Beef Checkoff

Birdshot in Beef: A Hidden Defect

Thu, 12 Sep 2024 15:42:36 GMT

Birdshot or shotgun shell pellets have been found and reported in the beef supply since the first National Beef Quality Audit in the early 1990s, and the incidence of this foreign material in the beef we produce is not subsiding. In fact, the opposite might be true.

According to the 2022 National Beef Quality Audit, birdshot is a problem, with 100% of packing plants reporting buckshot/birdshot in beef from market cows and bulls. There are roughly 28 categories of items documented each year as foreign material in beef carcasses. Most of those items are found once to 15 times each on an annual basis and consist of large and easily identifiable objects. Birdshot, however, is found around 105 times a year and well over two times the rate of any other foreign object.

For context, if a ground beef processor makes 5 million ground beef patties each day, a defect rate of 1% would lead to 50,000 patties of wasted beef. A defect rate of 0.1% is 5,000 patties. A single incidence of birdshot found in the processing lines cost $10,000 in lost product and downtime. Why so much? If one pellet makes it through the grinder, it might have been sheared into numerous pieces that are barely detectable.

Bottomline: Hunters are not causing this problem — there are people out there handling their cattle with shotguns. This is not only poor animal handling, but also inhumane. Buckshot will not bounce off cattle and somehow go away. No matter how stupid or waspy cows and bulls might act, they should not be shot intentionally or by accident.

We need everyone on board to get the message out in producer meetings, educational programming and word of mouth. If we focus on promoting the right way mentality of Beef Quality Assurance, we can make a difference. Ultimately, birdshot, needles, darts and other foreign objects in beef are a food safety issue. Any abuse of animals is not acceptable, and shotguns are not a cattle handling tool. This needs to stop!

References:

A Black Spot in the Cattle Industry that’s Impossible to Chew. Jason Duggin, UGA Beef Extension Specialist. Michaela Clowser, NCBA’s Director of Producer Education. Dr. Patty Scharko, Clemson Extension Veterinarian.

Right Way. Right Time. A Guide to Cull Cattle Management. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

The Beef Quality Assurance Team and OSU Cooperative Extension Service hosted a hands-on workshop to share the latest knowledge will soon be available through your local county OSU extension office.

Cattlemen’s Beef Board Elects New Officers

Fri, 02 Feb 2024 17:20:09 GMT

Cattle producers Andy Bishop of Kentucky, Ryan Moorhouse of Texas and Dr. Cheryl DeVuyst of Oklahoma are the new leaders of the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion & Research Board (CBB). This officer team is responsible for guiding the national Beef Checkoff throughout 2024.

Bishop, Moorhouse and DeVuyst were elected by their fellow Beef Board members during their Winter Meetings, held during the 2024 Cattle Industry Convention in Orlando, Florida. Bishop, the 2023 vice chair, will now serve as the CBB’s chair, while Moorhouse will transition from his role as the 2023 secretary-treasurer to become the 2024 vice chair. DeVuyst is the newest member of the officer team, taking on Moorhouse’s former responsibilities as secretary-treasurer.

(Farm Journal)

2024 Chair Andy Bishop and his wife Meagan of Cox’s Creek, Kentucky are raising their four children on their registered Angus seed stock operation, Fairfield Farm. Bishop began his career teaching agriculture and moved into the field of agriculture lending in 2007. Bishop is the former chair of the Kentucky Beef Council and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Young Cattlemen’s Conference. Bishop also served as a member of the Long Range Planning Task Force and as president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s (NCBA) Young Producers Council and the Kentucky Cattlemen’s Young Producers group.

“The beef industry is in a unique situation as 2024 gets underway,” Bishop said. “Producers have been dealing with adverse weather and production cost conditions over the past few years, leading to herd liquidation. While things do seem to be improving, the Beef Checkoff must continue to be vigilant, developing the right programs and messaging to keep beef demand high. I’m excited to lead the CBB as we navigate the opportunities and challenges this year sends our way.”

(Farm Journal)

Vice Chair Moorhouse grew up in North Central Texas on his family’s cow/calf and stocker operation. After graduating from Texas A & M University, Moorhouse went to work for Continental Grain Cattle Feeding (now Five Rivers). He currently serves as the general manager for Hartley Feeders, a Five Rivers Cattle Feeding operation. A resident of Amarillo, Texas, Moorhouse, his wife Colette and their two sons also operate a stocker operation back home on part of the family ranch.

