Masters of Beef Advocacy Program

I recently participated in the online Masters of Beef Advocacy program, which is one of the many programs in place that is funded by the beef checkoff dollars. As a beef producer, I have paid a checkoff with every beef sale I have ever made. I am glad to see that my dollars are going to programs such as this one, and I am more than willing to participate myself!


Ok, Rosie. You keep talking about this Masters of Beef Advocay program... but what is it?? It is a program designed for beef producers to better prepare us to discuss our product and operation with consumers. I am glad to participate in this program because I strongly believe that consumers should be able to ask a local farmer questions about the industry. If consumers can't ask their local farmer about how their food is produced, who can they ask?

I keep refering to consumers and producers as if there is an "us" and "them." I would like to point out that I'm not just a beef producer... I am a consumer, too! I have the same concerns about the food I eat as anyone else, I just happen to be a producer of some of that food and attend agriculture courses 5 days a week in which we discuss issues such as food production. Not everyone has access to the resources that I have pertaining to food production, so I feel it is my duty to extend what I learn to other consumers who have concerns about what is on their plate.

The MBA program went over topics such as modern beef production, beef safety, nutrition, animal care, and environmental impact. These are all important issues to be knowledgable about as a producer because consumers often have questions about these topics. If you are interested in participating in the program, follow the link above. I highly recomment it!