November 3, 2014 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Quality Beef from Quality Cattle Care | 10 Things To Know

Ed & David Fryer BQA at Castle Mountain RanchQuality beef comes from cattle who are well cared for and raised with a strong code of ethics and values. Ranchers providing that care are passionate and dedicated in what they do. Despite some reports from activists groups who use online forums to promote mistreatment of animals and solicit fund raising for their programs, cattle ranchers across the country devote significant time and resources to ensuring their livestock are cared for properly.

Beginning in the 1970s, cattle producers began to develop programs to evaluate, measure and ensure quality care for livestock and a safe beef supply. Today, that program has developed into the Beef Quality Assurance Program with guiding principles to establish standards for animal care.

  • WE BELIEVE production practices affect consumer acceptance of beef.
  • WE BELIEVE the BQA Program has and must continue to empower beef producers to improve the safety and wholesomeness of beef.
  • WE BELIEVE these fundamental principles are the fabricoftheBQA Program.
    1. Empowering people…because producers can make a difference.
    2. Taking responsibility…because it’s our job, not someone else’s.
    3. Working together…because product safety and wholesomeness is everyone’s business.
Beef Quality Assurance ProgramsCattle ranchers take pride in their responsibility to raising cattle, taking care of their land, and being good stewards of their resources. To suggest ranchers lack the proper values in raising safe, quality food, would be misleading. Thousands of cattle ranchers across the country participate in the Beef Quality Assurance programs which outline a Code of Cattle Care to ensure proper care and handling of livestock:
  1. Provide necessary food, water and care to protect the health and well-being of animals.
  2. Provide disease prevention practices to protect herd health, including access to veterinary care.
  3. Provide facilities that allow safe, humane, and efficient movement and/or restraint of cattle.
  4. Use appropriate methods to humanely euthanize terminally sick or injured livestock and dispose of them properly.
  5. Provide personnel with training/experience to properly handle and care for cattle.
  6. Make timely observations of cattle to ensure basic needs are being met.
  7. Minimize stress when transporting cattle.
  8. Keep updated on advancements and changes in the industry to make decisions based upon sound production practices and consideration for animal well-being.
  9. Persons who willfully mistreat animals will not be tolerated.

Want to hear from some of these ranchers? Take time to view interviews with Montana ranchers as they discuss their dedication to the livestock and the lifestyle by visiting our YouTube channel.

The Beef Quality Assurance Program outlines the minimum expectations of ranchers for cattle care and handling. To learn more about the program, visit BQA.org or contact your state’s coordinator. Learn more about Montana’s BQA program by visiting their Facebook page or by contacting Bill Pelton at (406) 671-5100 or by email at [email protected].

What questions do you have about Beef Quality Assurance? Leave a comment below or email [email protected]. This is part of a month-long series of 10 Things to Know about Cattle. To read other posts in the series, click the image below.

Click this image to view all posts in the 30-day blogging series, 10 Things to Know About Cattle

Click this image to view all posts in the 30-day blogging series, 10 Things to Know About Cattle

October 9, 2014 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Montana CattleWomen growing and plan Fall education events

Montana CattleWomen LogoMontana CattleWomen is excited to announce the addition of two new local groups who will be joining us for the New Year. If any CattleWomen from Cascade and Custer County are interested in joining them, contact MCW. The Montana Beef Council granted our project funding requests for 2015 and with their financial support, we will be able to continue with our educational and promotional activities.

MCW will take part in the NILE education days in Billings, October 15-18. We will have seven minutes with each group of students to present information on grazing practices, importance of minerals and vaccinations, and we go through the cheeseburger, ZIP and beef by products kits. I realize this seems like a lot of info in such a small time, but the students do learn and enjoy the sessions.

The Beef Education packets will be mailed to the Family & Consumer Science Teachers soon. Remember to ask your local teacher if they use or order the material offered to them and encourage them to utilize this year’s information. The cost of this project is covered by the $0.50 of your beef check off dollars that stay in state.

If you ever have any questions concerning MCW, just contact me, Wanda Pinnow, 406.978.3521.