Dr. Cheryl DeVuyst and her husband, Eric, own DeVuyst Ranch, a cow-calf and stocker operation. DeVuyst is also a professor of agricultural economics at Oklahoma State University and head of its Ag Econ department. DeVuyst is involved with numerous agricultural organizations, including Oklahoma CattleWomen, Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), Oklahoma Farm Bureau, Pawnee County CattleWomen, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association and American National CattleWomen. She’s also a faculty advisor for the Oklahoma Collegiate CattleWomen and is a past board member of the Western Agricultural Economics Association.

(Farm Journal)

“Our CBB members and staff are incredibly fortunate to have three strong beef industry leaders and advocates like Andy, Ryan and Cheryl at the helm of this organization,” said Greg Hanes, CEO of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board. “Each has unique experience and perspective to share, representing producers from across the U.S. As we begin our journey through 2024, I’m looking forward to working with this leadership team to launch programs and initiatives that drive beef demand and benefit producers nationwide.”

To learn more about the Beef Checkoff and its programs, including promotion, research, foreign marketing, industry information, consumer information and safety, visit DrivingDemandForBeef.com .

No, Beef Demand is Not Shrinking

Thu, 19 Oct 2023 02:18:18 GMT

Despite higher retail prices the past two years, consumer demand for beef remains at a high level. The June beef demand index, for instance, stood at 85.5 on a scale of 100. That’s down slightly from a year earlier, yet considered strong in the face of inflation. The resilience of demand can be attributed to quality improvements the beef industry has made the past two decades.

There remain, however, zealous efforts to convince you that beef demand is in decline and paint that as a failure of your Beef Checkoff. Those checkoff deniers lean on the industry’s most misinterpreted statistic – per capita beef consumption. Indeed, this summer multiple authors have used per capita consumption data to make the argument the U.S. Congress should attach the Opportunities for Fairness in Farming (OFF) Act as a rider to the next farm bill.

Proponents of the OFF Act claim they are only seeking transparency and wish to prevent rampant corruption funded by producer checkoff dollars, though they offer little evidence of the latter. The OFF Act is a wide net that would snare not just the Beef Checkoff, but every producer-funded checkoff currently in operation.

Our focus here is not on the broad impact adoption of the OFF Act would create, but the misrepresentation of per capita consumption. For instance, checkoff deniers point to how per capita beef consumption has declined from 76.4 pounds in 1980 to 58.9 pounds in 2021. Indeed, that’s a decline of 23%, but ignores the fact the U.S. population has grown from 223 million in 1980 to 338 million in 2021.

Beef production? “America produces approximately the same amount of beef today as it did in 1975 with one-third fewer cows,” says Sterling Marketing president John Nalivka.

But using declining per capita consumption data to claim demand is in decline, as some checkoff critics are doing, is an attempt at gaslighting producers. Let’s revisit the work of a leader who helped rescue your industry in the late 1990s, Virginia Tech ag economist Wayne Purcell. In 1998 he authored “ A Primer on Beef Demand ,” or “To fix it You Have to Understand It.” We’ll focus on the understand part.

“Per-capita consumption is seen as synonymous with demand,” Purcell wrote 25 years ago. “Nothing could be further from the truth. Per-capita consumption is calculated by the USDA using an accounting approach to measure beginning beef stocks, production, and ending stocks. A ‘disappearance’ measure is then generated and converted to a per-capita basis. If per-capita consumption measures anything directly, it measures per-capita supply. It certainly does not measure demand.”

Purcell, who retired in 2008 and died in 2018, said, “You can sell a quantity of anything at some price! And in the case of beef, a perishable product, we consume essentially all we have. It is price that does the adjusting.”

Due to a smaller national herd, beef production will be down this year and next, guaranteeing per capita consumption will further shrink. But don’t be misled, that’s not an indication of shrinking demand.

For more on per capita consumption vs. actual demand, see:

Speer: Beef Checkoff Changed the Game

Speer: Not Even Close

Cattlemen Praise Congressional Resolution Supporting Beef Checkoff

Fri, 14 Jul 2023 20:28:37 GMT

Cattle industry leaders on Thursday (July 13) praised the introduction of a bipartisan congressional resolution recognizing the importance of commodity checkoff programs, including the Beef Checkoff.

