Table Talk: May is Beef Month – What You Didn’t Know (But Should)
May is when a farmer’s attention turns to thoughts of marketing and advocating for their agricultural products. Most farmers talk about how they got into the profession to do just that, farm. Spreading the good word about beef probably wasn’t high on the priority list, between long days in the fields and even longer nights struggling with calving season.
Luckily for all the cattle-herding individuals out there, some brilliant minds have your back. Organizations have been formed to handle the advocacy piece, freeing up your time to focus on the very important work of raising beef. In the U.S., farmers contribute $1 per head on cattle sold domestically or imported. The Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board retains 50 cents for national initiatives, while the remaining 50 cents stays with the respective state beef councils. During May Beef Month, it’s time to tip our hats to the groups that formed partnerships to do the heavy lifting on educating consumers.
For example, take the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture. They created the “On the Farm” STEM curriculum with lesson plans on beef production. That is 60-plus hours of face-to-face engagement and materials for teachers that reach more than 70,000 students about where their beef comes from. Applications for this program were up 700% for 2024.
Then there’s the U.S. Meat Export Federation. Their efforts are driving international demand for U.S. beef higher, where market share is up on the value-added chilled beef program (beef that’s never been frozen). Exports to countries like Japan and Korea remain strong as tourism rebounds, revenge spending occurs and the food service industry demands U.S. beef. There’s a growing appetite for beef cuts like tongue, round and intestines in Taiwan, Indonesia and Africa. The value per head on those cuts has increased from $17/head to $52/head, now returning a better profit.
The U.S. Cattlemen’s Association has been doing research on feeding cattle an omega-3 enriched diet to up those healthy fats in beef products and increase palatability. These experts also brought us the fascinating “Meat Demand Monitor” to track consumer trends*. You can also hear more about it on the Agriculture of America podcast, designed to keep farmers and ranchers informed on the latest agriculture news.
Of course, we have the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. They cover the bases with research on nutrition, safety, sustainability and more. They continue to improve the Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program, the 30-year beef tenderness study and deliver informative videos. They’re working to understand beef’s role in the diet and have a seat at the table at 25 nutrition science thought leader events, the Adolescent Nutrition Summit and the Heart Health Journal Club.
Other industry organizations have formed collaborative partnerships as well. The North American Meat Institute has engaged in e-commerce marketing with the retail chain Giant Eagle and the American Culinary Webinar. The Northeast Beef Promotion Initiative has partnered with the International Restaurant and Food Service Show of New York, as well as educational institutions like Seton Hall and UConn. Additionally, the National Institute of American Agriculture will be holding the 14th Annual Antibiotics Symposium this fall.
Which brings us back to our beloved home state. The Wisconsin Beef Council has been working hard on Walmart e-commerce and Build Your Base campaigns, television cooking segments, the Beef Leadership Institute, digital media and even an upcoming Stockmanship and Stewardship event in Lancaster on Aug. 28-29.
Spend some time learning about the greatest food to ever grace a grill not just in May, but everyday.
Beef promotion resources
*Meat Demand Monitor: agmanager.info/livestock-meat/meat-demand/monthly-meat-demand-monitor-survey-data
- beefresearch.org
- youtube.com/@NationalBQA
- cattlecalling.org
- youtube.com/@BeefCheckoff
- beeftips.com
- beefitswhatsfordinner.com
Tammy Wiedenbeck is the District 3 Representative on the WFBF Promotion and Education Committee. Tammy is the seventh generation on her family’s farm and works together with her brother’s family and parents to run the beef and crop operation. She also manages a photography business on the side.
The Promotion and Education Committee is a dynamic group of Farm Bureau leaders who develop, implement and promote programs that build agricultural awareness and provide leadership development to the agricultural community.
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