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Frequently Asked Questions

Article via PBC

On Wednesday, August 1, 2018, school nutrition professionals in Pennsylvania had the chance to meet folks across the beef community who play a role in creating wholesome and delicious beef meals, through the School Nutrition Association of PA’s Annual Conference. The conference drew a crowd of nearly 300 school foodservice directors and line staff, responsible for the purchasing and menuing decisions for more than 500 school districts within Pennsylvania.

We heard that beef meals are a favorite on school lunch menus across Pennsylvania and we encouraged attendees to learn more about beef at the conference. The Pennsylvania Beef Council (PBC) and the Beef Checkoff’s Northeast Beef Promotion Initiative (NEBPI) are a year-long sponsor with the association, which enables beef to be a resource and exhibit at their annual meeting. This year, foodservice directors had the opportunity to attend the speaking session titled “Meet the People Behind Beef,” an interactive discussion session highlighting beef’s nutrient density and facilitated a question and answer segment with a local beef producer, veterinarian and meat scientist.

Karen Buch, RDN, LDN of Nutrition Connection, LLC hosted the session explaining various beef cuts and recipes best suited for school lunch menus, along with beef’s nutrition profile. The session was then opened up in a panel-style discussion, where attendees could candidly ask how today’s beef is raised and cared for in Pennsylvania. Panelists included Dustin Heeter, owner and operator of his family’s cow-calf operation, Heritage Hill Farms in Clarksburg, PA, Andrew Stas, VMD of Lakeview Animal Clinic and Dr. Jonathan Campbell a Meat Extension Specialist at Penn State University.

The session had rave reviews in regard to the speaker, panelists and session topics. A lot of great information was shared ranging from beef’s nutrient profile, sourcing beef for schools to types of beef products on the market and the care farmers take to raising a safe and wholesome product. Dimitra Barrios, Director of Foodservice at Chichester School District commented, “Understanding more about where our beef comes from is essential in being able to communicate the benefits to our K-12 market”. Afterwards, all attendees polled had a positive perception of beef.

Following the session, attendees were encouraged to visit the beef booth at the association’s annual food show. There directors and line staff could try a sample of Wrangler’s Beef Chili, one of the recipes part of the “Kid-Friendly Foodservice” recipe bar that was displaying the ease and diversity ground beef can play in school lunches. Staff also provided additional resources and information highlighting the benefits of keeping beef on the school lunch menu. At the booth, attendees could enter win an Instant Pot and beef swag through an on-site survey. Of those completing the survey, 84% said they are more likely to continue serving beef in their school lunch rooms and 90% had a positive perception of beef. Engaging with school nutrition professionals enables the checkoff to keep beef menu options top of mind year-round with delicious student-approved ground beef recipes.

For more information about this event, visit the PBC’s Facebook page.

Media Contact: Jennifer Orr; jorr@pabeef.org

tractor carrying hay

Frequently Asked Questions

State Beef Councils Help Culinary Professionals Receive Enhanced Beef Industry Education

Sixteen culinary experts from across the country got a taste of the beef industry during the Pasture-to-Plate Beef Tour, sponsored by state beef councils in California, Colorado, Arizona, Oklahoma, and Texas. Invited to the Beef Checkoff-funded event were the culinary chairs responsible for the 28 International Culinary Schools at the Art Institutes across the country. The nonprofit Art Institutes operate the largest system of culinary schools in the United States.

The tour was held June 25-27, and featured a visit to a cow-calf ranch, feedlot, and the JBS beef processing facility in northern Colorado. Attendees also took part in presentations from beef experts to help reinforce beef’s role in a sustainable food system, received ideas for incorporating sensory and beef umami exercises into their classrooms, and had an opportunity to participate in a beef cooking competition that demonstrated their culinary talents.

The spark for development of this tour was generated last fall during the California Beef Council’s (CBC) Beef Leadership Summit, according to the CBC’s Christie Van Egmond, director of retail and foodservice marketing. At that time Dave Hendricksen, the national culinary director for the Art Institutes, expressed interest in giving the Institutes’ culinary leaders more backgrounding in the beef industry.

