BEEF Daily Summer Sweepstakes
With a full calendar of summer contests and prizes, I thought it was time for a sweepstakes drawing. If you have missed the previous contests, you should check out our photography and story teller winners. However, instead of a contest, where participants are judged on their entries, this sweepstakes is a random drawing for cool prizes. The sweepstakes will run until noon on June 29, 2009, and it’s really simple to enter. Two winners will be selected to win the book, Cowboy Ethics, by well-known agriculture authors and photographers, James P. Owen and David R. Stoecklein. Don’t miss your chance to enter and be a part of an ongoing dialogue about beef industry issues!
To enter, participants should answer the question:
“What is the biggest issue facing the beef industry today?”
Leave your answers, along with your name and state, in the comments section, so entries can be shared with the BEEF community. I can’t wait to hear your responses!
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. A purchase does not improve your chances of winning. Contest open to legal residents of 50 United States and the District of Columbia, who are 18 or older. To enter, answer the question in the comments section, along with your name and state. All entries must be received by noon Monday, June 29, 2009. Void outside of the 50 United States and District of Columbia and where prohibited by law. For the Full Rules, link here.
BEEF Daily Quick Fact: Eight out of 10 households own an outdoor grill or smoker. (My Beef Checkoff News)
June 16th, 2009 at 7:37 am
It’s hard to pick just one challenge - at present it’s trying to get hay up after 15 inches of rain the last 8 wks. HSUS is a huge threat to everyone and anyone who owns an animal. The lack of knowledge about animal husbandry is astounding. Our own industry has some people who still are not aware of the most beneficial practices of caring for their livestock in today’s world. We need to do a better job of communicating with the public about our industry. Lack of knowledge can be a dangerous thing. Each rancher/farmer needs to go through the day with the idea that someone is watching everything they do. Because they are.
Joan Meyer/Illinois
June 16th, 2009 at 7:45 am
Three words: Demand, Demand, Demand
June 16th, 2009 at 7:52 am
Many would say the consumer is the biggest issue facing the beef industry today, but I believe it has to do more with losing our farm and pasture lands to development. Less than two-percent of our US population is responsible for producing food and we lose more and more land every year to development. It is an issue all agriculture faces, but cattle need space and grass to survive…not cement and houses.
June 16th, 2009 at 8:05 am
In my opinion there are a few key issues affecting facing the beef industry and agriculture in general. The first of which is start up costs. Anybody interested in agriculture who is looking to farm full time has a huge financial hurdle to leap just to get started. I believe that the only way to start up a self sufficient operation in this day and age is to be independently wealthy going into the process.
Another main issues that is affecting agriculture is the mentality by the consumers that food comes from and is manufactured by stores and super-markets. Many people do not equate the livestock in our fields with the purchases they make off their shelves, with increasing costs in agriculture this has a very real and problematic effect on our profit margins. – Jake, NY
June 16th, 2009 at 8:24 am
It’s a very simple answer, HSUS. They want to shut down all livestock production in the U.S.
Wendell Davis, D.V.M.
Overland Park, KS
June 16th, 2009 at 9:13 am
Anti-animal livestock organizations (i.e. HSUS, PETA, etc.) and environmental issues.
June 16th, 2009 at 9:17 am
In my opinion the biggest issue is the liberal media painting farmers and ranchers as heartless people who only want to make a quick buck off of what we raise. I feel our image has never been more damaged.
June 16th, 2009 at 9:42 am
Misunderstanding. With so few people in production even the kids in small towns don’t really know how livestock are cared for. They see it like everyone else in the city-from their car window and whatever news their teachers and parents pass on to them. What are their sources of news? Mostly that from HSUS. Education is the answer and we will have to continue to tell our story in as many ways and places as possible. Whenever we have college students home with their friends-we educate. Whenever we are with extended family-we educate. Whenever we hand out samples of beef in Omaha, NE or Syracuse, NY-we educate. People want to see us and hear from us. We put a face on our industry that connects the consumer to the producer with the link of trust. Joan Ruskamp, Dodge, NE
June 16th, 2009 at 10:13 am
One of the prominent challenges that we as beef producers face is the continual naivety of the media, consumers and government officials. How many decisions have been made by those who are uneducated about agriculture that create a significant impact on our livelihoods? Influencers of market prices, policies, and public perception all come together to threaten profits and quality of life of the farmer who works so hard to create a quality product. As a result, we need to make an effort to paint a favorable picture to consumers by telling our stories and take time to educate others about our industry. We also need to be heard during critical policy development. - Francine, IA
June 16th, 2009 at 10:33 am
Like some others have said before, perception of the industry and lack of knowledge. Many schools require students to take health and hygiene classes and some even require drivers ed. Why shouldn’t some basic education about our food supply be required too? I’m so sick of hearing that our beef is causing heart disease or changing men in women due to implants. If people knew more about where their food comes from, HSUS and PETA wouldn’t be able to play on ignorance and emotion with as much success.
