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Frequently Asked Questions

The Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board will invest about $40.5 million into programs of beef promotion, research, consumer information, industry information, foreign marketing and producer communications during fiscal year 2019, subject to USDA approval.

In action at the end of its September 11-12 meeting in Denver, the Operating Committee approved checkoff funding for a total of 14 “Authorization Requests” – or proposals – brought by seven contractors for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2018. The committee, which includes 10 producers from the Beef Board and 10 producers from the Federation of State Beef Councils, also recommended full Beef Board approval of a budget amendment to reflect the split of funding between budget categories affected by their decisions.

The seven contractors had brought a total of $45 million worth of funding requests to the Operating Committee this week, almost $5 million more than what was available from the CBB budget.

“The members of the Operating Committee listened with open minds as contractors presented their requests for funding. The committee engaged in respectful debate as they went through the funding for each request, mindful of program committee comments from summer convention,” said Beef Board Chairman Joan Ruskamp, a feedlot owner from Nebraska. “Trimming nearly $4.8 million to meet the budget of $40,521,900 was not an easy task, yet the committee remained focused on program funding that would best strengthen demand for beef.”

In the end, the Operating Committee approved proposals from seven national beef organizations for funding through the FY19 Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board budget, as follows:

  • National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (five proposals for $27.4 million)
  • U.S. Meat Export Federation, a subcontractor to NCBA (one proposal for $8.3 million)
  • North American Meat Institute (four proposals for $1.9 million)
  • Cattlemen’s Beef Board (one proposal for $1.7 million)
  • American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture (one proposal for $700,000)
  • Meat Import Council of America (one proposal for $417,000)
  • National Livestock Producers Association (one proposal for $60,000)

Broken out by budget component, the Fiscal Year 2019 Plan of Work for the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board budget includes:

  • $10.5 million for promotion programs, including continuation of the Checkoff’s consumer digital advertising program, as well as veal promotion
  • $9.2 million for research programs, focusing on a variety of critical issues, including pre- and post-harvest beef safety research, product quality research, human nutrition research and scientific affairs, market research, and beef and culinary innovations
  • $7.6 million for consumer information programs, including a Northeast public relations initiative; national consumer public relations, including nutrition-influencer relations and work with primary- and secondary-school curriculum directors nationwide to get accurate information about the beef industry into classrooms of today’s youth
  • $3 million for industry information programs, comprising dissemination of accurate information about the beef industry to counter misinformation from anti-beef groups and others, as well as funding for checkoff participation in the fifth annual national industrywide symposium focused on discussion and dissemination of information about antibiotic use
  • $8.3 million for foreign marketing and education in 80 countries in the following regions: ASEAN region, Caribbean, Central America/Dominican Republic, China/Hong Kong, Europe, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Middle East, Russia/Greater Russian Region, South America, Taiwan and new markets
  • $1.7 million for producer communications, which includes investor outreach using national communications and direct communications to producers and importers about checkoff results; as well as development and utilization of a publishing strategy and platform, and a state beef council content hub

The full fiscal 2019 budget is $43.9 million. Separate from the authorization requests, other expenses funded include $227,000 for evaluation; $300,000 for program development; $800,000 for USDA oversight/CBB legal; and about $2 million for administration. The fiscal 2019 budget represents an increase of $3 million from the $40.9 million FY19 budget.

purple sky

Frequently Asked Questions

Beef producer Joan Ruskamp from Dodge, Nebraska, was elected by fellow Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB) members to serve as CBB chairman in 2018. The vote came during the 2018 Cattle Industry Annual Convention in Phoenix, Arizona.

Get to know Joan in the following interview:

Tell us about yourself and your history in the beef industry.

I grew up in Grand Island, Nebraska with dreams of living on a farm. My dreams were fueled by stories from my dad’s childhood experiences on the farm and my exposure to ranch life from extended family members on my mom’s side. My love for animals grew from dogs and cats to buying a horse with detasseling money. That interest in animals eventually led me to the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in Curtis, Nebraska where I received an associate’s degree in veterinary medicine.

A three-month work experience program in O’Neill, Nebraska strengthened my desire to work around cattle. While working for a mixed practice veterinary clinic in Fremont, Nebraska, I met my husband, Steve. Our first date was riding horses around his family’s farm and feedlot. We married in 1981 and had the opportunity to buy the farm Steve’s dad grew up on.

