Beef Producers Promote Positive Image of Agriculture

A Chicago-area mom gave beef producers Mike and Lynn Martz and the entire Larson family the ultimate endorsement after touring their Maple Park farm Oct. 18. She expressed concerns about hormones in beef, but after a discussion about hormones in food from Mike she said she feels confident about choosing beef for dinner.

“I started this journey wondering many things: one of them was ‘Should I pay more for naturally raised, free range, non-hormone added beef? Is it worth the extra money per pound? Am I being an irresponsible parent to NOT want to pay the extra money in feeding my kids?’ Last week, at Larson Farms I got my answer – NO, there is no way I am paying extra. For me, it will be about the cut – not the hormones. In the end, when it comes to added hormones in my beef, ‘Frankly my dear I don’t give a beef.’,” said Lynn Prehm of Naperville.

Welcome to the third year of Illinois Farm Families (IFF) Field Moms – a program for Chicago-area mothers who have questions about farming and how their food is raised. IFF is a coalition of commodity groups for beef, pork, dairy, corn, soy and the Illinois Farm Bureau.

The Field Moms were able to tour the Larson Farms cattle handling facility and learned about the process of ultrasounding cattle. They also viewed the cattle in barns while Mike explained the benefits of confinement feeding from an animal welfare standpoint. He also showed the Field Moms a variety of cattle feeds and discussed nutrition.

 

Before a tapas-style lunch featuring a variety of hearty ground beef meals prepared by Larson Farms family member, Barb, the tour hosts presented a cooking demonstration, and explained marbling, steak selection, and the USDA beef grading system.

Mike pointed out the moms weren’t the only ones that learned from the experience.

“We get a better idea of our consumers and their thoughts,” he said. “The moms were very open-minded and had great questions. The Field Moms program is a great way to share our story about the beef industry.”

The tour was extended to 17 Field Moms and guests, a dietician and national blogger, and Rep. Robyn Gabel (R-Evanston) and constituents. After the tour, the Field Moms were asked to blog about their experience. Read their thoughts about the tour and beef at www.watchusgrow.com.

FREE BQA Certifications from Sept. 1-Oct. 31

For the third time, Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. (BIVI) is supporting the checkoff-funded Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program by sponsoring all online certifications this fall for producers who enroll from Sept. 1-Oct. 31.

Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. BIVI will pick up the $25-$50 certification fee for beef or dairy producers who are interested in becoming certified or recertified during this period. Visit www.BQA.org/team to take advantage of the open certification period.

The BQA program is important to the cattle industry as it gives producers a set of best practices for producing a safe and high quality beef product. And for dairy producers, this offering is also beneficial as a large percentage of dairy calves and market cows make their way into the food chain.

The BQA certification modules are customized to fit the specific needs of each segment of the cattle industry – cow-calf, stocker, feedyard and dairy operations. The program covers best management practices such as proper handling and administration of vaccinations and other products, eliminating injection site blemishes, and better cattle-handling principles.

“One of the challenges that beef producers face is having all of their employees become BQA-certified,” says Dr. Jerry Woodruff, Professional Services Veterinarian with Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. “Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica’s partnership with BQA helps offset some of those expenses, and we encourage producers and their employees to use the web-based training programs.”

More than 11,000 producers have taken advantage of Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc.’s BQA certification partnership. Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc.’s partnership also includes financial support of the Beef Cattle Institute at Kansas State University, which developed the certification module.

To become BQA certified, or learn more about the program, visit www.BQA.org/team.

Manners Matter - The Do's and Do Not's of Processing Cattle Through a Chute

Any time you have people, animals, and machinery all in close proximity, the opportunity for an accident is present. It takes constant effort, a culture of safety and consistent training to ensure that accidents don't happen. Arn Anderson, veterinarian with Cross Timbers veterinary hospital of Bowie, Texas, shares the do's and do not's for processing cattle through a chute.

So how does safety become a part of your operation's culture? According to Anderson, it starts with an emphasis by management backed up by the "five P's".

Purpose 

Ask yourself why you are working cattle. Are you there to palpate cows, test bulls, or administer a vaccine? You will likely get bad manners from your crew and see bad attitudes in your cattle if you process through the chute with more than one purpose. It's important to identify that purpose and make it known to everyone involved - communicate and start your day with everyone on the same page.

Planning

Anderson joked that if your goal is to work 1,500-pound bulls through a chute with a head gate attached by duct tape and zip ties you might be in for a rude awakening when the head gate won't hold to the chute. Planning and preparation are key to prevent the scenario above.

"Make sure your chute is functioning properly, you have the vaccinations needed, and etc.," Anderson said. "And in my neck of the woods we walk handling facility alleyways to check for rattlesnakes." 

Part of planning is also training people that help with processing so they understand what is expected. Your purpose and your plan shouldn't be a secret.

People 

Anderson said you are who you run with and working with inexperienced people certainly won't lead to an efficient process. Two issues Anderson often experiences is there are too many people or not enough people to do the job and that no one knows who's the boss. It's important to figure out who is leading the process to avoid confusion.

Paying attention

"For me, it involved my mom's hand and the back of my head. In church, I often saw the light when the back of her hand came across that pew," Anderson said. "Distractions and not paying attention often lead to simple mistakes becoming dangerous situations."

He stressed the importance of eliminating things from the job scene that can distract you and your crew's ability to pay attention - cell phone, cow dog, children, and tennage boys with tennage girls. 

Politeness

There is no excuse for rudeness. The person in charge is the one that sets the standards for the crew and operation. 

"Standards for purpose, planning, and paying attention will draw the line for what is considered polite. Politeness at the chute is what's going to make your whole operation work smoothly," Anderson said.

He recommends establishing a rhythm and not switching jobs until the person in charge requests it.

Putting safety into practice allows workers to learn to be proactive in times of risk or danger rather than reactive.

Demonstrate perseverance and a positive attitude toward implementing the "five P's" the next time you're processing cattle through a chute. Today's circumstances require us to train consistently and effectively to preserve a way of like that is under increased scrutiny.