Beef Ambassador

Happy Holidays to everyone from the National Beef Ambassadors including myself! On December 20^th, I traveled with the rest of the 2012 National Beef Ambassador Team to Wooster, Ohio where we were invited to Certified Angus Beef’s Head Quarters for their annual Building Block Seminar. We were welcomed by their friendly staff and learned so much about Certified Angus Beef.  The Certified Angus Beef brand is an important brand to beef industry.

In order to be considered Certified Angus Beef, beef cattle must pass all ten brand standards to qualify and also be black hided cattle. Certified Angus Beef exceeds USDA Prime, Choice and Select Beef Standards to ensure that you are getting quality beef product. I was so impressed with the Certified Angus Beef brand that I wanted to hear more about the company and learn how different they really are from the USDA selections in the supermarkets. If you are wondering as a consumer here are things to think about the next time you are buying beef at the store and see the Certified Angus Beef brand symbol.  To be considered a selection for Certified Angus Beef, cattle must reach modest or moderate marbling. Marbling is a key component to any choice of cut because it adds to the tenderness, juiciness, and flavor to a steak. The more marbling or fat you have on your steak, the better your chances are that even after cooking your beef at a high temperature that it will still have a tender and juicy taste. Maturity, as well as marbling is also key to the selection of the Certified Angus Beef brand.  “A” maturity are cattle that are harvested younger than 30 months of age, which is the most desired to be Certified Angus Beef. While if you were to select just USDA Prime and Choice cuts they can also include “B” maturity cattle that are 30-42 months of age.  The Certified Angus Beef brand takes pride in knowing that their brand defines a product that is tender, juicy and is packed full of flavor.

YUM! Everyone loves a nice juicy steak! Don’t forget that beef makes a great meal for the holiday parties and dinners you may be having over the next several days! Yea I know, beef on Christmas Day?! Let me remind you that BEEF is one powerful protein and you need fuel and energy this holiday season to spend time with loved ones and play with all those high tech gadgets. Who needs turkey on Christmas day, which tends to make everyone sleepy and tired from all the tryptophan ? Think about buying a nice Prime Rib or Tenderloin this year at the Supermarket and give the gift of protein, iron, and zinc to your family this holiday season. From my family to yours, have a safe, happy and healthy holiday season and Merry Christmas everyone. Let us not forget all the blessed farmers and ranchers in this great nation who contribute their lives each and every day to support us with safe, wholesome, and nutritious food.

Celebrating Beef,

Arika Snyder

On December 5, 2011 an online journal reported that Nebraska’s Attorney General,  Jon Bruning, donoted $100,000 to Nebraska’s We Support Agriculture, a coalition that supports agriculture through coordinated communication, education and advocacy. This is a great step forward to have government officials recognized the need to support agriculture not just as an industry but also a way of life. But this way of life is being threatened and the attorney general is recognizing this. Bruning is quoted saying “In Nebraska, agriculture is more than a resource – it’s a way of life. I’m proud to support efforts to protect the cornerstone of our state economy from the actions of extremist groups like the Humane Society of the United States.” I am happy that government officials are finally starting to see the realization that agriculture needs to be supported and protected.

I would like to encourage everyone to write your government officials and educate them about the agriculture and beef industry and encourage them to stand up to threats against us, but in the meantime, thank you Attorney General Jon Bruning for recognizing a problem and the importance of agriculture.

Today is the last day to post a comment about the recent update to child labor laws concerning children under the age of 18 working in the agriculture industry. With this deadline here I was hoping to get feed back from people and see what they think.

My sister and I on our family's cattle ranch

This law would greatly prohibit children in working in agriculture, something that was exempt to most labor laws until now. This law would not affect children working on family farms or ranches but only children that are employed and/or payed.  This will not allow children to work for neighbors, run any sort of equipment, even from working with breading stock such as bulls, boars or even cow/calf pairs. There are of course some other exemptions, such as children in vocational agricultural programs over the age of 14 and these same children will be able to work on equipment after being trained. But what about the 4-Hers that are eight or nine and just starting their careers as agriculturist or about  the children that are helping thier neighbors or friends and are saving for college or a car?

