Tying it all Together
By: Leticia
With warmer weather and longer days, this could only mean one thing: Summer is just around the corner! What I like most about summer is getting to go home and help out on the ranch. Only one thing stands between me and that trip home: finals! And while I should be studying for my statistics test, I am taking a break to reminisce over this semester.
With a full eighteen hour class load, I have had my fair share of homework, tests, and quizzes, but I think that the best measure of what I’ve learned is actually applying those skills I’ve learned in class to the real world. What really surprises me is how much each of my classes relates to what the National Beef Ambassador team and I have been doing throughout the year. So where exactly do those long hours of class lectures associate to what we do? Well, here are just a few examples of how it all tied together.
Tuesdays and Thursdays started out at seven thirty in the morning, where I would go to my statistics class. The relation: When the National Beef Ambassador team went to Washington, DC, we actually got to tour the National Agriculture Statistics Service at the USDA. It was there that we learned about their process to collect data and how that information eventually reaches out to the farmers and ranchers of our nation. They taught us about the important role that these statistics serve in our economy and daily lives. Well, I guess that stops my questioning about why Experimental Statistics is a required course in my major.
Next was my Meat Technology class. Though it may have been my favorite, it was also my hardest. A business major has no business in a science class! What I liked most about it, though, was that it was the most relevant class to my job as a National Beef Ambassador. We learned about what increases the tenderness of meat, about the meat processing line, and for our final we actually have to read an article about beef production and find the false statements and fix them….does this sound familiar at all? One homework assignment that we had to do was visit the University of Nebraska’s bovine myology tutorial, which I had a hard time finding, until one day I was poking around on beef.org and found a direct link to it. In the middle of a lecture on how to improve tenderness, I was reminded of our very first trip we took as a team was to the Certified Angus Beef headquarters in Wooster, OH where John Stika and the rest of the staff taught us about the “Science Behind the Sizzle,” and what products they had to offer consumers.
Speaking of consumers-I also had an agricultural marketing class that helped me realize different ways to create a product that consumers wanted. The teacher lectured over ways to increase consumer demand, which is one goal of the producer funded beef check-off. Just as in my World Food Problems class, we discussed current issues facing the agriculture industry and finding that median between producers and consumers.
If there was ever any doubt in my mind about not learning enough in school, or worse, learning a lot of useless knowledge, it has all been put to rest. In just a few days, Las Cruces will be behind me, my room mate will be left to man the fort on her own, and Hewey, our roping dummy in the back yard, will be given a few months of rest in our absence. The Spring ’08 Semester will be over, books and notebooks will be closed and left on shelves to collect dust, and we students will trade hours of class work for hours of internship work. But lessons learned in those closed pages of notes and in classrooms now closed will not be forgotten, instead they will be put to use, in our jobs, our personal lives, and our efforts in spreading the truth about beef.
Team ZIP and the 2008 Boston Marathon…
By: Michelle
With the sun shining and summer just weeks away, the athlete in me is itching to get out and stretch the legs. I’ve been busy playing and refereeing soccer games, but with the Utica “Boilermaker” 15k run coming up in July, I know I need to lace up my running shoes and start getting some miles under my belt. And with the recent trip back East for the 112th running of the Boston Marathon, I’ve never felt more inspired to get started.
This year’s race had over 14,000 runners in it, with participants in their teens up to their 70’s. Individual runners were their for their own personal reasons but had one common goal of finishing the marathon with their heads held high.
The 2008 Boston Marathon Health and Fitness Expo was held April 18-20 at the Hynes Convention Center, where marathon runners and health-conscious consumer alike gathered to get the latest on how to keep their bodies in shape. Big-time athletic companies like Nike, Adidas, Reebok and Mizuno had some impressive interactive booths where one could go to see how they run via a video screen and a treadmill. There were also plenty of other booths with energy supplements, coming in the form of bars, chews, drinks and pills. But the booth that surprised a lot of people and was a big hit as far as taste goes was our beef booth.