“This is a great way to connect the next generation of chefs with those that produce the food,” Hendricksen said. He said it was “critical” this type of information gets carried down from the participating culinary leaders to the students in culinary schools studying to be chefs or operation managers.

Standing out to those attending the tour was the well-being of animals throughout the process, Hendricksen said. “The constant theme of this event was animal welfare and the care for the environment,” he said. “It was amazing.”

“This is a valuable partnership that should continue into the future,” said CBC’s Van Egmond, who helped organize the tour. “The beef information and experiences we shared will funnel down through the curricula in the Art Institutes’ culinary schools nationwide. Just as important, the relationships we are developing are an important component of our Beef Checkoff efforts to build stronger bonds with those who have an impact on beef demand.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Press Release via NBPI

The Beef Checkoff participated in two on-air media segments with WBAL-TV Channel 11 in Baltimore, MD on Sunday, July 1, 2018. Chef Bill Collier, from Bricco in Harrisburg, executed the segments on behalf of the checkoff. He recently participated in the comprehensive one-day media training for chefs hosted by the checkoff’s Northeast Beef Promotion Initiative. Chefs are valuable members of the beef community, bringing the delicious and nutritious beef meals to consumers via a foodservice setting each day.

The on-air media segments were featured during the Sunday Brunch portion of WBAL-TV’s morning program. During the first segment Chef Bill shared the use of leftover beef as an ingredient in a delicious and nutritious Braised Beef and Egg Frittata. This recipe idea will challenge consumers to think outside of the box with their leftover beef. Chef Bill shared some grilling tips and tricks with viewers during the second segment, while he demonstrated a Cumin-Rubbed Beef Flat Iron Steak recipe. These segments will help to keep beef top of mind and provide the checkoff’s Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner website as the go-to resource for cooking tips and recipes ahead of the Independence Day holiday. View the segments, here.

Kaitlyn Carey, Director of Consumer Affairs with the Northeast Beef Promotion Initiative noted, “This placement was a home run for the checkoff, as the Baltimore area has approximately 1.1 million tv’s according to Neilson. The opportunity to share positive beef messaging and recipes just days before the big Independence Day grilling holiday was very ideal and will help to keep beef top of mind among consumers.”

Opportunities such as this allow the Beef Checkoff to engage directly with both our Northeast metropolitan consumers and regional channel influencers. Sharing beef information and recipes with our regional consumers will keep at the top of their list, both when eating out and at the grocery store.

For more information, visit NEBPI.org.

Media Contact:

Kaitlyn Carey; kcarey@pabeef.org or visit the NEBPI website.

purple sky

Frequently Asked Questions

Article via NEBPI, a subcontractor to the Beef Checkoff

The national Beef Checkoff was a sponsor of two new channel influencer conferences this spring, reaching over 70 channel influencers from the New England and Mid-Atlantic regions through beef cooking and cutting demonstrations. The North American Camp Foodservice Director Conference was held at Camp Chingachgook in Lake George, New York from March 27-29 and the Pennsylvania Association of Meat Processors was held at the Penn Stater Conference Center in State College, Penn. from May 11-12.

The checkoff’s Executive Chef, Dave Zino attended the Camp Foodservice Director Conference and conducted a 60-minute educational session title, “Heating up the Camp Fire with Beef” where he demonstrated three youth-friendly ground beef recipes featured on the Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner. website. Zippy Beef Alphabet Soup, Santa Fe Corn Chili and Personal Beef Pizzas were on the menu for Zino’s beef demonstration. Additionally, the checkoff-funded school foodservice recipes were a cornerstone at the beef booth where attendees were invited to assemble their own recipe booklets, including the school foodservice beef recipes.

While ground beef was king of the menu at the camp foodservice conference, under-utilized and value-added cuts from the beef shoulder clod and chuck roll were the stars of the show at the Pennsylvania Association of Meat Processors Conference. Kari Underly, the Principal at Range Inc., and third-generation butcher and author of the James Beard nominated book, The Art of Beef Cutting” conducted a 90-minute educational session exploring the breakdown and utilization of the new value-added beef cuts. 36 percent of session attendees stated the value-added beef cuts demonstrated from the chuck were brand new to them and 78 percent of session attendees rated the Beef Checkoff-funded educational materials they received at the conference a 5 out of 5.

