News Update
April 27, 2010

NCBA’s Cattlemen to Cattlemen TV Show Features Series on Safe Use of Antibiotics

The top priority of cattle producing families across the country is protecting the health of the animals for which they care, each and every day. That’s why the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) in partnership with Bayer Animal Health is proud to bring viewers of NCBA’s Cattlemen to Cattlemen a series focusing on the appropriate protocols and judicious use of antibiotics in the beef cattle industry.

Join host Kevin Ochsner for NCBA’s Cattlemen to Cattlemen on April 27, May 4 and May 11 as he brings viewers a four-part series focusing on the important role antibiotics play on today’s cattle operations. For the series, NCBA’s Cattlemen to Cattlemen visited a feedyard in Kansas, spoke to experts at Kansas State University (K-State) and also had the chance to speak with Members of Congress and officials from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as well as the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) about how antibiotics play a safe and pivotal role in modern beef production.

Also in the coming months, NCBA will be bringing cattlemen regular policy and association updates through web videos with new, in-house television production studios sponsored by Bayer Animal Health.

“Our partnership with Bayer Animal Health will allow us to tell the story of America’s farmers and ranchers to a broader, more diverse audience across the country, including legislators and regulators in Washington, D.C. Since most people can’t be out on the farm every day seeing what our members do firsthand, these shows will help bring the farm to them,” said NCBA Vice President of Government Affairs Colin Woodall.

NCBA’s Cattlemen to Cattlemen debuts Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m. on RFD-TV, and re-airs Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. and Saturdays at 9 a.m. (all times Eastern). Episodes are also available online at www.CattlemenToCattlemen.org

— Release by NCBA.

Earth Day Efforts Deliver Positive Message About Beef

Thursday, April 23, marked the 40th anniversary of Earth Day and another opportunity for the beef checkoff to help farmers and ranchers across the country proactively tell the “Everyday Environmentalist” story. Here are some of the results of this year’s campaign … and, for those still interested, it’s not too late to extend the positive message about beef and the environment.

Earth Day success stories

This year’s proactive Earth Day campaign already has reached millions of consumers in major cities across the country, with more positive news to come: 

• Fort Morgan, Colo., cattle rancher and feeder Gary Teague educated radio listeners in 13 states about the industry’s environmentally friendly practices, achieving more than 1.5 million media impressions. In addition, a prerecorded radio news release carrying the positive Earth Day message was broadcast 851 times on 779 stations, with an average weekly listenership of about 21.4 million people.
  

• The checkoff issued a national news release highlighting a recent checkoff-funded consumer survey that ranked cattle ranchers and farmers as the third greenest profession. To date, the release has resulted in 67 reprints, including the DenverPost.com and Yahoo!, and has garnered more than 141 million media impressions. And, another release was distributed highlighting the 40 ways cattle farmers and ranchers help the environment and has resulted in 491 online placements so far.
  

• The www.ExploreBeef.org website was given an Earth Day facelift. The online Earth Day campaign, designed to increase visitors to ExploreBeef.org, has been active for about two weeks. To date, 334,658 people have viewed our Earth Day ads on Google. Social media posts on Facebook and Twitter and a viral e-mail delivered positive environment messages and drove consumer traffic to www.ExploreBeef.org. As a result, daily sessions have more than doubled. Additionally, the online checkoff publication “Beef So Simple,” distributed to 30,000 subscribers, also highlighted cattle farmers’ and ranchers’ commitment to the environment.
  

Working together with national staff, dozens of states successfully placed positive industry opinion pieces, letters-to-the-editor and advertisements in newspapers throughout the country.

Like farmers and ranchers’ everyday commitment to the environment, the checkoff will continue efforts to educate consumers on sustainable production practices, including the latest science on climate change and livestock production. 

Click here for more success stories and for more information on efforts funded by your beef checkoff investment, visit MyBeefCheckoff.com.

— Adapted from a Cattlemen’s Beef Board release.

