The Federation of State Beef Councils has awarded seven grants totaling $77,850 to six state beef councils for programs aimed at enhancing beef demand in their states. The awards, part of the Federation Initiative Fund program, were announced at the 2014 Cattle Industry Summer Conference in Denver Aug. 2. The Federation Initiative Fund is managed by the Federation Executive Committee, … Read More
New Video Tour Shows How Ground Beef & Hamburgers are Made
Ground beef and hamburgers are two of America’s most beloved meat products, yet also among the most misunderstood when it comes to how they’re made. With that in mind, American Meat Institute (AMI) has developed a new video as part of its “Glass Walls” series featuring a tour of a processing plant that produces ground beef for several major restaurant … Read More
NCBA's Update From Washington
NCBA’s Director of Legislative Affairs, Kristina Butts, was on-hand during last week’s Cattle Industry’s Summer Conference to update producers on current and future issues the Washington office is tackling. “Washington is always an interesting place in a midterm election year. The one thing NCBA is really focused our efforts on this year is more on the regulatory side of a … Read More
NMPF Wants Dairy Ingredients Problem Fixed
The National Milk Producers Federation wants the Food and Drug Administration to fix a problem in the planned definition of added sugars on food labels, saying it appears to include dairy products used as food ingredients, even though the lactose – or “milk sugar” – in those products occurs naturally. Commenting August 1st on the FDA’s proposed changes to the … Read More
Missouri Right to Farm Vote Today
It’s down to the wire in the final push for the Missouri Right to Farm amendment and the opposition, led by the Humane Society of the United States is pulling out all the stops. “Humane Society of the US has put in nearly a half a million dollars in (opposition to) the issue,” says Missouri Farm Bureau president Blake Hurst. … Read More
NCBA CEO Expresses Upbeat Spirits Towards Next Fiscal Year
Cattlemen’s grassroots organization, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), held their annual Cattle Industry Summer Conference in Denver, CO. last week. Producers and state organizations gathered to tackle and plan the coming year. Forrest Roberts, NCBA CEO, commented on the event and shared what we can see throughout the next fiscal year in terms of policy and markets. “This conference is … Read More
Biogas Opportunities Roadmap for Dairy Farms
The White House on Friday released a Biogas Opportunities Roadmap highlighting the economic and environmental benefits and potential for biogas systems in the U.S. According to the Roadmap, biogas systems offer a wide range of potential revenue streams, growing jobs and boosting economic development for communities, businesses and dairy farms. The systems work by recycling organic material — including cow … Read More
NCBA's Environmental Committee Brings Packed House
Ashley McDonald, Environmental Council for NCBA, talked about what is on everybody’s minds here at the 2014 Cattle Industry Summer Conference. Waters of the United States (WOTUS) has become a household phrase over the last couple of months and she highlighted NCBA’s efforts to eliminate the EPA’s term ‘navigable’ from the Clean Water Act. “We are in the midst of … Read More
Programs to Benefit Sheep Producers of All Sizes
Two new programs will benefit sheep producers and the sheep industry, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announced July 28. The new Sheep Production and Marketing Grant Program, part of the 2014 Farm Bill, will provide approximately $1.5 million in grant funds that can be used by sheep organizations to assist producers by strengthening the production … Read More
NMPF Supports FDA’s Draft Food Shipment Safety Regulations
Milk producers joined milk processors yesterday in supporting the Food and Drug Administration’s proposed regulations on the safe shipment of food, saying the draft rules largely write into regulations what the dairy industry is already doing. “Dairy foods are safely transported already, and there is no need to improve on current practices,” said Beth Briczinski, vice president for dairy foods … Read More