Christie Brown, Director of Marketing with the Northeast Beef Promotion Initiative, a sub-contractor to the Beef Checkoff reflected after the two conferences, “Whether we’re highlighting fresh and unique ground beef recipes to offer new menu solutions for camp foodservice directors or helping meat processors navigate the alternative ways to break down the beef chuck to merchandise the value-added cuts, it’s always exciting to extend what the Beef Checkoff has already invested in with the new channel influencers here in the Northeast region.”

For more information about the Beef Checkoff’s presence in the Northeast region, check out the NortheastLovesBeef Facebook, Twitter or Instagram pages. For more information, visit NEBPI.org.

Frequently Asked Questions

Article via NEBPI

The Beef Checkoff hosted a comprehensive one-day training on May 9, 2018, with eight chefs from across the Northeast region. Chefs are valuable members of the beef community, bringing delicious and nutritious beef meals to consumers via a foodservice setting each day. The training centered around building these regional chefs up as beef advocates.

Kaitlyn Carey, Director of Consumer Affairs with the Northeast Beef Promotion Initiative noted, “This was a first of its kind training for our chefs located here in the Northeast. We want to engage with and build up chefs as advocates for beef, as they all have their unique circles of influence.”

Ryan Goodman, Director of Grassroots Advocacy and Spokesperson Development with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, hosted a Media Training session and Mock Interviews attendees. His session left the chefs with confidence and skills to help prepare for any kind of interview or demo opportunity – phone, radio, on-air. Laura Hagen, Senior Director of Culinary with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association was on-hand to share the logistics of on-air demonstrations.

Bill Collier, Executive Chef and General Manager of Bricco, an Italian Restaurant located in Harrisburg, PA commented, “The training that I received from all of the presenters was phenomenal. They are all very well-trained experts in their field, not only from education, but also boots on the ground experience in the field. The training was interactive and helped me better prepare myself for the next time I am presenting to an audience, whether on camera or live demonstration.”

The next step is securing on-air television cooking demonstrations with the chefs surrounding peak beef consumption times, like summer grilling, tailgating and holiday roasting.

Events such as this allow the Beef Checkoff to engage directly with our regional channel influencers, all while building them up as beef advocates. Arming these influencers with beef’s positive nutritional messaging will help us disseminate this vital information to more consumers.

Beef Checkoff-funded research in the Northeast shows that nutrition-focused efforts are making a difference with the Northeast’s metropolitan consumers. Messaging related to beef’s protein, lean cuts and essential nutrients appear to be reaching, and favorably influencing, consumers.

For event photos visit the NortheastLovesBeef Facebook, Twitter or Instagram pages. This event was made possible by the checkoff’s Northeast Beef Promotion Initiative. For more information, visit NEBPI.org.

Media Contact:

Kaitlyn Carey; kcarey@pabeef.org or visit the NEBPI website.

cows with tractor and hay

Frequently Asked Questions

Good and Getting Better: Key Improvements Being Made by Cattle Industry

The Cattlemen’s Stewardship Review (CSR) is a Beef Checkoff-funded report highlighting the commitment cattle producers demonstrate in the areas of animal welfare, beef quality, sustainability, and community involvement. The CSR gathers data from an independent 2017 telephone survey of beef producers to deliver a comprehensive profile of the U.S. beef community today. The report and survey were coordinated by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) as a contractor to the Beef Checkoff program.
The CSR shows that improvements have been made in all four of the cattle industry areas studied. The report and information will be presented within a national news release to national media outlets, as well as sent to key national media by the NCBA communications team, as a Beef Checkoff contractor.

“We want consumers to know we aren’t just farmers and ranchers, but also animal caretakers, nutritionists, small business owners, environmentalists, and members of our communities,” said Joan Ruskamp, Cattlemen’s Beef Board chairman and co-owner of J & S Feedlot in Nebraska. “This report is a way to benchmark our progress, celebrate our successes and identify opportunities for improvement.”