We grew the feedlot from a few hundred cattle to a few thousand by custom feeding. My role has always been in the cattle doctoring and processing area, along with record keeping. Working on a farm, raising five children, and volunteering in the community gave me little extra time for other organizational work. As our last child graduated from high school, I began sharing the beef story with consumers. My appointment to the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion & Research Board (CBB) has allowed me to serve the beef community by bringing my producer experience and passion for beef together.

What do you believe is the biggest strength you bring to the table as chairman?

I believe my biggest strength is my passion for communicating the beef story. I live the beef story and see first-hand the commitment to quality care and improvement from farmers and ranchers like Steve and I.

There was so much I didn’t know about farm life until I lived on a farm, so I understand the disconnect consumers have. As our checkoff continues the work of growing demand for beef, I hope to channel my passion into serving the beef community as a trusted leader.

Tell us about your family.

My husband, best friend, and business partner for over 36 years is Steve Ruskamp. He is a fourth-generation farmer and cattle feeder. We have been blessed with five amazing children and the people they have brought into our family.

Our oldest daughter, Ginger, is married to her childhood sweetheart, teaches high school English, and has two daughters. Scott, our second oldest, is a computer engineer in Santa Barbara, California. He is married, and they are expecting their first child in May. Scott is also fluent in Japanese. Our next oldest, Emily lives in Chicago, and is also married with one son. Emily works for the Archdiocese of Chicago jail ministry. Jeff is our fourth child, and is currently living in Chincha, Peru. He graduated with a degree in architectural engineering and decided to follow another calling as a consecrated lay person. He is in his sixth year of formation with the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae. Emily and Jeff are both fluent in Spanish. Kim is our youngest; she is married, and they are expecting their first child in March. Kim is a middle school math teacher in Lincoln, Nebraska.

What do you hope to accomplish during your year as chairman?

During my year as chairman, I hope to see a growth in the understanding of the Checkoff program among producers. I have watched the beef community grow in distrust of the Checkoff, while on the outside I am working to communicate a message of trust to the consumer about the beef we produce.

I intend to continue the high level of integrity and team approach modeled to me by my predecessors Kim Brackett, Jimmy Maxey, Anne Anderson, and Brett Morris. With a new CEO, I hope to build new industry relationships, strengthen current relationships, and continue to keep the focus on serving the producers by increasing demand for beef.

What do you see as one of the biggest challenges facing the Checkoff and the industry?

The Checkoff continues to face challenges from a variety of organizations about the value of beef in the diet, as well as organizations like HSUS and PETA which challenge our care ethics. Those challengers come with seemingly unlimited funds. The Checkoff program has a much smaller budget which must provide quality research and information about the nutritional value and sustainable practices of beef to the consumers, and at the same time provide resources like Beef Quality Assurance to producers. The Beef Checkoff is our producer-funded front line to defend and safeguard beef producers from misinformation about beef.

The Beef Checkoff program also faces challenges from within the beef community. I believe the Beef Checkoff program is the place all beef producers can come together as visionaries, goal setters, and decision-makers to drive demand for beef.

What would you like every investor to know about their Beef Checkoff program?

The Beef Checkoff program is producer-funded, producer-led, and producer-driven. In 1988, 79% of beef producers voted by referendum to approve the collection of $1/head for promotion, research, and information. What has the beef community gained over the past 30 years from that investment? Research shows we have an ROI of $11.20/dollar invested, but what producers can easily see are:

  • Adding value to the carcass with new cuts of beef like the flat iron
  • Developing solid research on the nutritional benefits of eating beef
  • Helping producers develop standards of care to add consistency and value to beef products
  • Providing sustainability research about the importance of cattle to the environment at the national and global levels
  • Developing and strengthening export markets, which adds more value to the carcass through demand for beef and the offal desired in numerous countries around the world
  • Engaging in the digital age of communication through active participation and behind-the-scenes crisis management. You might remember the first mad cow report in December of 2003, but did you even hear about the last one?

These are just a few of the activities provided by the checkoff.

