Beef Ambassador

Beef lovers, industry leaders, and advocates,
As ranchers and agriculturalists, we have learned the amazing power of “buzzwords”. These are words that we use in the media and when talking to consumers to help clarify and support what ever topic we are discussing. One of these words that has been used extensively is “sustainability”. “Sustainability” is a word that helps let the consumer know that what we do is good for the environment, our business, and the future of agriculture. The funny thing about this word in particular is that to a rancher it means “exactly what I do and have been doing for as long as I can remember”. Our use of this word sometimes leads consumers to believe that not all farming and ranching practices are sustainable, when in reality, sustainable business equals good business. For example, yesterday in my Farm Animal Science class, we had a large agriculture employer come in and make a presentation about their company. They covered the extent of the internships that they offered and the large amount of acreage and cattle that they own. When they opened the floor for questions, one young lady asked “Do you offer internships in sustainable ranching practices?” The look on the presenter’s face was priceless. He took a long pause with a confused look on his face, then replied “Uh……no. Everything that we do is sustainable. If it were not, we would not still be running the same ranches that we started so many years ago. So no, we do not offer internships in sustainability, but if you intern with us, you will learn how to work on a “sustainable” operation.” I could have hugged him, because isn’t that the truth? While the idea of sustainability is no doubt important for consumers to understand, they need to realize that it is not limited to the few that call their operation “sustainable”. Ranchers have to work with conservation groups to manage the wildlife and with Public Land Management to keep track of species of animals and plants. Not only that, but they also have to manage their land themselves to make sure that it will be functional for the future of their family and their business. They rotate pastures, irrigate, feed hay, and manage water systems to be sure that their ranch will be productive for a long time ot come. Every rancher knows this, whether they chose to use this buzzword or not, and its time that every consumer knows it as well.

Good Night,
— Kim