Checkoff Starts With States To Help Build Support For New Beef Cuts
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Suggested Lead: The continuing popularity of the Flat Iron Steak shows there is extra value in previously undervalued beef cuts. At the recent Cattle Industry Convention, state beef council managers got together with national beef checkoff staff in a session to explore ways to expand these kinds of opportunities. Jim Ethridge helps manage beef innovation and industry partnership programs on behalf of the beef checkoff. He says the session was designed to get the managers involved.
Ethridge 1: “This year we really had fun. We had a technical cutting showing them the added value opportunities within the round. And then we had an industry partner come in and present some of the products that they are looking at going to market with, and how the states could build on that or other ideas for that industry partner. And then we ended with them actually using a cut from the chuck roll, the Denver steak, and using it multiple recipe applications, and we had a little competition where they could actually be crowned a winner when they used that recipe.” (35 seconds)
According to Ethridge, holding the session was a way of combining efforts.
Ethridge 2: “We’re all linked together throughout the industry, so the states and the producers that they represent have a voice. And getting us together collectively makes us much stronger. So having them involved, getting their feedback, their insight, really allows all of us to have a voice into new products that are going to hopefully drive demand for beef in the market.” (24 seconds)
Ethridge says products showcased at the session – such as beef products that can be successfully sold through the retail freezer case – have a future, but only if all segments of the industry participate.
Ethridge 3: “Now it’s about getting the word out. So it’s about us understanding that the freezer case can be a destination for quality beef, and starting to look for that. We also need to start asking for some of these new cuts, whether it’s the Denver steak from the chuck roll or even Sierra cut out of the chuck roll, Flat Iron out of the clod. We need to ask and see, continue to get the word out.” (24 seconds)
According to Ethridge, none of these kinds of programs would be possible without the Beef Checkoff Program.
Ethridge 4: “The Beef Checkoff really is able to open doors and new thought in driving demand for beef to really get things started. So without the foundation of the beef checkoff, the products we saw today wouldn’t be going to market.” (15 seconds)
For more information about new beef products or other efforts being funded with your beef checkoff investment, visit www.MyBeefCheckoff.com.
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 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.
Funded by the Beef Checkoff.