The Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) presented Bob Hough the BIF Ambassador Award June 15 during the group’s annual meeting and symposium in Manhattan, Kansas. The award is given annually by BIF to a member of the media for his or her efforts in spreading the news of BIF and its principles to a larger audience.
Hough and his wife, Nancy, live near Denver, Colorado, where he works as a freelance writer and an ambassador for the beef industry. His diverse career started with his service as an extension specialist in Arizona and Maine. He joined the Red Angus Association of America (RAAA) as commercial marketing coordinator in 1994 and then was selected to lead the organization as the executive secretary/CEO from 1997 to 2007.
He assisted in the development of the first U.S. Department of Agriculture process-verified program – the RAAA’s Feeder Calf Certification Program. Hough negotiated one of the first value-based marketing grids with a major packer. It has become the standard and has transformed the industry. He was involved in the design of the industry’s first “Total Herd Reporting” program, implemented at Red Angus. In 2002, under his leadership, the breed released the industry’s first Reproduction Trait Sire Summary.
In 2009, Hough moved to Denver, Colorado, and served as the North American Limousin Foundation executive vice president. He has since retired from breed association work. He has written more than 300 scientific, technical and popular press articles. He wrote the book “The History of Red Angus” and co-authored the book “Breeds of Cattle.” He has traveled on beef cattle business to 49 states, nine Canadian provinces, Ireland and five South American countries.
His contributions to the industry are many, including having served on the BIF board of directors, and being one of the founding members and the first chair of the Ultrasound Guidelines Council. He served as president of U.S. Beef Breeds Council and on National Beef Cattle Evaluation Consortium board of directors.