According to IDFA, USDA is getting some pressure from a lot of dairy companies and cooperatives over their recent decision to delay milk price formula changes. The letter was signed by 25 executives. Read More
A Report From Beef Board COO Monte Reese
The last item on the agenda here at the Cattle Industry Summer Conference in Reno is the board meeting which is going on now. It’s a combined meeting of the Beef Board and NCBA. I thought you might be interested to hear a great report given this morning by Beef Board Chief Operating Officer Monte Reese was on the program at this morning’s board meeting to give a report on the activities of the Checkoff.
Monte started out talking about how much has been accomplished in the 20 years of the Checkoff. He says that producers have created a solid science-based research foundation which has time after time prevented severe consumer confidence crises.
Monte also made a point of letting producers know how many expressions of appreciation he has received from other commodity groups for the Beef Checkoff’s perseverance in the face of a severe legal challenge. Since that final Supreme Court decision he says most of the challenges to other groups have been dismissed.
You can listen to Monte’s remarks here:
Monte Reese Report (10 min. MP3 File)
President of the NCBA
I don’t know how many dairy producers are members of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association but I thought you might be interested to hear from the President. He’s Mike John, from Missouri (left). Mike took over the reigns in January at the annual convention. Here at the Summer Conference he said he was happy to hear about how beef demand has been good recently but knows that there’s a lot of work to do to continue to grow demand for his product.
Another think Mike says which I’ve heard over and over from cattle producers here is how the NCBA or the CBB offer a grass roots input process for cattle producers to have an impact on what these organizations do and the effect they can have on the beef business.
Hear Mike’s perspective in my interview with him here at the conference: Mike John Interview (5 min. MP3 File)
Meet The Beefmobile Wrangler
Tracey Orsburn is one of the Beefmobile Wranglers and is here at the Cattle Industry Summer Conference. She puts in a lot of miles travelling around the country and making sure producers better understand the Checkoff. Her vehicle is also a travelling billboard for beef.
Tracey says she’s personally driven over 100,000 miles for the Checkoff since she started and has been through 43 states.
You can learn more about the Beefmobile by listening to my interview with her in which she explains the program and describes the kind of producer feedback she receives. You can listen to my interview with Tracey here: Orsburn Interview (4 min. MP3 File)
Merial Sponsors The Media Room
The media room at the Cattle Industry Summer Conference is sponsored by Merial.
Representing Merial is Jim Tate, Marketing Manager. I spent a few minutes with Jim this afternoon getting an update on Igenity. This program seems to keep evolving in what I believe is its third year. He says the program has a lot to offer dairy producers.
Jim says Igenity started out as a DNA testing business but is now able to provide a comprehensive profile of an animal. He says the technology is very computer driven so it can do much more than it used to for less investment by the producer. You can listen to my interview with Jim here: Jim Tate Interview (5 min. MP3 File)
Thank Heaven For Holsteins
A very busy presenter here at the Cattle Industry Summer Conference is Dr. Gary Smith, Colorado State University.
Dr. Smith presented information from the latest National Beef Quality Audit today more than once. Here he’s presenting at the Dairy Producers Educaion Forum.
One of the main messages he had for dairy producers in particular was “Thank Heaven for Holsteins.” He says the audit shows how valuable dairy breed beef is in fulfilling demand for high quality beef. Additionally he says that the Audit found increases in quality of beef which shows that producers are using information from previous studies. The study includes an analysis which shows that if a producer does everything “right” he can earn up to a $56/head advantage or premium for those efforts. You can listen to my interview with Gary here: Smith Interview (5 min. MP3 File)
What The Checkoff Means To Dairy Producers
I know I didn’t mention this before but I am attending the Cattle Industry Summer Conference in Reno, NV. Today we’ve got a Dairy Producers Education Forum which I’ll be attending to bring you more later on. In the meantime I did run into a Beef Board dairy producer member this morning.
When you meet Beef Board member Gary Sharp, who’s a dairy producer from South Dakota he’s going to make sure that you know he’s in the beef business as well. In fact, he likes to remind his dairy peers of that fact.
Gary will be participating in today’s Dairy Producers Education Forum here at the Cattle Industy Summer Conference. He is especially looking forward to presentations on research that show the value of dairy cattle beef and how that will be used to help the bottom line of producers like himself. Gary is pictured here with farm broadcaster Ron Hayes, from Oklahoma. Besides being interviewed by Ron, I got to speak with Gary for a few minutes.
Gary talks about the Forum taking place here today and what he wants dairy producers to know about the Beef Checkoff. You can listen to my interview with Gary here: Sharp Interview (4 min. MP3 File)
Learn More About The Beef Checkoff
The Chairman of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board is Jay O’Brien from Amarillo, TX, seen here listening in on one of the first committee meetings taking place at the Cattle Industry Summer Conference.
I got to talk with Jay before the Beef Board Executive Committee started their meeting.
Jay gives a very good overview of the work that will be done here by the Beef Board during the Cattle Industry Summer Conference. He says that the budget will be a main task that all the committees will contribute to and will be passed by the full Board.
Jay says that one of the key areas of focus this coming year will be reaching out to young people since research shows that they don’t have the same top of mind awareness of the nutritional value of beef as adults do.
You can listen to my interview with Jay here: O’Brien Interview (12:41 min. MP3 File)
CWT Contributions To Double
It looks like members of Cooperatives Working Together are happy with the organization’s work. So much so that they’ve decided to double their investment.
Members of Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) have committed to doubling the investment they are making as the fourth year of the historic self-help economic program begins on July 1st. Starting with July’s milk production, CWT member cooperatives and individual farmers will begin contributing ten cents per hundredweight, an increase of five cents per hundredweight from the current level of commitment. The additional revenue will be used to continue CWT’s two-pronged approach to reducing milk supplies in an effort to improve the economic climate for America’s dairy farmers. The higher assessment will run through 2007, and ensures that CWT will be able to fund additional herd retirement efforts, as well as its ongoing export assistance program.
We’ll continue to post weekly summaries of CWT export activity for you.
Larry Cade Retires From Accelerated Genetics
Wow, 38 years of service to one company. That’s impressive. That’s how long Larry Cade worked for Accelerated Genetics as Farm and Barn Manager.
Cade joined Accelerated Genetics, then Tri-State Breeders, on October 28, 1968 as one of five employees at the Production Facility located in Westby, Wisconsin. Throughout his career with Accelerated Genetics, Cade worked with all aspects of the bulls including: semen collection, feeding, exercising, clipping and washing. Eventually, he took on the role of Farm and Barn Manager, where he not only managed the bulls, but also close to 30 employees
You can read more about his story here.