It’s back to the grindstone for agribusiness professionals, and that means spending a lot of time figuring out where 2009 is headed.

So much has happened in the past year, and I hope that your day gets a little bit better every time you open up BEEF Daily. In case you missed the recap of the top ten blog posts of 2008 over the past few weeks, you can revisit them now. Many of these had heated responses the first time around, and I’m sure they will spark a new interest once you take the time to view them once more. These were your favorites of 2008, and I’m looking forward to some intense discussions about our industry in the future.

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This past summer I worked as an intern for BEEF Magazine, which is where BEEF Daily got its start. Now, living in the cities was quite the adjustment for me–the insane traffic and road construction had my GPS in a constant frenzy. But, after a month of living in the cities, I finally got comfortable in the area and brave enough to venture into the Mall of America. My avoidance of the shopping mall was two-fold: first, I’m a poor college kid, which means I didn’t exactly have wads of cash waiting to be spent. Secondly, I’m always lost, and I had convinced myself that if I entered the parking ramp, I might never find my way out again.

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It feels like forever since I’ve last blogged on BEEF Daily. The holidays have kept me busy with family gatherings, a cattle show, New Year celebrations and my cousin’s wedding. Now, with 2009 up and running, it’s time to get back to the business of gathering and sharing the news with you. BEEF Daily will be full of stories in the upcoming months as I travel to various places to meet with industry leaders and ranchers.

I will be speaking and traveling to a variety of locations in the next few weeks. First, I will attend BEEF 20/20 in Brookings, SD later this week. After that, I will be speaking at the Women in Blue Jeans Conference in Mitchell, SD on January, 17. That evening, I will be speaking at the Kingsbury County Cattlemen’s Association’s Annual Meeting in Lake Preston, SD. Next, the Black Hills Stock Show will be underway at the end of January. Finishing up the month, you might see me at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s Annual Trade Show and Convention in Phoenix, AZ with a video camera and a laptop in tow. February will take me to the Great Lakes Regional Dairy Conference in Grand Rapids, MI. Add school and keeping up with my online job at BEEF Daily editor, this winter is certainly going to be busy.

So what are you shaking up in 2009? Perhaps our paths will cross in my various travels. I’m sure calving season will soon begin for many of you, and these cowboy vacations might be put on the backburner. I know the economy hasn’t been well, and for many, that means staying home from industry events. I truly believe, now more than ever before, is the right time to MAKE THE TIME to travel and visit with others in the same boat as yourself. If you see me around, don’t be afraid to stop by and say hello. I would love to meet all of you in person. Tell me your story, share your obstacles and let’s talk about your goals for 2009. I look forward to hearing from you!

Another year has come and gone, and with it, a lot has changed in the world for beef producers in the United States. We have seen the passing of Proposition 2, elected a new president, established Country-of-Origin-Labeling, listened to Oprah’s and animal rights activists’ continued attacks on agriculture, watched as more young people leave the ranch for better jobs in the cities, paid for the highest fuel, feed and fertilizer prices in history, attended farm auctions of neighbors going out of business, passed a bailout plan and listened to economists explain the downward spiral of the nation’s economy.

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It’s that time of year again. Time to take the new show calves to their first show. My family and I are headed to the Corn Palace Winter Calf Show in Mitchell, SD today with four calves–two heifers and two steers. My sisters have been working on the calves since Thanksgiving, and Christmas break has been filled with washing, clipping and leading the calves around to help prepare them for their first trip to town.

While some say that the show cattle industry has no place in the beef industry, I have to disagree. Showing livestock enables producers to showcase their livestock to fellow ranchers. This marketing tool allows an operation to become more recognizable, and winning cattle shows is an even better way to prove that your calves can stack up to the competition. Plus, show cattle can often be extreme in comparison to regular feedlot cattle. While many say that these cattle aren’t fit for the practical production purposes and the retail case, I think these extremes help make improvements for the United State’s beef herd.