October 2, 2014 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Young Stockgrowers Host Billings Cattle Crawl

Montana Young Stockgrowers Cattle CrawlBy Lacey Sutherlin, Young Stockgrowers Chair

The Montana Cattle Crawl was a fantastic event hosted by Young Stockgrowers and the Montana Beef Council. The sponsors of this great event were Bank of the Rockies, Northwest Farm Credit, Yellowstone Cellars & Winery and the Montana Beef Council.

We began the evening at Yellowstone Cellars and Winery with appetizers highlighting beef in four different dishes paired with wine from the Yellowstone Cellars. These delicious treats were prepared by Chef Nick Morrison. Chaley with the Beef Council did an introduction and an update on the Beef Council.

Then we hopped on the bus and headed to The TEN at the newly restored Northern Hotel in downtown Billings. On the bus ride the attendees were equipped with boas, Viking helmets and be dazzled glasses just to make sure the Cattle Crawl did not go unnoticed in downtown Billings! We were greeted there by the owner himself, Mike Nelson along with his Restaurant Manager, Patrick. He gave us a quick presentation on the history of the Northern and the remodeling journey. They served us a tossed salad topped with a specially prepared flank steak, pairing it with a red wine.

Next, we took a walk through the beautiful downtown Billings and made our last stop at the Rex. Chef David and his team, served us a sirloin steak dressed with a mushroom sauce, paired with a red wine. After this we jumped on the bus and headed back to the Winery for dessert!

Cattle Crawl Crowd

The dessert of choice that evening was Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream. Most of the Cattle Crawl attendees got to take part in preparing this delicious dessert. It was a mixture of cream, half and half, eggs, sugar and vanilla. Once everything was well mixed the nitrogen was added and we had ice cream!

We completed the evening with a cattle auction fundraiser to go towards sending additional participants to the NCBA’s Young Cattlemen’s Conference. We auctioned off a prize herd consisting of a Texas Long Horn, a Hereford and of course an Angus cow. It was a fun time had by all and an event I would plan on attending in the future! I would like to give one more big THANK YOU to our sponsors: Bank of the Rockies, Northwest Farm Credit, Yellowstone Cellars & Winery and the Montana Beef Council. And a HUGE thank you to everyone that decided to attend the Cattle Crawl and support the Montana Youngstockgrowers.

September 17, 2014 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Montana Registered Dietitian Interns see Beef from Pasture to Plate

Registerd Dietitian Interns Beef TourThe Montana Beef Council recently hosted another successful pasture to plate tour for nearly twenty students pursuing a career as a Registered Dietitian. The tour was conducted in Nye, Montana with local rancher Noel Keogh where the attendees were able to experience first-hand where and how beef is raised.

This year’s tour began at the ranch headquarters where Keogh explained his family ranching operation and the history of the area to the interns to help them understand the importance of agriculture and specifically beef production.

“As a rancher it is important for me to share my story and help consumers understand where their food comes from,” said Keogh.

Throughout the tour the interns not only had the opportunity to see cattle and horses, but also shipping facilities, rangeland and more. Keogh shared his passion for plant identification as he described different forages and explained their nutritional value. While hiking around the ranch the interns learned about the entire beef cycle and that cattle spend the majority of their lives on pasture. Keogh thoroughly detailed the value of natural resources and how, as a rancher, it is important to maintain a healthy partnership with the land in order to be a good steward and remain a viable ranching operation.

“Ranching is sustainable. Your ranch doesn’t get to be one hundred years old without taking good care of the land and livestock,” Keogh said.

Following a healthy beef lunch, the interns heard from Montana Beef Council’s Registered Dietitian Lisa Murray. Murray explained the nutritional benefits of beef and helped the health professionals understand how beef can be part of a healthy lifestyle. The beef checkoff-funded study, Beef in and Optimal Lean Diet, was a focal part of the presentation to provide the interns with sound, science-based information.

“Providing these health professionals with accurate information and a first-hand experience enables them to feel confident when recommending beef to their patients and clients,” said Murray.

To complete the day, the interns were engaged in a media training workshop conducted by Daren Williams, Senior Executive Director of Communications for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a contractor to the beef checkoff. During the workshop the interns learned valuable information for conducting a successful media interview and then put their skills to work for an on-camera interview about beef-related topics.