Before I was appointed to the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, I had only a glimmer of an understanding of everything the Beef Checkoff does and how important the role of producers is in guiding the program. I have learned there are numerous checks and balances in place to make sure Checkoff dollars are managed according to the Act & Order. I have learned every producer has the responsibility for making sure Checkoff dollars are collected when cattle are sold. I have asked questions about contract requests and joined other board members in appreciation of the professional work done by contractors to the Beef Checkoff. I have met some incredible people with godly virtues working on behalf of the Checkoff program to make sure our investment is used wisely.

Just like other farmers and ranchers, my husband and I will keep working hard to care for our cattle, and hopefully make wise marketing decisions. It’s good to know I am part of a team working to keep beef on the plate so we can possibly pass this opportunity down to a grandchild.

cows with tractor and hay

Frequently Asked Questions

An independent survey of beef producers found 74 percent continue to approve of the Beef Checkoff program; this finding is 5 percent higher than the survey a year ago. Importantly, the more producers know about the program, the more supportive they are. The survey also found that producers are generally more optimistic about the cattle industry than they were a year ago. The random survey of 804 beef and dairy producers nationwide was conducted by the independent firm Aspen Media & Market Research from mid-December 2017 until mid-January 2018. The survey found that in addition to stronger support of the checkoff compared to a year ago, a substantial majority of beef and dairy producers continue to say their beef checkoff is a good value:

  • 76% say the beef checkoff has contributed to a positive trend in beef demand
  • 78% say the checkoff has value even when the economy is weak, 5% higher than last year
  • 65% say the checkoff contributes to profitability of their operations
  • 71% say the checkoff represents their interests, 4% higher than last year
  • 61% believe the checkoff is well-managed

In addition, while fewer producers (43 percent) said they remembered having seen, read or heard anything about the checkoff in the past six months, 86 percent reported the information they remembered was positive, 8 percent higher than a year ago.

“We are encouraged that three out of four producers continue to support the checkoff,” said Jo Stanko, Investor Relations Working Group co-chair. “On the other hand, it is concerning that fewer producers consider themselves ‘informed’ about the checkoff, and only 43 percent say they have seen, read or heard checkoff news in the past six months. Since most producers believe it’s important for the program to communicate to them checkoff results, it’s clear we will need to step up these communications efforts in the months ahead.”

The survey informs checkoff leaders of strengths and weaknesses in producer communications efforts and is used directly in developing an authorization request for the next year. See this year’s survey results [link to PDF] as well as results from previous surveys [link to resources page].

Frequently Asked Questions

The Beef Industry Long Range Plan (LRP) is developed every three to five years and lays out aggressive goals to strengthen the beef industry. As part of this initiative, the Beef Checkoff interviewed cattlemen and women across the country to hear the checkoff is helping them for long-term success on their operations.

Generation to Generation at A-Bar Ranch, Oklahoma

The future of agriculture is dependent upon our youth that are coming along.

Mike Armitage

The Armitage family at the A-Bar Ranch in Oklahoma says transitioning a beef operation from generation to generation can be difficult, but the Beef Checkoff is helping families ease that burden.

The average age of farmers and ranchers continues to increase. It is important there are resources in place that to promote the success of the beef industry to encourage young people to return to the ranch.

“As someone who has gone through a generational passing, I know how important it is that we take our money and we invest it in the right places,” says Sarah Armitage. “That one dollar give us so much for our return on our investment. I am excited about what the Beef Checkoff has to offer in terms of promotion and marketing–what it will return to us in the future.”

How does the Beef Checkoff Help?

Beef Checkoff plays an important role growing and maintaining beef demand, thus opening new opportunities for cattle producers to sustain their businesses for generations to come. That includes keeping close tabs on what consumers want in terms of end products, as well as sharing information regarding safe and sustainable beef production carried out by cattle producers — ensuring that’s what they find at the meat case when they go to purchase food for their families.

It’s no small task, but checkoff investments are part of the reason that beef demand has remained strong throughout the extremely tight supplies of recent years. In fact, a study by Dr. Harry Kaiser at Cornell University demonstrates that every checkoff dollar invested has a return on investment of $11.20. That means that every dollar invested by cattle producers returns $11.20 more to an operation than would have received without the checkoff in place.