It seems the major theme at the 2010 Cattle Industry Annual Convention and Trade Show in San Antonio, TX is the growing importance for the beef cattle industry to embrace online social media tools to share the agriculture story with consumers. Finally, agriculture is recognizing that the discussion on the future of agriculture is being told by folks who want to eliminate it, and it’s time we start balancing out the scales and leading the discussion ourselves.

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I made new friends and took away important lessons from NCBA’s Masters of Beef Advocacy commencement ceremony yesterday at the 2010 Cattle Industry Annual Convention and Trade Show in San Antonio, TX. I presented a workshop, “Discovering the Power of Social Media,” during the afternoon session of the event, and while I was there, I met an up-and-comer in the beef cattle industry who I think you all need to meet. His name is Walker Carson, and he is a 13-year-old animal activist. He is a graduate of the MBA program and an active participant in the commercial steer competitions in Texas.

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Greetings from beautiful San Antonio, TX! I just landed late last night to take part in the 2010 Cattle Industry Annual Convention and Trade Show. Today, I will be taking part as an afternoon speaker at the NCBA Masters of Beef Advocacy commencement ceremony. Throughout the remainder of the week, I will be meeting with cattle industry colleagues and friends in the trade show at the BEEF booth, as well as listening in on the informative seminars and workshops scheduled on the agenda. It’s going to be a great week, and just like I reported the highlights from the 2010 American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual meeting, I will keep you up-to-date on all the happenings here in Texas. Until things start rolling down here, I thought I would share multiple Humane Society of the U.S. (HSUS) headlines for your review this morning. Read on for the full scoop on the latest HSUS hoopla.

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If you’ve been following the news on the devastating earthquake in Haiti, then you may have heard that the government is now predicting the death toll to rise to 300,000 souls. Already, Americans have pledged millions of dollars to assist survivors as they try to pick up the pieces of their homeland. While most Americans are focused on helping the families now living in tent cities, trying to avoid falling rubble and locating lost loved ones, the Humane Society of the U.S. (HSUS) is once again trying to monopolize on the emotions of Americans to raise money for their own agenda.

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Have you checked out the latest comments being exchanged on the BEEF Daily Blog lately? In the last two weeks, I’ve jumped into some hot topics including: politics, HSUS, PETA, global warming, the federal deficit and winter calving. These topics have stirred up some interesting conversations on the blog, and if you haven’t checked out the recent dialogue, I encourage you to do so and feel free to join in!

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As many of you already know, I was in Seattle, WA last week for the 91st Annual American Farm Bureau Meeting, where I had the opportunity to listen to a wide array of speakers discussing important issues facing our industry today. One of the topics covered at the event was a panel sessions with the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation (OFBF), recapping their efforts to pass the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board when the Humane Society of the U.S. came to their state. OFBF Senior Director of Legislative Policy Adam Sharp, explained to attendees that Ohio consumers weren’t too keen on “out-of-state activists (HSUS) coming into the state and trying to tell Ohioans what to do.” So, they worked hard to show HSUS how they felt. Continue reading for a glimpse at their efforts.

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It’s no secret that PETA is just one of those organizations that is more concerned with getting publicity than actually making a difference in the lives of people or animals. Their terrorist tactics aim to grab media attention, but I doubt PETA’s president Ingrid Newkirk actually believes her stunts will be taken seriously. For example, did you hear about PETA’s letter to Pope Benedict XVI, urging him to eliminate animal products in Vatican City?

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With all of the action taking place at the nation’s capital, it can be hard to monitor the activities of our states’ leaders. In December, Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) CEO Wayne Pacelle divvied out grades in a report card on our nation’s lawmakers. President Obama received a B- from this organization, and HSUS also passed out grades based on the voting records and past activities of Congress members. So, how did your state’s senators and representatives rate? Check out the 2009 Humane Scorecard put together by the HSUS lobbying arm in Washington D.C.

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Well, I arrived safely back in South Dakota late last night, where I can assure you that the results of global warming were not evident. The topic of climate change and global warming was tackled at the AFBF Annual Meeting by Christopher C. Horner, a senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute. It was a packed house in this afternoon seminar as Horner openly shared his thoughts on the scandals behind the premise of global warming and the agenda’s implications. Since it was of such keen interest to the folks at the conference, I figured it would hold the same appeal to all of you this morning. So, throw another log on the fire, grab a cup of hot coffee and get ready to read the chilling ideas from Horner on global warming.

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You’ve seen him throwing the ball on the football field, recapping a game on FOX and ESPN and starring in movies such as Failure to Launch. For myself and more than 5,000 farmers and ranchers at the 91st Annual American Farm Bureau Federation’s Annual Meeting in Seattle, WA, we got to see him in a whole new light: as a keynote speaker talking about his farming experiences. Many of you might not know that this football legend owns 58 Angus cows, 40 hogs and a barn full of race horses. He can drive a tractor, bale hay and take care of livestock, and he brought a fresh new perspective to the meeting at the closing ceremony of this event.

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