“As a cattle producer who invests in the Beef Checkoff, I know how important this program is to the continued success of America’s cattlemen and cattlewomen. The Beef Checkoff was created by cattle producers, is run by cattle producers, and provides immense benefit to cattle producers,” said National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) President Todd Wilkinson, a South Dakota cattle producer. “I am proud of Representative Barry Moore (R-AL) for leading this resolution and standing with cattle producers to recognize the importance of checkoff programs. I hope more members of Congress listen to farmers and ranchers and reject animal rights activist-led proposals like the OFF Act that undermine producer control of checkoffs.”

Every time cattle are sold in the U.S., $1 from the sale goes to support the Beef Checkoff. These investments are collected by the Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB), a producer-led organization overseen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Each year, industry organizations, research institutions, and land grant universities develop proposals focused on strengthening beef demand through research, consumer education, marketing, and promotion efforts. The cattlemen and cattlewomen that volunteer their time to serve on the Beef Board, as appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture, determine which proposals to fund. The organizations that receive funding become contractors to the Beef Checkoff and undergo regular audits to ensure the judicious use of producer dollars and compliance to the program.

“The Beef Checkoff might be most well-known for the Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner. campaign, but the Checkoff’s benefits go far beyond advertising. Checkoff-funded programs have led to the development of new cuts of beef and strengthened consumer trust in the cattle industry’s animal welfare and sustainability,” said NCBA Policy Division Chairman Gene Copenhaver, a Virginia cattle producer. “The Checkoff has made sure that beef is at the center of Americans’ dinner plates for generations while providing a strong return on investment to cattle producers. I am proud to pay into the Checkoff and know that this collective effort does way more for my operation and this industry than I could do own my own.”

View the resolution here .

Hanes: The Beef Checkoff and Lab-Grown Protein

Fri, 10 Mar 2023 23:39:17 GMT

As the fortunes of “plant-based meat” companies appear to be in decline recently, another competitor to beef raised on farms and ranches is starting to garner more headlines. “Lab-grown” or “cell-cultured meat” seems to be popping up here and there. Seeing these articles, some producers have expressed concern to me that the Beef Checkoff may begin to promote this “lab-grown” protein.

Based on the law, my answer to them is always the same – no way!

Regardless of how these lab-grown products will be categorized, the Beef Checkoff will not be promoting them. Why? It all goes back to the federal law that created and controls the Beef Checkoff. In this law, called the Beef Promotion and Research Act (the Act), there are very clear definitions relative to the Checkoff program and what it can and can’t do.

The Act specifically defines three important terms: “beef”, “beef products”, and “cattle”:

· Definition #1: “beef” as “flesh from cattle”

· Definition #2: “Beef products” are “edible products produced in whole or in part from beef”

· Definition #3: “cattle” are defined as “live domesticated bovine animals”

The Act goes on to note that the Beef Checkoff can only be used for promotion, advertising, research and consumer and industry information programs, focused solely on “beef and beef products,” and to support the beef industry.

These definitions for both beef and beef products as coming directly from the flesh of cattle (and cattle are live animals) are key, as lab-grown protein does not meet these established descriptions. In addition, no Checkoff dollars will be collected from any of these cell-based products. Checkoff assessments are based on live cattle, or imported beef and beef products, originating from live cattle. There are no provisions in the federal Checkoff law to collect dollars from lab-grown meat to be used in our program.

Keep in mind there is one more check and balance to ensure no Beef Checkoff dollars are spent promoting a product that does not generate assessments on behalf of the Checkoff program. According to The Act, any programs funded by national Beef Checkoff dollars must be approved by the Beef Promotion Operating Committee (BPOC), comprised of “cattle producers and importers”. Non- assessment payers are not eligible to become CBB Board or BPOC members and would not make these important funding decisions.

We stand by those who pay into our longstanding program and will continue to take our legal and fiduciary responsibilities in upholding the law with the same continued commitment we use every day - now and in the future.

Tony Romo Spokesman For 'Beef. It's What's For Dinner.'

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 05:28:35 GMT

The iconic Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. brand, managed by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and funded by the Beef Checkoff, announced a new partnership with celebrity athlete and former football star Tony Romo at the 2022 Cattle Industry Convention. The partnership, which will last one year and tap into Romo’s vast fanbase, will promote all things beef – from beef nutrition, to how beef is raised, and of course beef’s great taste.

“Kicking off this partnership in early 2022 is the perfect time to gear up for summer nutrition and grilling, spending time with friends and family and of course, tailgating,” said Sarah Reece, Senior Executive Director of Brand Marketing. “From his nutrition expertise to his love of beef and family, Romo is the perfect spokesperson for the brand.”