 

A few brief, yet key takeaways from the survey include:

  • The well-being of cattle is the top priority for 95% of producers.
  • 97% of cattle farmers and ranchers believe producing safe beef is crucial to the future of the industry.
  • About 95% of producers say conservation of land is extremely important to them, while 86% manage their operations in a way that protects the quality of natural resources, including wildlife and biodiversity.
  • Over 90% of cattle operations are family owned, and 78% of farmers and ranchers say they intend to pass their operations on to future generations. In fact, 58% of current operations have been in the family for at least three generations.

“When consumers understand the level of care that goes into the production of their beef, they feel better about enjoying it,” said Ruskamp. “This report helps show that [producers’] attention to the needs of our animals, land, and relationships parallel the concern our customers have for the beef they eat.”

To view the full report, go here.

 

cows with tractor and hay

Frequently Asked Questions

CENTENNIAL, CO — More than 20,000 individuals have gone online to obtain Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) certification since online training modules were relaunched on Feb. 1, 2017. BQA certifications are also available at in-person training events offered through state beef councils, cattlemen’s affiliates, extension programs and other local efforts throughout the country. The BQA program is funded by the Beef Checkoff Program.

By showing how common-sense husbandry techniques can be coupled with accepted scientific knowledge to raise cattle under optimum management and environmental conditions, BQA helps beef producers capture additional value from their market cattle, and more. It also reflects a positive public image for the beef industry and instills consumer confidence in it. When producers implement the best management practices of a BQA program, they assure their market steers, heifers, cows and bulls are the best they can be.

The online BQA experience is tailored to each participant by industry sector and interest. After registering, participants are taken through an interactive training module that can be completed online, anytime, with participants starting and stopping training at their convenience without losing progress. Categories for training and certification include Cow-Calf, Stocker, and Feedyard. Online training and certification is available for free and accessible twenty-four hours a day, seven days each week, making it a convenient option for busy farmers and ranchers.

States with most online certifications to date are Texas, Kansas, Iowa, Tennessee and California.

To find out more about BQA online certification, go to www.bqa.org/certification.

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Frequently Asked Questions

The Beef Checkoff works to build consumer confidence at every stage of beef production. These investments help drive demand for beef, and are all part of a comprehensive strategy focused on safety, quality, animal welfare, antibiotic stewardship and consumer education.

“When consumers understand the level of care that goes into the production of their beef, they feel better about enjoying it,” says Joan Ruskamp, Cattlemen’s Beef Board.

With the U.S. becoming a more health-conscious society, it is important the beef industry is dedicating resources to educate consumers on the benefits beef provides in order to maintain healthy diet.

“Research study after research study show that you can eat beef, even every day, and lower your cholesterol,” says Shalene McNeill, executive director of Nutrition & Health, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

Researchers recommend that individuals consume 25g of protein at each meal, which is roughly 3 ounces of beef. When compared to other proteins, beef provides consumers with more high-quality protein and fewer calories.

Because of growing misconceptions of beef’s nutritional value and a growing trend for more plant-based proteins, the Beef Checkoff is working with nutritional leaders to educate consumers on the health benefits of eating beef in order to grow consumer confidence and drive demand.

Frequently Asked Questions

Consumer purchasing decisions directly impact the way producers raise beef. The Beef Checkoff invests dollars toward meat profiling and product development, which helps drive demand at the meat counter and increases the overall value of beef.

Chuck Kiker, beef producer from Texas, is proud of the work the checkoff has done to deliver lean cuts the consumer wants.

“Meat profiling and developing new products is one of the best things the checkoff has done to make the value of that carcass go up,” says Kiker.

“We had so many cuts of meat that weren’t high-dollar cuts that would end up in grind, and it was very important to add value to those cuts. That is one of the things the checkoff has been able to do.”

By investing in muscle profiling research, the Beef Checkoff has been able to identify lean, tender muscles that consumers find desirable. The flat iron steak and petite tender are two examples of beef products that became available as a direct result of checkoff investments.

“It gave [the food service industry] an alternative to a high-priced steak dinner,” says Kiker. “They could go with a petite cut tender or a flat iron steak and have beef on the menu. That was huge for the beef industry and put a lot of money back into the value of that carcass.”

