June 11, 2015 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Spending by Checkoff Contractors | Checkoff Chat

Checkoff contractors are not allowed to profit from grant dollars

Checkoff contractors are not allowed to profit from grant dollars

Q: How can I be sure that checkoff dollars aren’t being misspent by national contractors?

A: Checkoff contractors are reimbursed only for the work they actually do for the Cattlemen’s Beef Board and are not allowed to make a profit from a Checkoff contract. In fact, staff that work for the contracting organizations must track their time spent down to the quarter hour. By law, the Cattlemen’s Beef Board contract with established national, non-profit, industry-governed organizations to implement programs of promotion, research, consumer information, industry information, foreign marketing and producer communications.

Checkoff Chat Montana Beef CouncilRead more about the Beef Checkoff Programs in our Checkoff Chat Series with the Montana Beef Council. Click here to submit your own questions to be answered in future posts.

About the Beef Checkoff
The Beef Checkoff Program (MyBeefCheckoff.com) was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. It 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 $1 and forward the other 50 cents to the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to USDA approval. The Montana Beef Council was created in 1954 by cattlemen as a marketing organization for the Montana beef industry and is organized to protect and increase demand for beef and beef products through state, national and international beef promotion, research and education, thereby enhancing profit opportunities for Montana beef producers.

May 21, 2015 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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How are Checkoff Dollars Collected? | Checkoff Chat

The buyer generally is responsible for collecting $1 per head from the seller, but both are responsible for seeing that the dollar is collected and paid.

The buyer generally is responsible for collecting $1 per head from the seller, but both are responsible for seeing that the dollar is collected and paid.

Q: Who polices the checkoff collection? Is the checkoff really being collected in other states, especially ones that don’t brand like we do in Montana and other Western states?

A: That is a tough one, because state beef councils and the Beef Board can’t police every transaction. To some degree, these collections depend on the integrity of our friends and neighbors. But state beef councils and the Cattlemen’s Beef Board have a variety of tools for following cattle sales, and any private sales discovered after-the-fact not to have paid the checkoff assessment are subject to penalties, fines and late fees. The buyer generally is responsible for collecting $1 per head from the seller, but both are responsible for seeing that the dollar is collected and paid.

The Beef Checkoff Program increases profit opportunities for producers by keeping beef top-of-mind with consumers, restaurants, butchers and other food retailers. It also reaches out to educators, dietitians and medical personnel and influencers. In short, it is always working to ensure a wholesome, quality beef-eating experience consistently.

Checkoff Chat Montana Beef CouncilRead more about the Beef Checkoff Programs in our Checkoff Chat Series with the Montana Beef Council. Click here to submit your own questions to be answered in future posts.

About the Beef Checkoff
The Beef Checkoff Program (MyBeefCheckoff.com) was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. It 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 $1 and forward the other 50 cents to the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to USDA approval. The Montana Beef Council was created in 1954 by cattlemen as a marketing organization for the Montana beef industry and is organized to protect and increase demand for beef and beef products through state, national and international beef promotion, research and education, thereby enhancing profit opportunities for Montana beef producers.

May 8, 2015 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Beef Checkoff and Policy Funding | Checkoff Chat

While the Checkoff may provide education and information about beef, it does not fund policy work

While the Checkoff may provide education and information about beef, it does not fund policy work

Q: Does the checkoff fund policy like COOL and the Dietary Guidelines?

A: The checkoff can only be a resource for information about beef and is prohibited from engaging in discussions about policy. Local, state and national policy membership organizations were formed for this reason and they carry out lobbying on behalf of their membership policies.

No checkoff dollars whatsoever have been used in any comments or actions related to COOL by any checkoff contractors or associated organizations on behalf of the checkoff. As the administrator of the Beef Checkoff, the Cattlemen’s Beef Board cannot take a position on policy matters and cannot lobby. These are matters producers should take up with their individual farming and ranching organizations.

Checkoff Chat Montana Beef CouncilRead more about the Beef Checkoff Programs in our Checkoff Chat Series with the Montana Beef Council. Click here to submit your own questions to be answered in future posts.

About the Beef Checkoff
The Beef Checkoff Program (MyBeefCheckoff.com) was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. It 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 $1 and forward the other 50 cents to the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to USDA approval. The Montana Beef Council was created in 1954 by cattlemen as a marketing organization for the Montana beef industry and is organized to protect and increase demand for beef and beef products through state, national and international beef promotion, research and education, thereby enhancing profit opportunities for Montana beef producers.

April 23, 2015 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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What is the Beef Checkoff and Who Pays? | Checkoff Chat

Establishing the Beef Checkoff DollarsQ: Who is required to pay into the Beef Checkoff?

A: By law, all producers selling cattle or calves, for any reason and regardless of age or sex, must pay $1 per head to support beef/veal promotion, research and information through the Beef Promotion and Research Act, which is the 1985 enabling legislation for the Beef Checkoff Program. The buyer generally is responsible for collecting $1 per head from the seller, but both are responsible for seeing that the dollar is collected and paid.

In addition, the checkoff is collected at the same rate on every live beef animal imported and at the equivalent rate of $1-per-head on all beef products that are imported. [The current equivalent weight on live cattle is 592 pounds, and the formula for figuring the equivalents on imported beef and beef products is in the Beef Promotion and Research Order. See details of the rule in the Federal Register that set the current rate].

