Earth Day Efforts Deliver Positive Message About Beef
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Thursday, April 23 marked the 40th anniversary of Earth Day and another opportunity for the beef checkoff to help farmers and ranchers across the country proactively tell the “Everyday Environmentalist” story. Here are some of the results of this year’s campaign…and, for those still interested, it’s not too late to extend the positive message about beef and the environment.
Earth Day success stories
This year’s proactive Earth Day campaign already has reached millions of consumers in major cities across the country, with more positive news to come:
- Fort Morgan, Colo., cattle rancher and feeder Gary Teague educated radio listeners in 13 states about the industry’s environmentally friendly practices, achieving more than 1.5 million media impressions. In addition, a pre-recorded radio news release carrying the positive Earth Day message was broadcast 851 times on 779 stations, with an average weekly listenership of about 21.4 million people.
- The checkoff issued a national news release highlighting a recent checkoff-funded consumer survey that ranked cattle ranchers and farmers as the third greenest profession. To date, the release has resulted in 67 reprints, including the DenverPost.com and Yahoo!, and has garnered more than 141 million media impressions. And, another release was distributed highlighting the 40 ways cattle farmers and ranchers help the environment and has resulted in 491 online placements so far.
- The www.ExploreBeef.org Web site was given an Earth Day facelift. The online Earth Day campaign, designed to increase visitors to ExploreBeef.org, has been active for about two weeks. To date, 334,658 people have viewed our Earth Day ads on Google. Social media posts on Facebook and Twitter and a viral e-mail delivered a positive environment messages and drove consumer traffic to www.ExploreBeef.org. As a result, daily sessions have more than doubled. Additionally, the online checkoff publication “Beef So Simple,” distributed to 30,000 subscribers, also highlighted cattle farmers’ and ranchers’ commitment to the environment.
- Working together with national staff, dozens of states successfully placed positive industry opinion pieces, letters-to-the-editor and advertisements in newspapers throughout the country.
Tom Woodward reminded Dallas Morning News readers that “we work hard to conserve not only the soil and native plants, but also the wildlife that inhabits the land.” Mark Scone encouraged Springfield News-Leader (Missouri) readers to celebrate Earth Day with a steak dinner, and North Dakota Stockmen’s Association president Jack Reich reminded Bismarck Tribune readers that “Protecting and preserving the environment is something North Dakota farmers and ranchers do every day.” The San Francisco Chronicle published a letter from the Schohr family educating consumers that “Species such as deer, rabbits, pheasants, turkeys and even wildflowers can be found on the rangelands grazed by our cattle.” Brad Pellett told The Daily Nonpareil (Iowa) readers in a letter-to-the-editor turned feature story that “You could consider us as a typical Iowa farm. With a family, I’m dedicated to preserving the resources I have for the next generation.”
In an online guest commentary, Colorado Beef Council director of marketing and fourth-generation Colorado rancher Tami Arnold reminded Denver Post readers “While these naysayers talk about minimizing impact on the environment, America’s cattle farmers and ranchers get up every day and do it.” The Amarillo Globe News ran a column by Mike Engler, chairman of the Texas Cattle Feeders Association and president and CEO of Cactus Feeders. Engler informed readers that today’s beef production means: “meeting the increasing nutritional demands of a growing global population, more efficient use of natural resources, and reducing GHG emissions.” And, the Austin American-Statesman and the Houston Chronicle ran an op-ed by Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples reminding consumers that “Texas farmers and ranchers are the quiet heroes when it comes to protecting the environment.”
Like farmers and ranchers’ everyday commitment to the environment, the checkoff will continue efforts to educate consumers on sustainable production practices, including the latest science on climate change and livestock production.
For more information on efforts funded by your beef checkoff investment, visit 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.
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