Jake Galbreath
Oakes, ND
June 16th, 2009 at 10:44 am
HSUS and the misleading information they release to the media.
June 16th, 2009 at 10:46 am
The biggest issue facing the beef industry is the many unknowns that go along with ranching. Not knowing if we will get rain this year for hay, healthy calves, or what prices will be in the fall. Not knowing what HSUS and PETA will do to us next, whether the next generation will be able to continue their family tradition, and what regulations the government might impose on us.
June 16th, 2009 at 11:04 am
The disconnect between the ranchers/farmers and the consumers. This leads to the easy acceptance of the misconceptions put forth by HSUS and PETA.
June 16th, 2009 at 11:11 am
For us I would say no rain. When we do get rain it’s at the wrong times.
June 16th, 2009 at 2:26 pm
Misinformed consumers, regulations, and urbanization are all BIG issues the beef industry is facing. It seems that someone always wants to tell our story and run our cattle business for us.
June 16th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
For any level of Beef production, whether you own a feedlot, or are a family cow calf operation, the biggest threat to our industry “Beef production” Is packer concentration or, captive supply. If you Dont Believe me just ask an old family hog farmer. That is if you can find one.
John Forgey
Douglas,Wy
June 16th, 2009 at 4:08 pm
HSUS, PETA and any other anti-agriculture organization.
Carol Abrahamzon - MN
June 16th, 2009 at 11:41 pm
Small margins for beef producers, land prices being disconnected from productive value, and weather related risk will drive many out of business and keep many younger people from going into business. Oops, that is three.
Tom Blackwell - Abilene, TX
June 17th, 2009 at 10:12 am
I agree with many of the previous comments about the lack of knowledge and poor perception of our industry. We need to spend more time and resources promoting our industry to combat all the negative publicity that has escalated along with our computer technology and social networking. Anyone who takes a few minutes to do some simple searches for cattle, ranches, beef, etc. would see that the number of negative posts and hits outweighs the positives by drastic amounts. I have read comments that people in the animal rights and vegan communities believe the only reason farmers and ranchers raise animals for food is because it is making us all very wealthy. Another comment I have read is that people that eat meat are violent because the violence from harvesting the animal goes into their tissue and is then consumed by man, therefore he becomes violent and that is the reason for President Bush starting the Iraq war. !?!?! These are the kinds of beliefs that we are going up against. The population is very influential and they are being persuaded in the wrong direction. We need loyal customers that will keep demanding our products. I could go on but I would be preaching to the choir. Besides, I have to go put some new batteries in my hotshot and pester those gold nuggets I have locked up in crates.
June 17th, 2009 at 11:05 am
I agree with all of the comments that everyone has made. But I could blame the rain, the consumers, the HSUS, PETA, ect. but what it all comes down to now is the economy. Us little guys who are just trying to hold on to a dream and carry on what our grandparents had worked for are dying. We can’t compete with the big farmers. Feed prices are up and meat prices are down. So, how can anyone big or small compete with this outcome. Who is going to bail us out? or have we just been forgotten. I saw a bumper sticker one day and it should be are slogan, I know it stuck with me. It read ” RESPECT THE AMERICAN FARMER, HE FEEDS YOU” Just something to think about.
June 17th, 2009 at 1:04 pm
Animal Activists are our worst nightmare. However, the economy is what is driving the Beef Market as we speak. Until that is back on track we’ll have tough times.
June 17th, 2009 at 1:05 pm
The biggest issue facing the beef industry is consumer confidence. Most of our other problems (essentially bad press regarding BSE, animal welfare, product recalls, e. coli, growth stimulants, etc.) affect the consumers’ perception of beef. If our product does not have a positive image, the consumer won’t buy it. Without sustained demand for the product, no industry can survive.
Beef producers need to be proactive in promoting our product. Beef check off dollars are just a drop in the bucket compared to the money being spent to put cattlemen out of business with negative news and misinformation.
June 17th, 2009 at 10:14 pm
Here in the midwest one of chanllenges we as beef producers face is high price of land. I recently attended the sale of a neighbors property that averaged $2900/acre. Now my calcuator must be wrong but at that price I cannot figure out how in the world these people are making a piece of property even attempt to pay for itself. For someone trying to get started in agriculture how could you ever survive. Aonther thing I am finding is there is less and less available pasture available tor rent. All the ground previously available has been ripped up and planted to corn. So I hope we have a good hay crop this year.
