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Frequently Asked Questions

Cattle producers Ryan Moorhouse of Texas, Dr. Cheryl DeVuyst of Oklahoma and Terry Quam of Wisconsin are the new leaders of the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion & Research Board (CBB). Elected by their fellow CBB members at the 2025 Cattle Industry Convention in San Antonio, this new officer team is responsible for guiding the national Beef Checkoff throughout 2025. Moorhouse, the 2024 vice chair, is now the CBB’s chair, while DeVuyst will transition from her role as the 2024 secretary-treasurer to become the 2025 vice chair. Quam is the newest member of the officer team, taking on DeVuyst’s former responsibilities as secretary-treasurer.

Ryan Moorhouse

Moorhouse grew up in North Central Texas on his family’s cow/calf and stocker operation. After graduating from Texas A & M University, he 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.

“As we look ahead to 2025, the beef industry continues to face new challenges and opportunities,” Moorhouse said. “From navigating changing consumer preferences to addressing sustainability and global competition, the role of the Beef Checkoff has never been more critical. I’m honored to serve as chair of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board and to work alongside other dedicated producers and industry leaders. Together, we’ll continue to identify innovative ways to drive demand for beef, ensuring its place on plates and in hearts worldwide while upholding the values and traditions that make our industry strong.”

Cheryl DeVuyst

Vice Chair 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.

Terry Quam

Secretary-Treasurer Terry Quam operates an Angus seedstock operation, Marda Angus Farms, in Lodi, Wisconsin. Since 1940, the farm has raised cattle that meet the needs of commercial cattlemen and purebred producers throughout the country. Quam has been a longtime, active member of his community and the agricultural industry at large. His activities and leadership roles include the Wisconsin Beef Council, NCBA, Farm Bureau, local and state Cattlemen’s associations, president of the Lodi Agricultural Fair, chairman of the University of Wisconsin Discovery Farms, the Cotton and Wisconsin Corn Boards and Wisconsin Corn Growers.

“I’m excited to welcome this exceptional officer team as they step into their leadership roles for 2025,” said Greg Hanes, CEO of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board. “Each of them brings a unique perspective and a shared passion for advancing our industry. I’m confident their dedication and vision will help the Beef Checkoff continue to create meaningful opportunities and overcome the challenges we face. Together, we’ll build on our shared commitment to driving beef demand and ensuring a brighter future for all beef industry stakeholders.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Wondering where your Beef Checkoff dollars go? In a new episode of Ranch It Up, Andy Bishop, Kentucky producer and chairman of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, breaks down the Beef Checkoff’s purpose and return on investment and dives into the 2025 budget. Get answers on how your dollars drive beef promotion. Listen here.

Frequently Asked Questions

High-protein diets are booming, especially among Gen Z, who prioritize protein for muscle building, weight management and energy. Social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram are fueling the trend, with influencers sharing high-protein meal ideas featuring beef. The Beef Checkoff promotes beef as a natural fit for this health-conscious movement. See ideas that retailers and restaurants can leverage to capitalize on the high-protein trend and highlight beef’s role in modern diets.

Frequently Asked Questions

For beef producers, ensuring a secure and safe beef supply is more than a responsibility — it’s a commitment to consumers who trust the beef they purchase is of the highest quality. Biosecurity is an essential part of this commitment, as it helps protect cattle health and welfare, maintains product quality, and ultimately, supports consumer trust.

GROWING CONSUMER TRUST

Biosecurity aims to protect animals from disease by minimizing the movement of biological organisms, such as viruses, bacteria or parasites, within or onto an operation. This, in turn, promotes animal health and welfare and minimizes the time and labor resources required to treat a sick animal.

For Julia Herman, beef cattle specialist veterinarian with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, a solid biosecurity plan directly impacts consumer confidence. “Consumers care about the welfare of the animals they’re feeding to their families,” Herman said. “Biosecurity plays a huge role in reducing disease risk, both for the animals and the humans caring for them.”

Biosecurity practices include much more than cleaning equipment. Sanitation is just one part of biosecurity’s holistic view of herd health that incorporates nutrition, vaccination programs and low-stress handling — all of which contribute to a disease-free environment.