Personally, I believe growing up in a agriculture environment , whether your parents own a farm or ranch, is an important and is one of the reasons I am where I am today. You learn responsibility, discipline, dedication and have the chance to hone a passion which can turn into a business and a lifestyle. Growing up on a cattle ranch is something I would now fight to have the right to give my children and then their children. It is one of kind, special, a gift it’s not just a childhood but an Agriculture Childhood.

Please tell me what you think, I would love to know!

Hey all!!

So in celebration of World Food Day, I thought I would take some time to talk about some of the troubles that us cattle farmers and ranchers have had this year in doing our best in providing the world with our beef.

As many of you have probably heard, through the news atleast, many droughts and wildfires have been happening down south and out west. Infact, they have been stuck in the worst drought in the past many many years. I do not live in Texas or Oklahoma, so I can’t personally atest to how bad it really has gotten. But I do know, that this weather has forced many ranchers down there to sell large portions of their cow herd. This winter will bring even more problems. Because of the drought, they have been unable to grow the hay or grains needed to feed them, so they had to tap into their storages that would typically be used for winter, just to get them through the summer and fall. Now, that hardly leaves anything for winter for feed. This has really hit alot of farmers hard as many of them have spent years building up their herd. Putting hours into improvements to only have to sell tons of them during a time like this.

In the northeast, where I live, we have had the complete opposite. Rain, rain, and more rain. Fields are flooded, cows are stuck because rivers are too high for them to cross, and damages from wind have knocked down many barns and silos. We too are at a storage for hay and grains because we can’t grow it in soaking wet fields, being almost forced to sell off many of our cow herd just as those in Texas.

Regardless though, I assure you, us farmers and ranchers are doing everything we can to keep all of our cows safe and healthy through these tough times. We appreciate all of you who do support the beef industry, and despite all of the hardships, we do look forward to getting up each and every day to tend to our animals. We farm because we loves animals, and love being able to feed not only our family, but yours too.

-Kristen Stufft (with beef!)

Welcome to week #6 of MythBusters Maddy style!

Grain fed vs Grass fed

Grain-fed beef is the most widely produced type of beef in the United States. Grain-fed cattle spend most of their lives eating grass in pastures, and then move on to a feedlot where they eat a high-energy grain diet for three to six months. Research shows most Americans generally prefer the taste of grain-fed beef because of its tenderness and flavor-enhancing marbling.

All cattle spend the majority of their lives eating grass in pastures. However, grass-finished beef (sometimes labeled as grass-fed beef) comes from cattle that have been raised on pasture their entire lives. Grass-finished beef is often described as having a distinctly different taste.

**I found these definitions at www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com.

Basically, if you want to see a break down of all the different types of Beef I’ve been talking about for the last few weeks visit: http://www.explorebeef.org/CMDocs/ExploreBeef/Choices%20of%20Beef_Final.pdf                                                                                        It shows Grain finished, Grass finished, Naturally raised and Certified organic. Check out the differences yourself!

If you have something to add feel free to leave your comments!

Tune in next week for more definitions and myths!

¡Carne de res, que buena es!

Welcome to week #2 of MythBusters Maddy style!

This week we’re going to define organic.

According to organic.org, organic is defined as, “Simply stated, organic produce and other ingredients are grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, genetically modified organisms, or ionizing radiation.”

Now, this definition is fine… depending on what they consider pesticides. Because the truth is, organic farmers can use pesticides and fertilizers too.

Which brings us to Myth #1 about organic farming:

Myth: Organic farming doesn’t use pesticides or fertilizers.

It is a common misconception that organic agriculture doesn’t use pesticides. Some pesticides used on organic farms contain inorganic copper – and since copper is not biodegradable, this can lead to toxic copper accumulation in the soil. Approved organic pesticides are relatively less effective and must be applied at high levels or must be applied frequently. Toxic pesticides that are approved for use by organic producers include Nicotine Sulfate, Sabadilla, and Rotenone.

There are over 20 chemicals commonly used in the growing and processing of organic crops that are approved by the US Organic Standards. And, shockingly, the actual volume usage of pesticides on organic farms is not recorded by the government. Why the government isn’t keeping watch on organic pesticide and fungicide use is a good question, especially considering that many organic pesticides are used more intensively than synthetic ones due to their lower levels of effectiveness. According to the National Center for Food and Agricultural Policy, the top two organic fungicides, copper and sulfur, are used at a rate of 4 and 34 (respectively) pounds per acre. In contrast, the synthetic fungicides only required a rate of 1.6 lbs per acre- less than half the amount of the organic alternatives.