The Beef Checkoff has made investments to ensure beef remains a top protein choice amongst consumers. Through research and promotion, consumers have more options than ever when it comes to purchasing beef cuts.

 

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Frequently Asked Questions

Press Release Via NCBA

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, has announced the winners of its prestigious 2018 Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Awards at the 2018 Cattle Industry Convention in Phoenix, Arizona.

The National BQA Award recognizes outstanding beef, marketer and dairy producers that demonstrate animal care and handling principles as part of their day-to-day operations. A common trait among all contest entrants must be a strong desire to continually improve BQA on their operations while encouraging others to implement the comprehensive cattle management program. The awards focus on five categories, including Cow-Calf, Dairy, Feedyard, Marketer and Educator of the Year.

2018 BQA Cow-Calf Award

Bently Ranch, located in Minden, Nevada, is the recipient of the 2018 Cow-Calf BQA Award. The ranch has a focus of doing the right thing in all aspects of beef production. Bently Ranch takes on a relaxed and low-stress attitude with a commitment to proper animal care and handling. With a recent focus on selling direct to the consumer, the ranch has noticed a big difference in the quality of their cattle thanks to implementing BQA practices.

 

2018 BQA Dairy Award

Kraft Family Dairies, located in Fort Morgan, Colorado, is the winner of the 2018 BQA Dairy Award. Simply put: they care for their cows. By combining their passion with a focus on preventative health management, the farm showcases their commitment to BQA guidelines in every step of their dairy operation. What makes Kraft unique is its two-farm operation. One site houses healthy cattle. The other takes in animals that may need a little TLC. By using this two-site system, Kraft Family Dairies has drastically cut down on the number of cattle in the hospital.

 

2018 BQA Feedyard Award

The winner of the 2018 BQA Feedyard Award is BLAC-X Farms in Rock County, Minnesota. Between the two minds of the Bakken brothers, Jay and Peter, they share an extensive knowledge of the feedlot, cow-calf herd and crop operations. With a focus on education, they participate in several research projects and share their ideas on the best BQA practices with hundreds of others during tours of their operation.

 

2018 BQA Marketer Award

Central Livestock in South St. Paul, Minnesota, has been named the 2018 BQA Marketer Award winner. Their marketing practices encourage producers to focus on BQA vaccination standards by incentivizing vaccinations in the sale ring. Cattle that are up-to-date on vaccinations sell for higher prices. They also have step-by-step guides for producers to follow that highlight animal safety, ultimately yielding the best cattle.

 

 

2018 BQA Educator of the Year

Dr. Ron Gill is the winner of the 2018 BQA Educator of the Year award. In addition to his responsibilities as professor at Texas A&M University, Dr. Gill takes his lessons outside the classroom and into the field for collaborative, hands-on demonstrations through NCBA’s Stockmanship and Stewardship program. Not only an avid proponent of BQA practices, he’s also helped develop some of the BQA guidelines that many producers follow today.

 

Award winners are selected by a committee comprised of BQA certified representatives from universities, state beef councils, sponsors and affiliated groups, who assess nominations based on their demonstrated commitment to BQA practices, their service as leaders in the beef industry and their dedication to promoting the BQA message to grow consumer confidence.

Four National BQA Awards (Cow-Calf, Feedyard, Dairy and Marketer) are funded in part by the Beef Checkoff program with additional financial support provided by Cargill. The BQA Educator Award is funded in part by the Beef Checkoff program with additional financial support provided by Boehringer Ingelheim.

You can read more on each of the award winners’ operations at https://www.bqa.org/about/bqa-awards.

Media can contact Kellie Wostrel, APR, (402) 818-1114, kelliew@swansonrussell.com for a media kit including pre-written stories, videos and photos.

beef poke bowl

Frequently Asked Questions

Beef quality, consumer incomes, attention to beef in medical journals and the general media, and shifts in race composition of the U.S. population are key determinants affecting beef demand in the long term.

So concludes a study commissioned by the Beef Checkoff program called “Assessing Beef Demand Determinants.” The study summarizes the current knowledge of consumer demand for beef, and identifies the best opportunities for the industry to influence demand positively.