“I’m really excited to be your new spokesperson,” said Romo. “Me, my wife and the kids eat beef all the time and I think we’re going to eat it even more if that’s even possible at this point. Hearty and sustainable beef is my new team.”

In addition to the general consumer appeal associated with celebrity spokespeople, Romo will be featured promoting beef in photo and video advertisements on digital and traditional media platforms. Additionally, social media content will be developed for organic and promoted posts across the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. social channels and on Romo’s personal pages.

To view the latest content and updates on the partnership, make sure to check out BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com and follow the brand on Facebook , Instagram and Twitter .

Dr. Billy Powell Receives Beef Checkoff Visionary Award

Thu, 28 Jul 2022 13:37:37 GMT

Dr. Billy Powell of Washington County, Alabama was presented with the Cattlemen’s Beef Board’s second annual Beef Checkoff Visionary Award during the General Session of the 2022 Cattle Industry Summer Business Meeting in Reno, Nevada. This honor recognizes an individual in the beef industry who has demonstrated exemplary support of and commitment to the Checkoff’s goals and vision.

“Dr. Powell has been deeply involved with the Beef Checkoff since it was passed back in 1985,” said Norman Voyles, Jr., 2022 chair of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB). “His knowledge of the beef industry goes back decades, and his leadership and ingenuity helped smooth out many of the bumps in the road that the Checkoff experienced, especially in those early years. Dr. Powell is truly deserving of this Visionary Award.”

(Farm Journal)

A native of Leroy, Alabama., Powell grew up on a farm, receiving his first cow when he was just two years old. Over the years, Powell’s family raised timber, along with commercial and registered cattle, primarily the Red Angus breed. He attended Auburn University’s College of Agriculture where he earned his bachelor’s degree in animal sciences in 1966, going on to earn his Ph.D. in meat science in 1970. Powell then became a food science specialist for the Alabama Cooperative Extension service at Auburn University from 1971-1975. He eventually took a position closer to home with Lapeyrouse Grain Company, and when his father passed away shortly thereafter, Powell and his mother co-managed the family’s cattle herd.

Powell served in various cattle industry leadership positions at both the state and national levels over the next few decades. He served as president of the Red Angus Association of America in 1974-75. In 1982, Powell became the president of the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association (ACA). In 1985, he took on the executive vice president role with ACA, retiring in 2017 after an incredible 32 years with the organization. Around that same time, Jo Ann Smith, then president of the National Cattlemen’s Association, appointed Powell to a committee tasked with developing the Beef Checkoff Order that still helps guide the program today.

Under Powell’s leadership and vision, the State Beef Councils organized to have a collective voice in the national Beef Checkoff program. After the Beef Industry Council and the National Cattlemen’s Association merged to become the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), Powell was instrumental in getting the Federation of State Beef Councils to meet independently, strengthening their efforts to promote beef. Powell also worked with others to develop the concept of a State Marketing Plan template that ensured state efforts would complement the national Checkoff’s efforts rather than dilute them. As the purchasing power of the national Beef Checkoff decreased over the years, Powell’s forward thinking spurred Alabama and other states to pass their own $1-per-head checkoffs, providing additional funding for their promotional programs.

One of Powell’s proudest achievements was the establishment of The MOOseum at the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association. Opened in 1995 under his guidance, The MOOseum became the premier venue for children and adults to learn more about Alabama’s beef cattle industry.

“Being named the 2022 Beef Checkoff Visionary Award recipient is a tremendous honor, and I appreciate it very much,” Dr. Powell said. “It’s icing on the cake for a South Alabama country boy who spent a lifetime working in the cattle industry. There are many individuals I’d like to thank for nominating me and working with me throughout the years, because if I’ve accomplished anything, it’s been with the help of others. I still truly believe the Checkoff dollar is the best investment that a producer can make.”

“Dr. Powell’s tireless efforts over the years shaped the Beef Checkoff as we know it today,” said Greg Hanes, CEO of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board. “Furthermore, his knowledge and vision helped create mutually beneficial relationships between the national program and the State Beef Councils. Dr. Powell has always had faith in the power of the Beef Checkoff. He’s worked hard for what he believes is right, and we are all the better for it. All of us at the CBB congratulate Dr. Powell on receiving this very well-deserved Visionary Award.”

For more information about the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, the Beef Checkoff and its programs –promotion, research, foreign marketing, industry information, consumer information and safety – visit DrivingDemandforBeef.com.