The 6 most common pesticides are:

1. Neem
This natural pesticide comes from a tree that grows in India. Farmers usually use neem on crops that are not for eating.

Neem is not toxic to mammals, however it may irritate those who are also pyrethrum sensitive.

2. Nicotine Sulfate
Deriving from the tobacco plant, nicotine sulfate has been used by farmers to kill bugs since the 1800’s.

Caution: Farmers have to wear gloves when applying this chemical because it is toxic to warm-blooded animals.

3. Pyrethrum
This popular natural insecticide is extracted from the chrysanthemum flower, and has been used for centuries to fight bugs on crops (and lice on heads).

Pyrethrum is also found in many organic bug sprays.

4. Rotenone
This natural chemical comes from plants in the Leguminosae family.

Caution: Rotenone is somewhat toxic to humans and extremely toxic to fish.

5. Sabadilla

Sabadilla is the least toxic organic pesticide and derives from the seeds of a lily.

Caution: Although it’s the least toxic, sabadilla dust can be irritating, so farmers have to wear protection.

6. Sulfur

Applied as a powder, paste or liquid, this mineral is one of the oldest pesticides.

Caution: Sulfur can irritate the eyes, but otherwise is not harmful to humans or other mammals.

Most of these pesticides are considered “natural”, which most of us have assumed to mean safe and healthy because they are derived from nature. However, spider venom is “natural”, poison ivy is “natural” and apples are “natural” (but eating too many seeds will kill you).

So what does organic really mean? It means these pesticides, if used, must be derived from natural sources and they must be applied with equipment that hasn’t been used to apply any synthetic materials for the past 3 years, and the land being planted cannot have been treated with synthetic materials for that period either. The word “organic” refers to the way farmers grow and process agricultural products, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy products and meat.

If you disagree with me, why? Leave your comments!

Tune in next week for more definitions and myths!

¡Carne de res, que buena es!

Farmer’s markets are increasing in popularity all over the United States, along with the buying local/natural products in towns across the nation. Last week I went to my local farmer’s market with my beef facts, posters, and pamphlets. Most people took the pamphlets and advice with a smile and nod and not much more interest. But when some actually stopped and talked to me and the local beef ambassador they weren’t really interested in recipes or even about environmental benefits of cattle instead they wanted to know about the health benefits and even more specifically about buying locally grown meat. I don’t have a problem with buying locally or all natural, or grass-fed steers, in fact I think it’s great. It gives a great niche market where farmers and ranchers can make a profit  off their product while giving the consumers what they want. But I just like to remind consumers that buying organic or natural products are great but in the end we can’t feed the world on those products alone. In the next fifty years we have to increase our production 100% with 50% less resources in order to feed the growing population. We can’t do that with these niche markets because in no time at all we simply won’t have the resources that allow us to do that today. So while we should all do a little shopping at our local farmer’s markets don’t forget the conventionally grown food is just as healthy and safe as your other options and in the end we need those traditional farmers in order to feed the world.

Two weeks ago I talked about the importance of advocating, but something I forgot to talk about is why ranchers advocate. Of course there are the obvious reasons. Ranchers need to educate the consumer about the beef industry to ensure the industry’s success,and we need to to continue to remind consumers that beef is a safe, wholesome product that is needed in an everyday diet. But that is not why I advocate every single day. I am a fourth generation cattle rancher and the Sweet family has owned the same land for over one hundred years. When I think about my childhood I remember school, my friends, 4-H and most importantly I remember the ranch. Whether it be riding in the back of my Grandfather’s beaten pick-up while he races down the road to go feed cows or huddling in barn for warmth because the fog was so think you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face and your clothes are soaked from all the moisture, I only have fond memories about growing up on a ranch. When I think about my family and how much I enjoy the cattle industry I know that is why I advocate. I advocate for the next generation, to ensure that my children and generations after them have the same opportunities in the cattle and agriculture industries. I want my children to learn dedication, tradition, hard-work, respect, and the importance of family and agriculture the same way I did; on the Sweet Family Ranch. I know that I am not the only cattle producer that feels the same way. That is one of the reasons that 98% of all cattle ranches in the United States are still family own and operated and will remain so. By advocating ranchers are protecting their heritage and their future.

