Montana Producer Elected to Beef Promotion Operating Committee
Sidney-Area Rancher and Business Woman Elected to Serve on National Beef Checkoff Committee
Kristin Larson, a Sidney cattle producer and businesswoman who has a lifetime of experience in the cattle industry, has been elected to the national Beef Promotion Operating Committee, representing the Federation of State Beef Councils. The Beef Promotion Operating Committee was created by the Beef Promotion Research Act to help coordinate state and national beef checkoff programs. The 20-person committee includes 10 members elected from the Federation and 10 members elected from the Cattlemen’s Beef Board.
Larson currently serves on the state level as the vice president for the Montana Beef Council as well as chair of the budget committee. During her term on the council she has held other leadership positions on various standing committees and continues to encourage others to engage. Her dedication to serving on the board and representing Montana beef producers has been unwavering.
In addition to her local and state level posts representing Montana beef producers, she has also served on the national level as a Federation Director for Montana. Through the Federation, Larson is able to provide the necessary grassroots ownership of the checkoff, particularly through her service on national joint committees where she is an active participant. During her many levels of service, she is continually aware of her fiduciary responsibility and applies that respect when making decisions on behalf of Montana beef producers for the Beef Checkoff Program.
Kristin at work with the family in Sidney
“The success of a strong state and national partnership comes, in part, through the foresight of choosing qualified individuals to enable the partnership to grow,” says Chaley Harney, executive director of the Montana Beef Council. “Kristin is a balanced leader who will not only bring solutions to the table, but will also encourage the team to engage and use all resources at their disposal to make informed decisions. Kristin’s background in livestock and Montana agriculture has surrounded her in a lifetime of serving the beef community, whether it be through church, civic organizations or business enterprises. Her lifelong experience and devotion to the beef community coupled with her pragmatic solutions and fiscally responsible senses make her an excellent asset to the Montana Beef Council and the Beef Promotion Operating Committee.”
Kristin grew up on the family ranch in Big Timber and obtained her degree in agriculture business and economics from Montana State University, Bozeman. Kristin and her husband, Tim, own cows and yearlings, but Kristin also works with Tim and their partners at Prewitt & Company, LLC which is involved in nearly every segment of the beef industry, as they have cow/calf pairs and yearlings, feed cattle and operate Sidney Livestock Market Center. The majority of the business is buying and selling cattle. Kristin and Tim live in Sidney, Mont., where they raise their four children.
In addition to Larson, Federation of State Beef Council members elected to the 2015 BPOC Operating Committee include: Vice Chairman Jennifer Houston, Tennessee; Austin Brown, Texas; Clay Burtrum, Oklahoma; Dawn Caldwell, Nebraska; Terri Carstensen, Iowa; Jerry Effertz, North Dakota; Steve Hanson, Nebraska; Cevin Jones, Idaho; and Scott McGregor, Iowa. CBB members elected to the committee include: Chairman Jimmy Maxey, California; Anne Anderson, Texas; Secretary/Treasurer Brett Morris, Oklahoma; Marty Andersen, Wisconsin; Jeanne Harland, Illinois; Brittany Howell, Kansas; Joe Guthrie, Virginia; Chuck Kiker, Texas; Stacy McClintock, Kansas; and Joan Ruskamp, Nebraska.
The Federation of State Beef Councils is a division of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), which is a contractor to the Beef Checkoff Program. The program is administered by the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, with oversight provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The Beef Checkoff Program was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. The checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. States retain up to 50 cents on the dollar and forward the other 50 cents per head to the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board.