Working with the Northeast Beef Promotion Initiative, Pennsylvania Beef Council and New York Beef Council; fellow ambassador Jennifer Rassler and I handed out samples and spoke with thousands of consumers at this wonderful event. For the consumers’ sampling pleasure, we had Roast Beef Veggie Wraps that tasted great and a copy of the recipe so that even the worst of cooks (me being at the top of the list) could prepare this dish in minutes. And for those who were willing to try their hand at some beef trivia, we had steak rub to give away as prizes. We also had several handouts with great recipes and even more on nutritional benefits for not only athletes but also for children, infants, expecting mothers and more.
We surprised a lot of people with how beneficial beef really is, especially when it comes to an athlete and demanding so much of your body. With a 3-ounce serving being packed full of nutrition, including protein, zinc, vitamins B6 and B12, iron and more; the only way to match that is with a man-made energy supplement. Plus I think (and I think that others would agree with me on this) that beef is probably the tastiest nutritional supplement you could take.
So besides our hard work at the booth, we had the opportunity to sample some tasty local food as well as visit the oldest fire house in the city, which just so happened to be right outside the convention center. The station has one engine (#33) and one ladder truck (#15) and each respond to about 4400 calls a year. The guys were wonderful and I did take them some wraps and steak rub so they could keep their energy up in keeping us safe.
So all in all it was a great trip and I’m more inspired than ever to get out there and start running. The runners’ stories, the individual consumers that we reached out to and the friendly people of Boston have left me feeling good about sharing the story of beef and running towards a great summer.
Agriculture Improving the Environment
By: Leticia
April is here once again: Green grass starting to grow, new calves are on the ground, and the weather is beautiful! Don’t you just love welcoming in all the wonderful things that come along with spring? Another great thing that happens during this time is Earth Day, which falls on April 22 this year.
Now, when I hear the phrase “Earth Day,” I usually go back to a tradition that my elementary school started when I was in the third grade. We started planting a tree in the front lawn of the school every year. It’s funny to think about how we can each make a difference and how our daily activities, Earth Day or not, will impact and affect the environment…for better or worse.
Agriculture is a hot topic when it comes to discussing how our life styles are affecting the quality of the environment. With all the information out there, it’s hard to pick the myths from the facts when talking about agriculture’s impact on the environment. Let’s just cover a few basics about production agriculture and how ranchers manage our natural resources.
Myth 1. Food animal production contributes more to green house gasses than anything.
The truth is that production of food animals contributes only about 2.24 percent of greenhouse emissions as opposed to the 79.2 percent that fossil fuels generate.
Myth 2. Grazing cattle harm both the habitat and the wildlife of that area.
The truth is that when land is grazed by cattle, they usually help reduce the amount of waste on the ground, which in return will help prevent fires and improve the quality of the plants that do grow. Not only is the quality of the plants improved, but the wildlife will thrive in where cattle graze. It is estimated that about 85% of the lands used for grazing are not capable of producing crops. This means that by using the land for grazing, we are making the best of a resource that otherwise would not be used.
Myth 3. Food animal product negatively impacts water quality.
The truth is ranchers are required to meet specific regulations that are outlined in the clean water act to ensure a safe and secure water source for present and future generations.
It’s amazing to me when I go to any beef symposium or cattlemen’s convention and find myself sitting in a room full of ranchers when the inevitable topic about conservation and environmental stewardship arises. The knowledge that these men and women contain about managing the land they live on is outstanding. My Ag Econ teacher put it best when he told us that not using the natural resources isn’t conservation, but that true conservation means managing the land in a way that maximizes both its production and considers the environment. The men and women of the American beef industry have done a remarkable job of protecting and preserving the environment and have set the bar when it comes to best land management practices. This statement comes as no exception to the ranchers who have earned the Environmental Stewardship Award. This program awards producers for implementing innovated practices that help improve the quality of the land. To learn more about the program and this year’s winners, click here.
In addition to recognizing those who utilize the land in a beneficial way, we have several programs that help educate producers about range management programs. These programs help ranchers focus on one of our primary concerns: protecting the land that our cattle graze on. This is the same land that we live on and that has to be maintained properly, especially when we consider how we will pass it down for future generations. The best way I’ve heard it put is that we like to leave the land better than we found it. For more a video on good land management practices, click here.