Q: Is anyone exempt from paying the dollar?

A: Producers of 100 percent USDA-certified organic products are exempt from most commodity checkoffs, based on separate legislation, but they must meet strict requirements and re-apply for certification on an annual basis. No other producer is exempt from the beef checkoff, according to the Beef Act. Buyers who resell cattle no more than 10 days from the date of purchase may file a non-producer status form and avoid paying an additional dollar. They are, however, responsible for remitting collected funds and reporting any transactions to the qualified state beef council.

Q: What is the penalty if someone doesn’t pay the $1 per head assessment?

A: A late fee of 2 percent on the assessments owed is compounded monthly. USDA can assess a civil penalty of up to $7,500 per transaction [the sale of one animal], plus those late fees.

Q: Can we vote on the checkoff?

A: Yes. The federal legislation that created the beef checkoff states that the Secretary of Agriculture may call a referendum as to continuation of the program when 10 percent of producers request it. Cattlemen would pay the cost of the referendum out of checkoff dollars.

Checkoff Chat Montana Beef CouncilRead more about the Beef Checkoff Programs in our Checkoff Chat Series with the Montana Beef Council. Click here to submit your own questions to be answered in future posts.

About the Beef Checkoff
The Beef Checkoff Program (MyBeefCheckoff.com) was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. It 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 $1 and forward the other 50 cents to the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to USDA approval. The Montana Beef Council was created in 1954 by cattlemen as a marketing organization for the Montana beef industry and is organized to protect and increase demand for beef and beef products through state, national and international beef promotion, research and education, thereby enhancing profit opportunities for Montana beef producers.

April 10, 2015 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Short Cattle Supplies and Beef Demand | Checkoff Chat

beef consumer demand meat case

Retail beef demand increased 7 percent year over year in 2014.

Q: Cattle supplies are down and beef prices are up, so is demand going to bust?

A: Anyone who has listened to a CattleFax presentation in the previous 12 months will recognize the confluence of factors that were deemed to be the market’s “perfect storm.” Prices for beef, pork and poultry were elevated due to tight per capita supplies and stronger demand.

Intuition would say higher prices should lead to demand destruction, yet since all of the competing meats were facing limited supplies, customers were willing to pay more for what was available. Retail beef demand increased 7 percent year over year in 2014 with a record-high annual average all-fresh retail price of $5.60 per pound. Fed cattle prices averaged $154 per hundredweight in 2014, which was up $200 per head at this price level. While both supply and demand were very supportive to profits last year, there is still and important piece missing from the discussion. Read more from Beef Issues Quarterly.

Checkoff Chat Montana Beef CouncilRead more about the Beef Checkoff Programs in our Checkoff Chat Series with the Montana Beef Council. Click here to submit your own questions to be answered in future posts.

About the Beef Checkoff
The Beef Checkoff Program (MyBeefCheckoff.com) was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. It 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 $1 and forward the other 50 cents to the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to USDA approval. The Montana Beef Council was created in 1954 by cattlemen as a marketing organization for the Montana beef industry and is organized to protect and increase demand for beef and beef products through state, national and international beef promotion, research and education, thereby enhancing profit opportunities for Montana beef producers.

April 9, 2015 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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New Series Answers Beef Checkoff Questions | Checkoff Chat

Checkoff Chat Montana Beef CouncilAfter increased attention in news headlines over the past year, we have been receiving several questions about Beef Council programs and how your Checkoff dollars are being used to promote beef to consumers. MyBeefCheckoff.com offers many pages of information to answer these questions about national Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB) programs. Locally, the Montana Beef Council (MBC) administers many programs at the state level for Montana consumers.

We recognize ranchers may not always see the full extent of these promotion efforts because most programs are directed at beef consumers and encouraging them to purchase more of our product. Montana Stockgrowers receives Checkoff grant funding for our Environmental Stewardship Award Program, which shares stories of ranches’ environmental stewardship, conservation and sustainability with consumers.

Announcing a new series – Checkoff Chat

To answer your questions, we’ve teamed up with the Montana Beef Council for a Q&A series, Checkoff Chat. Over the next several months, Checkoff Chat will address questions about how your Checkoff dollars are being used to promote beef to consumers as part of a healthy diet and lifestyle. Click here to see all posts in the series as they are posted, and be sure to share these posts with your friends, neighbors and followers.

Looking for a place to submit your questions about the Beef Checkoff programs? Use our Contact form to send us a message and we’ll pass it along to the Montana Beef Council to be answered in a future post!

The first post in the series is available tomorrow morning. Don’t miss a post in the series! Use the subscription form on the right-hand side of the page to receive emails each time we share a new post.

January 27, 2015 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Checkoff Email Updates Available | Beef Briefs

Did you know …

Beef Briefs MyBeefCheckoff sign up…that you can receive the latest information about how your checkoff dollars are being invested right to your inbox just by signing up to receive a regular e-mail from MyBeefCheckoff.com? It’s easy to learn the latest right from the comfort of your computer or your smartphone. Simply go to www.MyBeefCheckoff.com and click the E-News Sign Up tab and you’re on your way! While you’re there check out the redesigned website too!

Beef Briefs is your snapshot of beef checkoff news affecting the beef and dairy industries provided by the Montana Beef Council. Learn more at MyBeefCheckoff.com.

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.