SCOTUS Refuses to Hear R-CALF’s Checkoff Appeal

Tue, 28 Jun 2022 17:30:31 GMT

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday denied a petition by R-CALF USA for consideration of its legal challenge of the Beef Checkoff, effectively ending the case that began six years ago. R-CALF filed a lawsuit against the Montana Beef Council in 2016 alleging that checkoff dollars funded “private speech” rather than “government speech.” The suit was later expanded to include 14 other state beef councils.

In a statement issued late on Monday, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association said the High Court’s ruling “ends yet another R-CALF attack on the Beef Checkoff and prevents the activist attorneys at Public Justice” from further diverting Checkoff and beef industry resources.

“For too long we have allowed R-CALF and their attorneys to divide our industry and draw attention away from the important job of beef promotion and research,” said NCBA CEO Colin Woodall. “The Supreme Court’s rejection of R-CALF’s petition confirms the Beef Checkoff, and its overseers, are adhering to the letter and spirit of the laws that protect and guide producer investments in the program.” said NCBA CEO Colin Woodall.

R-CALF filed a lawsuit against the Montana Beef Council in 2018 alleging that checkoff dollars funded “private speech” rather than “government speech.” The suit was later expanded to include 14 other state beef councils.

The Montana case was dismissed in January 2020 when the U.S. District Court of Montana ruled in favor of USDA and the Montana Beef Council in the matter of R-CALF vs. Sonny Perdue and USDA.

That would have ended a three-year legal battle that involved the 15 state beef councils, until R-CALF announced it would appeal the decision.

R-CALF USA, through attorneys at Public Justice, filed a new legal challenge over amendments USDA made to the operation of the federal Beef Checkoff program in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in September 2020. In that suit, R-CALF USA had argued that the government’s Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with the state beef councils did not cure constitutional violations in the Beef Checkoff program. The 9th District Court of Appeals rejected that argument and R-CALF then sought a different outcome through an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

NCBA intervened in the lawsuit in its early days to help defend state beef councils from R-CALF and their activist attorneys, who falsely attacked state beef councils and the cattlemen and women who volunteer their time to support the industry as Checkoff leaders. Multiple court decisions rejected these allegations and reaffirmed the work and direction of the Beef Checkoff and those who guide it.

“R-CALF has repeatedly attacked the Beef Checkoff, engaging lawyers who are closely aligned with extremist animal rights groups like PETA and others, in an attempt to further their efforts,” said Woodall. “It’s time that our industry stands up to R-CALF and insists that they end these attacks on the Beef Checkoff and the volunteer cattle producers who direct it.”

Related stories:

R-CALF Files New Checkoff Lawsuit

Food Without Fear: How Beef Checkoff-Funded Research Keeps Consumers Safe

Thu, 31 Mar 2022 12:24:01 GMT

Torri Lienemann, Cattlemen’s Beef Board member and co-chair of the CBB’s Safety & Product Innovation Committee, is from Princeton, Nebraska.

Safety first. As a mom, I am acutely aware of household dangers... cleaning products, hot stoves, wet floors, running with scissors; however, biting into a burger does not usually make that list. Although, if, like me, you were around back in 1993 when an E. coli outbreak happened at a national fast-food chain, you probably do remember being far more concerned about food contamination.

After that outbreak, the Checkoff began funding research that not only changed the beef industry, but also improved food safety across the board. And, while food safety is much better today than ever before, I believe it’s important that the Checkoff continues researching foodborne pathogens so that we can continue to enjoy our food without concern. To understand why it’s so important, we must first remember how we got started – and how we got here.

An industry blueprint

Back in ’93, the Beef-Checkoff-funded Blue-Ribbon Task Force developed an industry blueprint for managing the food safety risks from E. coli O157:H7. The scientists and other professionals on this task force analyzed the beef industry supply chain, reviewed public and private research findings, and drew on their own to better understand E. coli O157:H7 and how to avoid contamination in the future.

(Farm Journal)

The task force published its report in 1994, recommending strategies to improve meat safety. Over the remainder of the decade, the Checkoff-funded Beef Safety Research Program filled the scientific “gaps” that the task force identified throughout the supply chain to make meat safer.

During the 2000s, several ongoing Checkoff-funded studies evaluated interventions intended to reduce microbial contamination both on and inside animals. The Beef Checkoff’s research identified specific areas where carcass contamination was most likely to occur. Scientists were then able to evaluate the occurrence and prevention of pathogens throughout the processing chain. Large processing facilities throughout the country implemented these safety interventions and still use them when processing beef and other proteins today.