Authors of the report include Dr. Glynn Tonsor, professor of livestock marketing at Kansas State University, Dr. Jayson Lusk, distinguished professor and head of the Department of Agricultural Economics at Purdue University, and Dr. Ted Schroeder, professor of livestock marketing at Kansas State University.

“The information gathered and analyzed for this comprehensive report is invaluable to the beef industry, in general, and to the Beef Checkoff program, in particular,” said cow-calf producer Jackie Means, a member of the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion & Research Board and chair of the Joint Evaluation Committee that commissioned the research for the checkoff. “Members of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board and directors of the Federation of State Beef Councils will be asked to use the information in this report in making decisions about how to invest Checkoff dollars in Fiscal Year 2018 and beyond.”

Understanding Beef Demand

Understanding beef demand and how to affect it is a daunting task, yet the report’s authors note that it also is critical to the industry’s long-term viability.

Given the state of the cattle industry’s supply, the understanding of beef demand vs. consumption is particularly critical.

One very important point in developing strategies to grow beef demand will be clarification of the role of per capita consumption in beef demand. Per capita consumption is, in effect, per capita availability of beef, the economists note. Demand, on the other hand, effectively refers to the quantity of beef that consumers will purchase at a given price, with all other factors held constant.

“Beef purchasing decisions have become less sensitive to retail beef prices. While prices will always matter, this reinforces the importance of industry focus on beef quality aspects: taste, appearance, convenience, and freshness,” said Dr. Tonsor.

“In short, both beef supplies and cattle prices increased in 2017 relative to 2016 – an outcome only possible with demand growth,” the report notes. “A perpetual industry priority is to better understand and monitor beef demand, and to inform stakeholders because demand directly influences overall industry success.”

What is Important to Beef Producers?

It has been a critical need for the industry to understand what beef demand is: Is it as strong today compared to the past? What has made it strong? Those kinds of basic questions have been important to the Beef Checkoff for a very long time. If beef demand is strong, then higher prices are being paid for beef than would otherwise be the case. That’s because higher prices being paid for beef in turn leads to higher prices for wholesale beef, higher fed cattle, and higher feeder cattle prices, and most producers recognize that benefit in the form of higher cattle prices.

One of the things the research did was to update elasticity estimates, or how sensitive purchasing behavior is to prices. If the price goes up by 1%, how many fewer pounds are purchased? This study showed U.S. consumers are less sensitive to beef prices than they used to be. That does not mean price doesn’t matter, but the numbers showed that a 1% increase in price has a smaller impact on beef consumption than it used to.

“What I believe that signals is that beef quality issues such as taste, appearance, and freshness have elevated over time,” said Dr. Tonsor.

“The tone and impact of ‘hot topics’ covered in the media and medical community can change notably over time,” continued Dr. Tonsor. “In past years, discussions around fat were a detriment to beef demand but more recently these discussions have enhanced beef demand. Similarly, this study shows how Atkins Diet discussions remain supportive of beef demand, but less so than a decade earlier.”

What Can the Checkoff Do?

Based on research, data, and information examined, the researchers prepared five key recommendations for Checkoff leaders to consider in making decisions about how to invest Checkoff dollars:

  1. Beef quality aspects such as taste, appearance, convenience, and freshness are innate product quality attributes identified as top priorities in past beef demand studies, and they remain key for sustaining and growing beef demand.
  2. External coverage of “hot topics” is likely to continue to be dynamic for the beef industry. Researchers made the recommendation for systematic reassessment of which topics have the largest net impact on beef demand and focus on those.
  3. Increase collaborative approaches with the U.S. pork and chicken industries. Given limited cross-price sensitivity and a host of common challenges and opportunities, a more collaborative approach may better utilize the industry’s limited resources given recent increases in competition from plant-based protein sources.
  4. Recommend additional targeting of beef product development, messaging, and marketing to consumers with particular attention to race, income, age, political ideology, and product type considerations.
  5. Conduct a systematic evaluation of information sources available to gain beef demand insight. Multiple data sources and methods were used to gain a more complete understanding of beef demand determinants, and the researchers encouraged more focus on leveraging existing industry investments to regularly assess beef demand.

Download the full study here: “Assessing Beef Demand Determinants.”

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].