In honor of Earth Day, we, the 2008 National Beef Ambassador Team, have been busy doing videos of our own.Yes, we asked you to send in your videos about how you enjoy beef, now we are creating our own, but our assignment is a little different. We have been asked to shoot videos about how agriculture improves the environment. Go check out Jenny Rassler’s video, which is our first vidoe to be posted about the topic. You can expect a video from the rest of us as well as the week progresses.
So I will leave you with a challenge:What have you done for the environment?Whether you live on the corner of 13th and Jackson in the middle of town, or at the end of a dirt road thirty miles from town, your daily lifestyle can help protect and maintain the environment.All you have to do is look to the leadership that the beef industry has set for you.
You Gotta Fight for Your Rights…
By: Michelle
Well maybe not literally fight, but definitely speak up for what you believe in and let people know how passionate you really are about it. The annual Spring Legislative Conference in Washington D.C. gives cattlemen and cattlewomen the opportunity to learn about legislative issues being discussed on the Hill and what they can do get their voice heard.
Yesterday we had the opportunity to hear from various speakers that work in different parts of the government here in the nation’s capital, including the Secretary of Agriculture from the USDA, Ed Schafer. After speaking and answering a few questions, we as a team had the opportunity to meet up with him outside the hall we were in and get a couple quick pictures as well as talk with him for a minute or two about what we were up to as National Beef Ambassadors.
In the afternoon we made a couple of agency visits, including the Agriculture Marketing Service (AMS), Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Here we got the “low-down” on what issues these agencies were dealing with that were directly affecting out industry. Experts from each agency talked with us and told what they were doing for us and we had an opportunity at the end of each session to ask questions, many of them focusing on issues affecting our respective states. So after yesterday’s full schedule of issues briefings, we were ready to take our case to the Hill and talk with our state legislators. Since each of us Beef Ambassadors come from different states, we said adieu and headed off with our fellow state cattlemen to talk to our local representatives.
I’m proud to say that California was well represented and had a strong delegation of about 25 people at the Capitol. We ended up spliting up into teams and each team visited 4-5 legislators to discuss the issues that were on our minds. I had the privelege of being with our California Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) President Bruce Hafenfeld, CCA Executive Vice President Matt Byrne, NCBA Region 6 Representative Rachel Aja and Young California Cattlemen’s President Ryan Nelson.
We had a dynamic team and we had the opportunity to talk with House Representatives Jim Costa, Devin Nunes, and Dan Lungren as well as our Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein. Here we discussed 5 main issues that affected our state and our livelihoods: Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with South Korea & Colombia, the Clean Water Act/Reformation Act, 2007 Farm Bill, Country of Origin Labeling (COOL), and where we stand in the Hallmark/Westland Beef Recall issue. All of the legislators were receptive to what we had to say and for the most part supported where we stand on these issues. After our meetings, we had a reception in one of the House of Representatives buildings inviting all legislators and their staff to come and mingle, relax, and munch on some tasty beef.
So far the conference has been a huge success and I know I’ve certainly learned a lot. We’ve got another full day tomorrow so I will try to keep you all updated on what’s going on. I’m trying to update my photo album as I go, so keep checking back for new photos from the experience!
Shortage of Veterinarians: Who will serve Rural America?
By: Leticia
One great thing about the news is how easy it is to tell what is a “hot topic” by how many different newspapers and magazines will cover the same story. Just a couple of weeks ago, the Las Cruces Sun News, which is my local newspaper, issued a story about the shortage of rural veterinarians out in the west. Another article in Drovers talked about how the amount of veterinarians serving agriculture is shrinking. On campus, there is constant talk about offering incentives for student pursuing a veterinarian degree. Now, when most people hear about the lack of an adequate amount of vets, there is only one logical question: Why? Well, while I am by no means a rural veterinarian, I believe that I can help answer this simple question.
