News Update
June 6, 2011

Beef Checkoff Kicks Off American GrillMaster Experience BBQ Tour

In partnership with Sam’s Club and the Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS), the beef checkoff is kicking off a summer grilling BBQ tour. The American GrillMaster Experience, a beef BBQ demonstration and educational tour, will include beef grilling demonstrations, product samples, recipes and other checkoff resources designed to educate and inform consumers on grilling techniques. In total, 18 events will take place in the parking lots of Sam’s Club locations in 17 states from June through October.

“Mobile sampling and demonstration tours are fast becoming one of the most effective marketing platforms in America today. Savvy consumers demand to see, try, taste and experience products for themselves before they make purchase decisions,” says Jane Frost, vice chair of the checkoff’s Joint Retail Committee and (segment) from San Jon, N.M. “Connecting with consumers through promotional sampling in a fun and exciting environment proves to be one of the best ways to engage our target audience, promote our beef products and drive home our promotional messages that keep beef in the minds and in the shopping carts of our consumers.”

In 2010, Sam’s Club launched a pilot competitive BBQ program and became the first major retailer to host official KCBS-sanctioned competitive events. The events were extremely popular, and Sam’s Club soon became the official supplier of the KCBS.

From that 2010 pilot program, the Sam’s Club National BBQ Tour was born. The inaugural tour kicked off in spring 2011 and has quickly grown into the largest competitive BBQ series in America. The checkoff-sponsored GrillMaster events run in conjunction with Sam’s Club National BBQ Tour.

“This tour provides the checkoff with a unique and fun opportunity to showcase beef cuts that perform great on the grill at a variety of price points, while engaging directly with consumers,” says Frost. “Another important aspect to this partnership is that through coordination with our state beef councils and possibly National Beef Ambassadors, a ‘beef team’ will be on hand to pass along recipes, cooking tips and other materials designed to educate and inform the thousands of grill enthusiasts throughout the summer.”

Click here for more information and a complete tour schedule.

For more information about other beef checkoff retail and promotional efforts, visit BeefRetail.org. For more information about the beef checkoff in general, visit www.MyBeefCheckoff.com.

— Release by the Cattlemen’s Beef Board.

Vets Plus Inc. Announces Name Change, Expanded Distribution, Additional Product Options

Vets Plus Inc. (VPI) today announced a name change and a new VPI logo at www.vets-plus.com.

The acquisition of Bomac New Zealand by Bayer (Germany) in 2010 initiated the transition of the 22-year-old animal health manufacturer back to its original name of Vets Plus Inc., fresh with a new logo. This logo emphasizes Vets Plus Inc., as a global leader in animal health not only with text, but also with graphics by maintaining the signature upside-down triangle with “Vets Plus” at the top, and an image of a globe at the point.

“It is important to stress to our customers and partners that this most recent change at Vets Plus Inc., is in name only and we will continue to produce only the highest-quality products in animal health and nutrition,” Raj Lall, president and CEO, said. “This opportunity to move forward as Vets Plus Inc., is exciting and we are happy to reveal our new logo that better aligns with our dedication to the health and well-being of all the animals in the world — and the companies that serve them.”

VPI, headquartered in Knapp, Wis., boasts nearly 100,000 square feet of manufacturing space and has a current roster of more than 500 products that it produces. With such a spectrum of capabilities, VPI has the ability to also offer custom product manufacturing for clients to meet their ever-evolving needs in providing consumers with the highest-quality animal health supplement and/or nutraceutical, while maximizing profits and maintaining the highest in certified quality standards.

Additional questions regarding the VPI line of products or to discuss custom product development opportunities, VPI can be reached via phone at 1-800-468-3877 or e-mail at info@vets-plus.com.

— Release by VPI.

Quality Counts Verification to be Required for all 2012 Major Texas Livestock Shows

Starting in 2012, Quality Counts verification will be required for all youth exhibiting livestock — market and/or breeding — at major livestock shows in Texas, according to Kevin Chilek, Texas AgriLife Extension Service 4-H specialist in College Station.

The shows that will require the verification are the Fort Worth Livestock Show, San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo, Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, Star of Texas Fair in Austin, San Angelo Livestock Show, Sandhills Stock Show in Odessa, State Fair of Texas in Dallas, and Heart O’ Texas Fair in Waco, Burkham said.

The verification process will require junior exhibitors to pass an online test that measures their knowledge on quality assurance and character education content items, Chilek said.

To learn more about Quality Counts including the verification process, please visit: http://qualitycounts.tamu.edu/.

“The Quality Counts Program has now been in existence statewide for six years,” said Angela Burkham, AgriLife Extension 4-H specialist in Amarillo.

“Over this time, it has reached an average of 30,000 youth per year through the 4-H and FFA programs.”

The program outcomes clearly demonstrate youth being more knowledgeable of best management practices associated with livestock projects, she said. More importantly, the program’s impact has demonstrated positive changes in personal character attributes as well as adoption of livestock best management practices.

Over these six years, Quality Counts has been supported and endorsed by every major livestock show in Texas, Chilek said.

“These livestock shows have been instrumental in helping market the program statewide and have also been a strong partner regarding the educational content developed for the Quality Counts Program,” he said.  “In addition, these livestock shows have fully endorsed this verification process.”

A verification number will be needed at the time of making an official entry into a Texas major livestock show, Chilek said. Thus, youth will need to have completed and passed the test before the major livestock show’s entry deadline. A passing score has been determined to be 80%.

Youth educators and the major livestock shows in Texas believe strongly in Quality Counts, Burkham said. Collectively, they are confident that this significant step of requiring youth to be Quality Counts verified will strengthen and enhance the youth livestock program in Texas.

For more information, contact an AgriLife Extension county agent or agricultural science teacher.

— Release by Texas AgriLife Today.

DV Auction And Texas A&M Debut World’s First Virtual Livestock Judging Website

DV Auction and Texas A&M Livestock Judging Team are pleased to announce the launch of www.elitelivestockjudging.com, a web-based livestock judging website that educates youth about the principles of livestock judging through the interactive use of web-based videos.

This website features multiple-angle videos of individual animals in each class, class placings links, and in-depth reasons videos courtesy of the Texas A&M Livestock Judging Team. Individuals, 4-H clubs and FFA chapters can purchase a year-long subscription to the service, to which video content is updated frequently.

“This innovative service allows youth across the world to participate in livestock judging in a convenient and cost-effective manner. With the dramatic increase in web-based technology acceptance in agriculture, we are excited to do our part in assisting in the education of future livestock producers through this exciting avenue,” reports Brett Spader, director of marketing and special services for DV Auction. DV Auction teamed up with 11-time National Champion Collegiate Livestock Judging Team Texas A&M to provide direction on the project.

This service is a valuable resource for youth in the livestock industry, according to Texas A&M Livestock Judging Team coach Jake Franke.

“In today’s competitive livestock judging world, every learning opportunity must be utilized to ensure success,” Franke says. “And www.elitelivestockjudging.com creates a valuable resource to learn from some of the best in the business.”

To find out more, visit www.elitelivestockjudging.com or contact Brett Spader at brett@dvauction.com or 785-633-5512.

DV Auction is a web-based livestock marketing and media company that specializes in the Internet broadcasts of livestock auctions, events, and industry media coverage. For more information, please visit www.dvauction.com.

— Adapted from a release by Brett Spader for DV Auction.

— Compiled by Linda Robbins, assistant editor, Angus Productions Inc.