In 2007, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) set a goal to reduce infections from foodborne E. coli O157:H7 by 50 percent in 2010. This “Healthy People” goal was met in 2009 and would have been much less likely to happen without the beef industry’s research.

Investing in a safer future

No doubt, the Beef Checkoff played a pivotal role in ensuring beef product safety. It honestly makes me wonder where the industry would be today if not for producers’ continued investments into the Beef Checkoff.

Research shows us that while beef safety is very important to beef stakeholders, it’s less relevant to today’s consumers. In fact, according to beef safety research conducted by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), a contractor to the Checkoff, 90 percent of consumers feel the beef they eat from the grocery store is safe. The same research found that only 23 percent of consumers worry about foodborne illness when cooking at home. Checkoff-funded research has helped an entire generation of consumers feel more confident about the safety of the food they purchase and consume.

The Beef Checkoff’s Beef Safety Research Program will continue to focus on every step of the supply chain, beginning with the producer, all the way to the restaurant. To anticipate issues before they escalate into a crisis, Beef Checkoff foodborne contamination research has expanded to include other pathogens and will continue to evolve to address emerging issues.

With the support of this robust and comprehensive research program, the beef industry provides consumers worldwide with consistently safe beef products.

Today, USDA food availability data tells us the average American eats about 55 pounds of beef per year. Consumers’ great trust in beef safety combined with their overall enjoyment of beef has helped demand remain strong for decades. And that supports the Checkoff’s primary purpose – driving demand for beef. It’s just another example of how the Beef Checkoff continues to use producer dollars for the good of the entire beef industry.

To learn more about the Beef Checkoff’s beef safety research program, visit BeefResearch.org .

ABOUT THE BEEF CHECKOFF:

The Beef Checkoff Program was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. The Checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. States may retain up to 50 cents on the dollar and forward the other 50 cents per head to the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board, which administers the national Checkoff program, subject to USDA approval.

Progressive Leadership Earns Five Rivers Cattle Feeding the 2022 BQA Feedyard Award

Tue, 22 Feb 2022 21:57:00 GMT

As the world’s largest cattle feeder with 11 yards in six states, Five Rivers Cattle Feeding recognizes the importance of being a leader and an advocate for the beef industry, and that couldn’t be more true for Five Rivers Cattle Feeding – Kuner Feedlot, the 2022 BQA Feedyard Award recipient.

Located in Kersey, Colorado, Kuner has a one-time feeding capacity of 100,000 head and houses Five Rivers’ natural cattle program. BQA serves as the backbone of cattle management at Kuner Feedlot. As one of the country’s largest and most visible cattle feeding operations, Kuner Feedlot understands that it has a responsibility to represent the beef industry’s foundational management program to a broad audience.

“BQA and animal welfare have always been the core of our business,” said Tanner Pickett Kuner’s general manager. “That’s the reason we are here and it’s our sole responsibility – from the day cattle arrive to the day they ship, making sure they have the best environment possible.”

From the basics of training employees on the significance of health management to opening its doors to a variety of research to help improve cattle comfort, efficiency, and other quality features, BQA principles are the core of daily operations. The feedlot even underwent a facility redesign in 2011 with the help of Dr. Temple Grandin, Bud Williams and other industry leaders, making it the state-of-the-art facility it is today.

“Low-stress animal handling is of the utmost importance here. It’s what is best for the employees and animals.” Pickett said. “The facility redesign ensures low-stress and easy flow through the buildings.”

One unique feature of Kuner is that it is home to the only Five Rivers natural program. These cattle come from across the U.S. and are enrolled in source and age verification, Non-Hormone Treated Cattle (NHTC), and verified natural programs, which have been a large draw for tours and consumer interest. Each year, Kuner opens its doors to around 1000 people per year, hosting more than 100 feedlot tours.

“The biggest takeaway people typically have after touring our facility is learning just how happy the cattle are here,” said Kim Rounds, Kuner’s specialty beef program manager. “People are pleasantly surprised on the quality of care and quality of life cattle have here.”

During these tours, the Kuner team explains the BQA program and its guidelines. “We can explain to the public that there is a compassion part of these guidelines, but there’s also a science behind why we want to handle and care for the animals as much as possible,” Rounds said.

As a progressive leader for the industry, the team is never done advocating, educating, training and searching for ways to be better. “Here, we have compassion for animals and a passion for the cattle industry,” Pickett said.