Teaching the next generation how to ride.

Well late Merry Christmas to everyone and an early Happy New Year! With a new year comes all of those great new year resolutions. Through my experience with these I have decided they are in fact a universal and culturally accepted way to really say things you may in fact never do. It just makes you feel good. Now I understand this is certainly not always the case, and many people who are driven, hard working, or just plain stubborn may always achieve their resolutions.  Just to prove this point I am going to give you a few tips to making one of the more popular resolutions come true.

Popular Resolution: I will get in shape, work out at least 3 times a week, loose weight, become healthier. (all variations of one another)

This has been my new years resolution for at least the past 3 years, and each year my attempt to achieve it has been rather weak.  But this year I have one word for you BEEF, and 10 easy reasons why it is the key to maintaining a healthy workout regime, building muscle, eating healthy foods, supporting the environment, and giving you a package of nutritional benefits no other food can provide.

1. Beef is America’s #1 source of protein

2. Beef is naturally nutrient rich, providing 8 times more vitamin B12, 6 times more zinc, and 2 1/2 times more iron than a skinless chicken breast.

3. There are 29 cuts of lean beef that meet government standards for “lean”, this means 29 ways just to enjoy different cuts of beef, not to mention all the recipies that use these cuts. Check out this yummy recipie example the Hamburger and Sour Cream Casserole.

4. These 29 lean cuts include favorites such as tenderloin, sirloin, and 95% lean ground beef, which all provide less than 10 grams of total fat, 4.5 grams or less of saturated fat, and less than 95 milligrams of cholestrol. Per 3 oz serving.

5. Serving size is key, you only need one 3 oz serving per day, the size of a deck of cards or the palm of your hand, to benefit from all these nutrients.

6. Not only is BEEF healthy for you but it is good for the environment. Ranchers and producers are the original environmentalists, if their land is not healthy how can their cattle be expected to survive? The producers work 24/7 to ensure the land they are using is being taken care of so their herd will survive and the land will thrive.

7. Not only do these cattle survive but they live healthy happy lives. Farming and ranching is a way of life and taking care of an animal to the best of the rancher’s abilities is not questioned but is performed. I know this is true at my home with our livestock just like I know it is true with every other family I have met who raise cattle.

8. At home the animals eat before we do, school days or weekends they get fed at the same time. Even on Christmas, just like Brad’s story, the animals come first, they depend on us to take care of them and we provide that care, always.

9. By eating beef you are supporting America’s farmers and ranchers who have dedicated their livelihood to support familys and providing food for them. The average farmer in the US feeds about 144 people.

10. And finally, the undabatable point, BEEF tastes great! The added bonuses from 1-9 simply make it that much better.

For more info feel free to check out beeffrompasturetoplate.com and would love to have any comments or questions!

-Jessica

Last night as I was getting ready to go to bed, I decided to check the news headlines one more time online. As I was scrolling down the CNN.com homepage, my cursor rolled over a link to a video with an intriguing title: “Go vegetarian, save the planet.” I clicked on the video and was a little surprised that it was contributed to CNN from the British television network ITV. The video details the same old, tired story we’ve heard over and over again. A United Nations report found that 18% of greenhouse gases come from livestock production, and going vegetarian is the most important step one can take to save the planet. I’ve embedded the video below. Leave a comment and tell me what you think.

This video, although it was originally intended for the British media market, has found its way to the United States thanks to CNN, and through it, American consumers are getting some very wrong information. The UN study that the video cites relates to global livestock production as a whole, and 6% of those GHGs referenced are due to deforestation in the Amazon region of South America. Here in the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that less than 3% of our GHG emissions are the result of livestock production. The bottom line is that cattle producers are deeply concerned about the welfare of our environment. We take steps to ensure that we are raising our cattle in a way that preserves the land for future generations of farmers and ranchers. For more information about how cattle producers protect the environment, click here and here.

Again, leave a comment about the CNN video.

Moovin Out,

Brad