Trust in Beef

Last week, beef cattle people met at the Black Leg Ranch near Menoken, ND, where Jerry Doan and his family hosted a stop on the Trust in Beef^TM multi-state tour. This unique gathering of ranchers, news media, industry, university researchers, and consumers pursued the overarching theme of sustainability in producing tasty, nutrient-rich beef.

“Sustainability” means different things to many people. I like to use the SARE definition of sustainability: “Farmer- (Rancher-) driven innovations in agriculture that improve profitability, stewardship, and quality of life.” SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education) is a USDA-funded program that provides information and grants to enhance agricultural sustainability.

The beef-consuming public wants tasty beef. They also want to feel good about how beef is produced, so environmentally friendly methods are desirable. Increased beef consumption drives the price of beef to make beef production affordable for ranchers, feeders, packers and purveyors. 

Consumers are confident that beef is healthy and tasty, but that confidence can be rattled with just one bad news release. Sharing how the beef industry raises cattle and produces beef helps build and maintain confidence with consumers. Pictures of well-fed cattle grazing healthy, lush pastures or Big Sky western ranges drive the point that beef cattle production is sustainable. While salads are crunchy and taste good, humans are not anatomically adapted to thrive on eating grass. However, cattle certainly are adapted to digesting grass, and they make high quality protein as the same time.

Trust in Beef^TM is a part of a bigger theme – Trust in Food^TM.  Providing food for a nation is serious business - as serious as a heart attack. Producing food is also big business. Be part of the discussion and think how you can be part of ‘building a better beef system.’

Partners in the beef industry are funding climate-smart, conservation-minded programs for cattle producers. Be on the lookout for these real dollar opportunities. 

Karl Hoppe, Ph. D.
Karl.Hoppe@ndsu.edu
ND-SARE Coordinator and Extension Livestock Specialist