June 18th, 2009 at 8:15 am
The question itself is wrong. The beef “industry” is certainly not the producers, but rather the multinational corporations and their related consortium. Because of the concentration in the beef “industry”, captive supplies, failure to obtain true COOL, etc. the producers are still forced to work free for the beef “industry”.
Big beef “industry” special interests rule. Cattlemen continue to lose.
June 18th, 2009 at 8:43 am
I would have to say that one of the biggest challenges facing our industry today is maintaining our market share. Without it, we have no industry. Everything from the HSUS’s anti animal ag campaign to lack of knowledge, product prices and marketing, and consumer perceptions contribute to this issue. We also have ever growing competition from other livestock industries. I agree with the previous posts that said education and getting young people interested and involved in the industry is going to be a key factor in our success.
Jessie Heitkamp - ND
June 19th, 2009 at 1:55 am
A huge problem in our industry is ourselves - we complain about how unfairly we are treated by the animal rights groups yet we continue to shoot ourselves in the foot. Sitting in the auction last week, I watched butcher cows being sold. Many of those cows were “range” cows who obviously had not seen any feed all winter long. Some of them weighing under 800 lbs and a body condition score of 1. It is this perception of cattle raisers that give fuel to the PETA and HSUS arguments; this is how we end up as the bad guys on their videos. Then they use these to beat all cattlemen over the head, lumping us all as uncaring, profit driven sadists. And they are very good at their jobs! Look at the increasing numbers of vegetarians they are creating using these images. We need to clean up our act to make our industry not only more acceptable to consumers but to make them feel good about buying our products.
Gail Foster - OR
June 20th, 2009 at 11:53 pm
The biggest challenge facing our industry is the sky-rocketing inflation of all the costs that go into producing our product. Although the end product is costly, it is not the cow/calf operator whose share allows him enough profit over and above his expenses.
Lory Greer - Wyoming
June 22nd, 2009 at 9:20 am
After reading everyone else s thoughts I would agree with them as well. But I believe one of the hardest things for us is to overcome the cost of inflation. Everyone else in different industries gets to pass the add cost along, we as producers in agriculture have to each that cost. We are the only ones that can’t pass that cost along to others with what we sell.
Glen Gillett - Montana
June 22nd, 2009 at 12:36 pm
I agree with what everyone else has been saying. It sometimes feels as if we are in a losing battle against PETA, HSUS because of the disconnect between the farmer/rancher and the end consumer. That is something that we need to change, and change quick.
Hope Mammele–MN
June 22nd, 2009 at 4:37 pm
I believe the biggest issue facing the beef industry today, are anti-agriculture issues that affect the freedom for livestock producers to seek their own bottom lines and price discovery. These may come in the form of Extremists and/or Government Schemes.
I sell my Cattle as “breeding stock”, live butcher beef animals to people raising them on their small acerage and culls, butchered and delivered directly to my retail meat customers. All, are anything but, “wholesale”. The retailer makes over 55% of the total mark-up in the whole chain of events from calving to the customer’s grocery basket. In my situation I couldn’t take a chance on auction type price discovery. I seel my own as retail, as much as I can, in my own situation. We’re all different. More work? Your dang right, but for the given headage, the rewards are higher too. And I don’t have Organic either. But essentially they are.
I have a herd of less than 60 on a postage stamp of 120 acres of Ohio grassland. From the very beginning I knew I couldn’t make any money by selling wholesale at the sale barn. So I fit a process to meet my situation.
Ed Callan
Callan Cattle Co.
7688 Marion Rd.
Newark, Ohio 43055
June 23rd, 2009 at 11:52 am
Being able to market and sale our product. Example; look at the Angus cattle, they have done an outstanding job marketing there product. We should follow by example.
Charlie
Princeton KY
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment:
Register Here or Log in Here.
Advertisement
Advertisement
About
BEEF Daily is your online news source for today’s beef industry updates, every Monday through Thursday morning. BEEF’s Web Editor, Amanda Nolz, captures the essence of life as a South Dakota cattle producer and college student, as well as top headlines of the day. YOU can also weigh in your thoughts. Don’t miss a minute of the action; subscribe to the BEEF Daily e-newsletter today!Article Proposal
Have an idea for the BEEF Daily Blog? Submit a blog proposal to Amanda Nolz!
Categories
Beef Magazine Twitter
Calendar
Archives
Your Account
Subscribe
© 2009 Penton Business Media, Inc.