: On my family’s farm, at the end of pumpkin season, we incorporate the pumpkin fields into our cattle’s pasture rotation schedule. The cattle are in pumpkin heaven as they eat and enjoy the leftover pumpkins. During the interview, I was able to relate this story to the importance of promoting plant growth and fertilization through pasture rotation, and how all segments of agriculture work together to benefit the environment and our lands positively. Conversations, just like this one, shows the Arizona ranching community cares about the environment and our cattle. Conversations just let this one, combat the misinformation put out by fake meat marketers. Arizona Cattle Growers’ is sharing the real Arizona ranching story with the public. ACGA leading the conversation and listening to the public’s concerns by showing the ranching community cares about the environment, cares about our animals, and is dedicated to providing a healthy beef product.

For more information about Arizona Cattle Growers’ visit, azcattlegrowers.org or call us at 602.267.1129.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:My position at Arizona Cattle Growers’ gives me the opportunity to work with, meet, visit, and communicate with the greatest group of people in the world – the Arizona ranchers! I am honored to be a part of the Arizona ranching community, supply you with industry updates, connect your family with other Arizona ranching families, share the ranching story with the public, and provide information that will help you and your business continue to be better every day.