Since I was a freshman in high school, I can remember spending my summers running around with our local veterinarian. Our day would start about five o’clock in the morning, I would meet her at her house, and we would drive anywhere from thirty minutes to an hour and a half to get to the dairy of our destination. For the next two to four hours, she would spend preg-checking cows and heifers, while I would help read tag numbers and record information. The afternoons would vary between different surgeries, c-sections, calvings, or ranch work. All of which was done outside in a chute. Thursday afternoons were special because instead of the bovine work, we would work on horses. Depending on the day, we would come home anywhere between five to some times eleven. The job wasn’t easy. And to add to it, there was always a long list of calls, soaring temperatures, and the occasion “problem patient.” So I ask you, could you do this?
I always have to laugh at my dad. When I call back home to ask what his plans are for the weekend, sometimes I can get a response like “Well if I could ever get the vet out here, we would test some cows.” It seems that, as people, we can never appreciate what other people go through until we’ve spent a day with them. I have to remind him, and sometimes myself, that we are not the only ranch that Dr. Kincaid goes to. In fact, she, along with the three other vets in the practice, cover three counties and some of
The state of
All of this, however, can not make up for the passion and drive that a rural veterinarian must posses. I myself have no desire to enter the field, but I still enjoy the experience of learning and work during the summers that I do get. The vets I have worked with, like many across the nation, have no regular nine-to-five job. The cows still get sick, get hurt, and need checking despite holidays, time of day, or weather. While my parents raised me and my brother to work hard, they also told us to go to college and get a degree so that we won’t have to work long, hard hours in the weather. The veterinarians of rural
Friendships and Personal Beliefs…
By: Michelle
When it comes to personal beliefs and passions, how far are you willing to go to let people know how you truly feel about something? And does it matter who the audience is? I had these questions rolling through my mind when I was talking with one of my best friends the other day regarding our recent beef promotion and needless to say we didn’t see eye-to-eye on this particular issue. She is a long-time vegetarian and recently became a vegan for multiple reasons. Here’s what she had to say in a recent post on Facebook in response to the promotion info I was sending to everyone:
“Originally I went vegetarian and then vegan for the health benefits. Plant food based diets are naturally low in fat, contain no cholesterol, and you can get all the nutrients your body needs from plant foods and some planning. It’s also been shown that plant based diets can help control diabetes, reduce the risk of heart disease, and may help prevent certain kinds of cancer.”
After I started learning more about the way our food is produced, I’ve realized that it’s wrong for us to confine, mutilate, torture, and kill animals so that we can eat their corpses. Diets based on meat and dairy are also less sustainable, with the amount of land, water, grain, and waste the industries consume and produce. Meat and dairy are also very expensive to produce, though with government subsides we don’t see the majority of that cost as consumers. Slaughterhouse workers and their families suffer higher rates of drug and alcohol abuse and domestic abuse, leading myself and many to belief that violence breeds violence.
Looking at everything, I couldn’t continue supporting the meat/dairy industries. I’m not on a mission to clear every plate in the world of animal products or a crazy PETA protester, but I personally can’t stomach the idea of consuming flesh or secretions any more…”
This of course caught my attention and I know I want to say something reflecting my beliefs and passions, but how do you say it? Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs and decisions in the choices, but when something as precious as one’s friendship hangs in the balance, what course of action do you take?
She had the same sort of dilemma running through her mind and asked her peers on LiveJournal what to do. You can view the entire thread here, but here’s the question she posed to her peers:
“What do you do when one of your best friends comes up with and promotes this
, a contest to support and promote the beef industry? We have been friends for years, and since becoming vegetarian (and now making the switch to vegan), I’ve just tried to ignore the fact that she is the Beef Ambassador for California, but seeing this just makes me physically ill. I’m not one to push my morals and beliefs on other people, preferring to give information when asked for it, and I don’t want to say anything that will ruin our friendship, but I don’t feel that I can sit back and say nothing at all.
And please, no advice saying to forget her, or to spam her with pictures of slaughtered animals until she cries, etc. I’d like whatever action I take to be non-confrontational and more conducive to conversation and information-sharing.”