The Montana Beef Council is organized to protect and increase demand for beef and beef products through state, national and international consumer marketing programs including promotion, education and research, thereby enhancing profit opportunities for Montana beef producers. For more information, contact Chaley Harney at (406) 656-3336 or [email protected].

September 3, 2014 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Beef It’s What’s For Dinner on Facebook | Beef Briefs

Beef Its Whats For Dinner FacebookDid you know… The “Beef. It’s What For Dinner.” Facebook page has reached a new milestone by recently surpassing 825,000 Facebook Fans!

Consumers continue to engage with likes, comments and shares on posts such as the Personal Beef Pizza recipe and a Tips and Technique post, which explained the differences between rubs and marinades. Each post helps the consumer make an easy, delicious beef meal any day of the week. Even the checkoff’s Twitter handle now has more than 9,400 followers and growing every day. This summer, visit the checkoff’s social media pages, see how consumers are engaging with beef information, and join the conversation! To learn more about your beef checkoff investment, visit MyBeefCheckoff.com.

Beef Briefs is your monthly snapshot of beef checkoff news affecting the beef and dairy industries.
Provided by the great folks at the Montana Beef Council.

August 27, 2014 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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EPA changes to Waters of U.S., Beef Sustainability and Checkoff Increases | Podcast

solar filled water tankOn today’s post we follow up with a podcast from the recent summer cattle industry conference held in Denver, Colorado. A broad range of issues were discussed at the meeting, but the subject drawing the most conversation was EPA‘s proposed changes to the Waters of the U.S. rule. We provided a preliminary analysis of the proposed rule changes in an earlier blog post. Click here to read more.

Ariel Overstreet-Adkins, who has been working on comments for the issue on behalf of MSGA, attended the meeting and shared a few comments. “Some of the major concerns the panelists brought up are some of the same concerns we’ve had while looking at this proposal. These include the broad definition of tributary, the change of definition of adjacent to include all waters and not just wetlands, and a really undefined catch all of other waters. Across the board, this rule seems to increase uncertainty, even though the EPA says they’re trying to make things more certain. We believe this is going to be costly for many industries across the U.S. and not just agriculture.”

The Property Rights and Environmental Management committee members also passed a resolution to lead the development of a beef sustainability program, inclusive of the beef value chain and stakeholders, which addresses the continued advancement in areas such as economic viability, production efficiencies, animal care and handling, environmental conservation, human resources and community support. MSGA believes this is a positive move for the industry to establish and verify sustainable practices most ranchers already utilize.

The Cattlemen’s Beef Board and Committees concerning the Beef Checkoff also held meetings while in Denver. One of the highlights of those meetings comes from a working group looking at the proposed Checkoff increase to $2 per head. Several industry groups are working together on a proposal for changes.

Listen to the podcast below for more on these topics. This is just the second portion of our podcast covering the recent summer industry meetings in Denver. Stay tuned for our next podcast where we’ll talk about important policy issues discussed during the meetings, including cattle health issues including disease concerns surround the import of foreign beef and changes to the FDA’s antibiotic labeling rules. We’ll also find out more about CattleFax’s outlook for the cattle industry.

August 14, 2014 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Wilsall Cattlewoman Receives National Educator Award

suze bohleen ancw educator award presentation(Listen to the podcast at the end of this post!)

Suze Bohleen of Wilsall was recently recognized for her volunteer efforts and dedication to beef education by the American National CattleWomen (ANCW) as recipient of the 2014 Outstanding Educator of the Year award at a meeting recently held in Denver, Colorado.

The Educator of the Year award recognizes a member of ANCW who has initiated and participated in innovative and high quality programs in their local units or states in beef promotion and/or beef education. CattleWomen who receive this distinguished honor demonstrate skills in reaching a variety of audiences with creative and timely messages about beef, and show evidence of having made significant impact by telling the beef story. Fellow Montana CattleWomen nominated Bohleen for the annual award.

Across the state of Montana, Suze focuses on classroom beef education for grades 7 through 12. She works with teachers to incorporate materials and demonstrations into curriculum that teaches students how to prepare beef for their family and to make wise, healthy beef choices on a budget.