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Over the years, biosecurity practices in the beef industry have advanced significantly. Herman notes that many biosecurity strategies draw lessons from other industries and human health, helping shape current biosecurity practices by emphasizing proactive, preventive measures. “Biosecurity is a mindset, not just a task. Continuous improvement is key,” she said.

To encourage producers to adopt or strengthen their operations’ biosecurity plans, a newly released Beef Checkoff-funded biosecurity plan offers a customizable, practical approach to biosecurity that aligns with each operation’s unique needs and goals.

The BQA Daily Biosecurity Plan for Disease Prevention is a customizable biosecurity plan that goes beyond just guidelines. The plan fosters a culture of biosecurity in each operation and empowers producers to take a proactive role in preventing disease, which protects cattle health and can lead to other benefits.

“Biosecurity can be as in-depth or as simple as producers want it to be,” Herman said. “When it comes down to it, prevention is better than treatment, helping producers save money in the long run.”

While biosecurity adoption may be a gradual process for some producers, it will play an increasingly central role in the beef industry. Even small-scale producers are beginning to recognize the benefits of adopting biosecurity practices, particularly as they see the positive impact on their operations and consumer perception. “If everyone in the beef industry follows basic biosecurity protocols, it can help us all and strengthens the industry as a whole,” Herman said.

BIOSECURITY IMPLEMENTATION

To implement the custom biosecurity plan effectively, Herman recommends first thoroughly reviewing the plan and tailoring it to fit an operation’s specific needs. “Every operation is different, so producers should consult with their resource groups, like veterinarians or extension specialists, to get a second set of eyes on the plan,” she said.

Producers are encouraged to consider practical, easy-to-implement biosecurity steps, such as designating a parking area for visitors to minimize contamination, adjusting traffic patterns within the operation or quarantining new additions to the herd. These small changes can have a significant impact and are easy to integrate into daily routines.

BEEF CRISIS

If, unfortunately, a disease outbreak were to happen, the Beef Checkoff is ready to take action by preparing for the unexpected. The Checkoff can quickly provide consumers and producers with the information they need if there is ever a disease outbreak, bioterrorism attack or any other crisis that could potentially disrupt the beef industry or consumer confidence in beef.

The Checkoff is continuously evolving and updating its comprehensive, industry-wide crisis communications response plan should a cattle disease outbreak or other crisis take place in the future. Continually reassessing this plan ensures the information within is as substantive as possible while also reflecting today’s latest technology.

One element of the overarching comprehensive crisis response plan is working in coalition with the Foot-and-Mouth Disease Cross-Species team. The team helps to manage a website, FMDinfo.org, that would be activated in a time of crisis in cooperation with other industry organizations. The goal of this partnership and its website is to provide clear, factual and easily accessible information about foot- and-mouth disease if an outbreak were to occur.

As well as working with the Foot-and-Mouth Disease Cross-Species team, the Checkoff would also represent the beef industry in
the event of an outbreak, and it has developed proactive crisis communication processes, strategies and tactics to follow if necessary.

ACCESS RESOURCES

By embracing biosecurity as a core part of your operation, you can not only protect your herd but also help maintain a secure beef supply that consumers can trust.

For producers interested in taking the next step, the Beef Checkoff provides resources and tools, including the custom biosecurity plan and Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) modules, to support effective biosecurity practices. To access these resources, visit www.bqa.org/resources/biosecurity-resources

BQA DAILY BIOSECURITY PLAN FOR DISEASE PREVENTION

This free, downloadable template helps cattle producers create a customizable daily biosecurity plan for their operations. Meant to be filled out with a veterinarian or other resource team member, this plan walks producers through the different areas of biosecurity risk, evaluate what they are doing now, and plan for what to improve in the future. The template is available digitally as a fillable PDF or can be printed out for handwritten plans.

BQA CONTINUING EDUCATION MODULE ON BIOSECURITY

For producers already BQA certified, BQA’s Continuing Education module on biosecuroty focuses on the basics of disease transmission and prevention. These resources were developed so anyone who is involved in raising cattle has the opportunity to understand how biosecurity principles are integrated into their farm or ranch and plan for continuous improvement in the future. Interactive and real-world best practice examples are provided for a variety of topics, such as new bull or replacement purchases and manure management to reduce feed contamination, among others. Participants also walk through and fill out the BQA Daily Biosecurity Plan for Disease Prevention.