She had several responses, most of them constructive and what she was looking for, but there were some that got a little too personal:
“Wow, your friend is promoting violence! I hope you handle it okay. I for one, couldn’t have a friend like that…”
“There’s really a Beef Ambassador for California? The term “Beef Ambassador” makes me laugh…”
So first and foremost, before I get down to the “meat and potatoes” here, I want to tell my friend that I appreciate the fact that you stand firm by your beliefs and are still open to others opinions. While I may not agree with your views, I still love and respect you and hope that we are still friends despite our differences. What I have to say hopefully will give you an idea of where I stand and specifically addresses the comments your peers posted, not yours.
So here it goes…
Being a beef ambassador has a lot of different responsibilities and I knew that when I first got involved. Being a representative of an industry as huge as the beef industry is no job that can be taken lightly, and I’m proud to represent a wonderful group of individuals. I don’t think of it as being a “laughable” matter because what I do along with the rest of the Beef Ambassador team is crucial to getting our story out there. We provide a voice for those who work hard to bring a high-quality, delicious product to your table and educate you, the consumer, about what goes on in our world.
My ag-business teacher once said that, “If you want to get into a high-risk profession where your future is dependent upon the appetite of others, than agriculture is it.” I can’t agree with her more on this statement, simply because we are dealing with food for the masses, and that’s what less than 5% of the U.S. population is doing for the rest of the states, along with providing for the global market. That’s why U.S. beef has had a long tradition of excellence not only in the U.S., but also on the international front. And that reputation of excellence comes from quality control measures taken at multiple levels in the beef production process, allowing you the consumer to take comfort in enjoying beef.
For one to say that these ranchers who work so hard are ones to promote violence is totally absurd. I come from a ranching background and while I’ve never raised cattle, I can tell you that violence is not something that was instilled in me while growing up. Cattle ranchers are stewards of the land and give back to that land as much if not more than what they take from it. There are countless ways that cattle grazing alone benefits U.S. grazing lands that would otherwise be useless for human consumption.
Besides caring for the land they use, cattle ranchers pour every ounce of passion they have into caring for their cattle. From waking up at the crack of dawn everyday and working hard until the sun goes down (and sometimes even later), being a cattle rancher is no easy job. It’s much more than a job, and it doesn’t pay by the hour, making it a job that requires determination and passion for what you’re doing.
So I guess what I’m saying is to not be too quick to judge who we are, because we are much more than cattle ranchers and contributors to the agriculture industry. We are human beings just like yourselves, with emotions, determination, and compassion for everything that we do. My job as a beef ambassador is to inform the public of what the beef industry is all about and the decision making is ultimately up to you. What you decide is yours to choose, but I encourage you to make a well-informed decision and know both sides of the story. If you would like more information about any part of the beef industry, I recommend any of the following sites below:
Beef from Pasture to Plate - a site that goes over the entire beef production process and provides factsheets on environmental impacts, economic contributions and more.
Beef it’s What’s for Dinner - provides nutritional information as well as several recipes that are quick and easy.
Finding Your Voice…
By: Michelle
So it turns out that PETA has a new campaign to try and stamp out animal agriculture called “Veggie Testamonials”. With the launch of a new website, new clothing, merchandise and the endorsement of several well-known celebrities such as Paul McCartney, Alicia Silverstone, and Forest Whitaker; it seems that PETA is going all out in this new promotion. But they’ve neglected to see who the real celebrities are in this day and age.
As it was illustrated in TIME’s 2006 Person of the Year issue, it is you, the consumer, who is the real star. With the expansion and development in technology, it’s easier than ever to broadcast yourself to the masses. Sites like MySpace, Facebook, and YouTube have opened up doors to millions of people to reach out to others and share their thoughts with the rest of the world.
With that in mind, I have a challenge for you. Actually, the whole National Beef Ambassador Team has a challenge for you. We want you to show us your creative style by showing us “More BEEF in More Places”. The rules are simple and the possibilities are endless. If you have a video camera, a little creative energy and a love for beef; then I encourage you to give it a shot. Plus if your video really blows us all away, you could win an iPod Touch.
So what are you waiting for? Check out the contest rules and info and get your voice heard!