Bohleen great enjoys working with junior and high school students who, as she describes, are eager for new information and become excited about learning to cook beef. “Dealing with Junior High kids, a guy gave me a new word,” recalled Suze. “We empower them because we don’t treat them like little kids. We tell them what they can do. They can cook and they can help their families.”

Montana CattleWomen President, Wanda Pinnow of Baker, is excited to recognize Suze for her hard work and efforts in beef education. Pinnow commends Suze on her efforts saying, “She has taken our beef education programs leaps and bounds above what they once were due to her teaching background, connections and her love and passion for it.”

Many of the beef education programs conducted by the Montana CattleWomen are supported through grants and funding from the Montana Beef Council and ANCW. “Many Montana ranchers may not realize that 50 cents of their Checkoff dollar stays in the state,” says Pinnow. “Portions of those funds go to educate over 8,000 kids in the state each year, including schools like Missoula, Kalispell, Great Falls and Billings. Suze has played a large role in getting materials into these schools and providing beef education opportunities in many communities.”

When asked why she is committed to CattleWomen programs and beef education, Bohleen said, “I enjoy being a part of the beef community. As a teacher and an educator, I want to make a difference and if I can do that while doing something I believe in passionately then it’s a win-win.”

To learn more about beef promotion and education programs conducted by the Montana CattleWomen, visit their website, MontanaCattleWomen.org, or contact their office in Helena at (406) 442-3420.

July 11, 2014 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Checkoff Introduces U.S. Beef to Asian Chefs | Beef Briefs

Did you know …

Beef Brief Singapore ChefsThe Beef Checkoff is adding more beef to ASEAN menus?

An intensive two-day training program for chefs from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in April – funded, in part, by the beef checkoff – introduced them to a wider variety of U.S. beef cuts for their menus. Although participating chefs already use U.S. beef in their restaurants, the seminar focused on expanding their menu options to dishes made with a wider array of U.S. cuts, in addition to offering instruction about proper storage and handling of chilled and frozen beef. For details, visit Singapore Training.

Learn more at www.MyBeefCheckoff.com
Beef Briefs is your monthly snapshot of beef checkoff news affecting the beef and dairy industries.
Provided by the great folks at the Montana Beef Council.

June 25, 2014 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Checkoff and Beef Quality Assurance | Beef Briefs

Did you know …

join BQA team… your Beef Checkoff Program helps build consumer confidence?

Today’s consumers want to know more about how their food was raised, and the checkoff-funded Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program can be a positive influence in sharing with consumers how cattlemen and women provide the best care possible for their cattle. BQA is based on sound management practices developed from years of practical experience and research and helps beef producers raise safe, high-quality beef.

The BQA program focuses on education and training and can help enhance carcass values by reducing animal illnesses and treatment. BQA practices, such as safe handling techniques, help reduce stress and bruising, which aids in producing quality beef and can directly impact producers’ bottom lines.

BQA training encompasses animal health, handling, record keeping, nutrition and general animal care that improve beef products and help maintain consumer confidence in the sound production practices endorsed by the cattle industry.

Learn more at www.MyBeefCheckoff.com
Beef Briefs is your monthly snapshot of beef checkoff news affecting the beef and dairy industries.
Provided by the great folks at the Montana Beef Council.

June 19, 2014 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Summer Grilling Means Easy Beef Recipes | Beef Briefs

Did you know …

Summer digital ads Beef Briefs…summer grilling promotions are heating up?

As the summer grilling season begins to heat up, the checkoff’s “Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner.” website will debut new “how to prepare beef” online videos, including new techniques and tips for grilling great steaks at home, and will provide additional information about beef’s 10 essential nutrients on the site. The checkoff will reach out to its target audience of older millennial parents through its digital advertising campaign on websites frequently visited by these consumers – such as Food Network, Cooking Channel, AllRecipes.com, SELF, Men’s Fitness, BuzzFeed and more.

For more fun videos, visit the Beef It’s What’s For Dinner Easy Dinner Ideas page.

Learn more at www.MyBeefCheckoff.com
Beef Briefs is your monthly snapshot of beef checkoff news affecting the beef and dairy industries.
Provided by the great folks at the Montana Beef Council.