Behind the Scenes of the Beef Checkoff with Terry Quam

Terry Quam joins the podcast to walk through what actually happens behind the scenes of the beef checkoff and why producer involvement matters now more than ever. From how the checkoff is structured and governed, to why meetings are held alongside CattleCon, to real-world examples of crisis response like BSE and COVID, this episode pulls back the curtain on how producer dollars are used to drive beef demand. Terry also reflects on the history of the checkoff, the challenges of doing more with fewer dollars as cattle numbers shrink, and what the next 40 years of the program need to look like to keep the beef industry profitable and resilient.