It’s Cattle Industry Summer Conference time once again. I’m helping out the Cattlemen’s Beef Board with their Beef Board Meeting.com as I have for several years now.

The current Vice Chairman of the CBB is Lucinda Williams. Lucinda is married to a 12th-generation dairy producer and farmer in Hatfield, Mass., on her 220-acre family owned farm, which dates back to 1661.

Lucinda not only got things moving in the Executive Committee meeting this morning but welcomed everyone to the second annual Joint Beef & Dairy Information Symposium. That session split it’s focus between nutrient-rich foods and animal care and welfare.

Lucinda says it’s hugely important to work together like this. She thinks it’s very important for producers to take time out of their busy schedules to come together and work jointly on issues common to each area. She acknowledges that animal care has become a big issue.

Because of Beef Checkoff efforts though she says that they’ve been able to counteract some of the sensationalism and keep consumer confidence in both beef and dairy products. She also likes to remind dairy producers that they are also beef producers.

You can listen to my interview with Lucinda here: [audio:http://zimmcomm.biz/cbb/cisc-08-williams.mp3]

You can find a lot of pictures from the conference taking place here in my online photo album: Cattle Industry Summer Conference Photo Album