Contest Information
Contest Terms
Submission Form
Passing the Torch…
By: Michelle
Last night was the 2008 Tehama County Beef Ambassador competition, where a year ago I was a nervous wreck wondering why exactly I was applying for this job. A couple of the local CattleWomen told me about the contest a month before and said I should go for it. I thought it was funny that they were asking me of all people to go for this, considering I raised sheep and goats. But I did it, I prepared a speech and answered a few questions and after sweating bullets standing in front of this group of CattleWomen, I got the job. So after a whirlwind year of fun and exciting experiences, here I was back where this all began.
I arrived at the contest location and saw the prospective competitor sitting in the back of the room, shuffling through notecards and biting her nails with fervor. I couldn’t help but relate to how she felt, probably sitting there wondering how exactly this all was going to work. We were asked to sit down for dinner with the contest following afterwards, so I found the same seat I sat in last year. It felt so different sitting there now that the year is over. It was a kind of calming, comforting, and humbling to think how far I’ve come over the course of this year.
After dinner and before the contest was to begin, the CattleWomen asked me to sort of recap on the year and give some advice to the new ambassador. The first thing I said and what I think the important part of my message was that I wouldn’t have made it without the help of the CattleWomen that were there that night, as well as the ones all across the nation that are fighting for our industry every day. The CattleWomen are the backbone of our industry as wives, mothers, grandmothers, ranchers, and without them the industry would crumble. These ladies are there for you whenever you may need help and only want the very best for you. I’m proud to represent such a wonderful industry and to come from a county where our CattleWomen are as strong and supportive as these ladies are. If there’s only one thing that our new ambassador can take from this, let it be that she knows of how much these ladies love and care about this industry and the people within it and only want her to succeed.
So, needless to say, the torch has been passed and we have our new 2008-09 Tehama County Beef Ambassador, Rochelle Borror. I’ve been fortunate to have known her for a long time and I know she’s got a great year ahead of her. I hope to support her right along with my fellow CattleWomen and give back to a program that has given so much to me.
Beef: Beyond Steaks and Shakes
By: Leticia
When I was in FFA, one of our favorite sayings was, “Agriculture is more than just cows, sows, and plows.” We would use this a lot to explain to people about all the different aspects of the agricultural industry. Thinking about that today, I guess the same basic principal could be applied to the cattle industry. When most people think about the products that cattle provide they usually only think about the meat and dairy products. While I appreciate a juicy, tender steak, and couldn’t imagine not pouring milk over my cereal, it’s also very important to appreciate the other products that cattle provide us with.
Let’s take a look at all the things that are made possible by beef by products.
Just think about this: You get up in the morning and get ready to conquer your day. Did you, in your morning process, brush your teeth, use some mouth wash, use soap, or put some make-up on? Chances are, you probably did. And if you did, more than likely you have already consumed at least one beef product and you didn’t even touch a steak!
Ok, so now lets move on to the activities for the rest of the day. You go to pick your daughter up from school. Maybe on your way back home, an ambulance zooms by. You drive by a construction zone where the workers are already working on setting up the walls of the new building. As soon as your daughter gets into the car, she pops a piece of gum into her mouth.
So, I bet by now you have this figured out. In one way or another, the products that helped make this afternoon possible were products that were produced using beef by products.
We use everything from the muscle for meat, to the fats and proteins for everyday articles to deliver a product to you, the consumer. Because we are able to create all these by products from beef, we are able to use 99% of every animal. This means that almost nothing goes to waste. We have become so efficient in processing cattle into more than just meat that almost 10% of every dollar that the rancher receives for their cattle actually could be contributed to their by products. Just remember, Beef: It’s not just for dinner!
Concerns about Beef Recall
By: Leticia
So there I was yesterday, sitting in my World Agriculture and Food Problems class yesterday, and the teacher brought up for discussion the recent news about the beef recall of 143 million pounds of beef stemming from the findings of Humane Society of the United States undercover video. Well, after hearing a few of my class mates’ pledges to never eat beef again, I raised my hand to give them our side of the story.
So, when you go home tonight, be assured that the beef you serve your family is just as safe today as it ever has been. The men and women who work to deliver you safe, wholesome products from pasture to plate work to serve you.