Beef Quality Assurance Program Set for May 22 in Marion, Texas

The nation’s Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) programs are vital to helping cattlemen give the beef consumer a wholesome eating experience, according to program coordinators.

To inform cattle producers in the South Central Texas area, a free BQA program will take place from 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. on May 22 in Marion, said Jerry Warren, Texas AgriLife Extension service agent for agriculture in Bexar County. The program will take place at the Bexar Bowling Social Hall, located at 15681 Bexar Bowling Road.

The program will be presented by the AgriLife Extension and the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) in cooperation with the Texas Beef Council. It is being sponsored by Pfizer, Pfizer Animal Health and IDEXX Laboratories.

“The Texas Beef Quality Producer program is based on tried-and-tested best management practices and was developed to help cattlemen produce a safer, more wholesome food product,” Warren said. “The Beef Quality Assurance program in Marion will cover a variety of topics of interest to the producer which will help him provide consumers with the quality beef products they want.”

He said certification programs such as this address beef quality assurance, industry updates, recordkeeping and environmental stewardship, along with management practices associated with genetic selection, cattle handling and culling, and vaccination.

Registration for the program will be from 8:30a.m.-9 a.m. A free lunch will be served.

Warren said attendees should RSVP by May 17 to either Stacy Fox at the TSCRA at 1-800-242-7820 or sfox@texascattleraisers.org or Annette Pawelek at the AgriLife Extension office in Bexar County at 210-467-6575 or apawelek@ag.tamu.edu.

— Release by Texas AgriLife Extension.

Free Texas Watershed Stewards Workshop May 12 in Seven Points

Ongoing efforts to protect and enhance the water quality of Cedar Creek Reservoir will be boosted by a one-day public workshop May 12 conducted by the Texas Watershed Steward Program, said program coordinators.

The workshop will take place from 8 a.m.- 4 p.m. at Cedar Creek Library, 410 East Cedar Creek Parkway in Seven Points.

Texas Watershed Stewards is a program of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service and Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board, said Jennifer Peterson, AgriLife Extension program specialist.

“This workshop is part of a statewide educational program designed to improve the quality of Texas water resources by educating and informing local citizens about their local watershed, potential impairments and steps that can be taken to help improve and maintain local water quality,” Peterson said.

A watershed is a geographic area that drains into a common water body and is defined by topography, vegetation, human populations, land use and wildlife, she said. Cedar Creek Reservoir is an important drinking-water source, as well as a popular fishing destination. Some issues affecting the watershed include drought and water withdrawals, threats to habitats, floodplain management and management of aquatic vegetation.

“The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality lists Cedar Creek Reservoir as impaired for high pH values,” Peterson said. “In addition, areas of the reservoir have concerns for ammonia, orthophosphate, total phosphorus, excessive algal growth and depressed dissolved oxygen.”

“This workshop will offer the public an opportunity to learn about the watershed management approach,” said David Waidler, project manager of the North Central Texas Water Quality Project, a partnership between Texas AgriLife Research and the Tarrant Regional Water District. “Water quality managers are now emphasizing the concept of overall watershed conditions as an indicator of the health of local waters.”

Peterson said the watershed protection plan developed by the partnership will be based on the results of watershed reservoir modeling, economic analyses and stakeholder inputs.

Workshop attendees will receive a catered lunch, a copy of the Texas Watershed Steward curriculum handbook and a certificate of completion, she noted.

“Participants will get information and training on how to build community interest and identify and participate in watershed protection and quality enhancement efforts to benefit the Cedar Creek Reservoir and the people it serves,” she said.

The program offers seven continuing education units in soil and water management for certified crop advisors and seven continuing education credits for certified teachers. It also offers three general continuing education units for Texas Department of Agriculture pesticide license holders.

Participants must preregister by contacting the Texas Watershed Steward Program at http://tws.tamu.edu/workshops/online-registration or by contacting Peterson at 979-862-8072 or jlpeterson@ag.tamu.edu.

— Release by Texas AgriLife Extension.

— Compiled by Mathew Elliott, assistant editor, Angus Productions Inc.