So as I load up the trailer to stack my calves against others for the first show of the season, my big question is, what do you think about the show industry? Do you take your cattle to livestock exhibits? Do you ever purchase seedstock at shows and sales such as the National Western Stock Show in Denver, CO or the Black Hills Stock Show in Rapid City, SD? Tell me what you think. Inquiring minds want to know!

During the holiday season, consumers are finding special ways to deck the halls and prepare a meal that will “wow” their guests. Helping them find the perfect beef cut to adorn the holiday table, beef producers certainly have an ally with Cleaver’s Market. In fact, the store’s promise of gourmet foods, one-on-one attention and expert advice has created a long line of customers in the Sioux Falls, SD area.

For ‘Meat Guys’ Mike Haggar and Brian Jorgenson, the success of Cleaver’s Market has always come back to the quality meats and friendly faces that greet customers at their shop. Along with fine meats, Cleaver’s offers wine, deli cheeses, spices, sauces, oils, ethnic foods, decadent desserts, home made salads and more.

Haggar and Jorgenson have worked together for 24 years, and they both believe in the power of giving their customers a special experience at the meat case. Haggar learned his meat cutting skills as a child from his father, who owned and operated a meat locker. Today, the duo is able to offer their customers more than fine, gourmet foods; they can also give seasoned advice on cooking, preparation and selecting the correct cut of meat.

It’s no wonder that Cleaver’s Market was named as the South Dakota Beef Industry Council’s Prime Promoter Business in 2008. Their dedication to keeping beef at the center of the plate is evident in their business philosophy, and they utilize tools provided by the beef council in their store.

Without a doubt, Cleaver’s Market provides a sense of home cooking and specialty foods for a customer that demands the best. I’m proud to have a store like this in South Dakota to provide our urban consumers with quality meat products. Cleaver’s is one of the few places that sells freshly ground meat, and they pride themselves on the quality products they can offer South Dakota residents. Beef producers are certainly lucky to have a friend in the “Meat Guys” at Cleaver’s Market. Mike Haggar and Brian Jorgenson have truly earned the 2008 Prime Promoter award for their dedication to the industry, and cattlemen can be proud to say they have friends in Sioux Falls that are working day in and day out to sell their beef products.

The cold weather has certainly made things interesting on the ranch these days. It’s been a struggle keeping the waterers from freezin’ up, the tractors from gellin’ up, and my fingers and toes from fallin’ off. The challenges of winter make most of us yearn for the miserable humidity of the summer months. The ice, wind and snow create difficulties that no other season brings to a cattle rancher. However, cattle don’t have the luxury of a heated house, and ranchers put the needs of livestock ahead of their own. And, even though farmers and ranchers don’t get to completely take Christmas day off, I hope you will be able to take some time to enjoy a nice dinner with your family, lounge on the couch, open presents and enjoy the spirit of the day.

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I was scanning through an article in Reader’s Digest called “The Simple-Till-Six Diet,” by Mark Bittman, and I thought I would share a few of the finer points with you. Bittman is a columnist for the New York Times, and his column is titled, “How to Cook Everything Vegetarian.” The Reader’s Digest article discusses Bittman’s weight gain and loss, and he blames his weight problems on animal products. In the article Bittman writes: “A shift of 50 percent–replacing half your animal calories with plant calories–would be signficant and need a conscious effort; however, this shift is one that means better eating for both your body and the planet.”

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Despite the recent cut of the National Beef Ambassador Program (NBAP) from the beef checkoff program, the American National Cattlewomen, Inc. (ANCW) is determined to keep the ambassadors traveling on behalf of the nation’s cattlemen.

Certainly, you have spotted the ambassadors on the move. Their famous red shirts stamped with the BEEF symbol can be seen from coast-to-coast, anywhere consumers are found. They work at the Boston Marathon, serving beef stew samples to running enthusiasts. They work at the Pennsylvania Farm Show, teaching millions of people about beef and veal production. Ambassadors are found in college campuses, elementary schools, and state fairs. They lobby for cattlemen in Washington D.C, blog online to consumers, and travel to cattle conventions to work with producers.

Their agricultural “heroics” are the reason ANCW is tirelessly working to keep the ambassadors on the move for cattle producers, and the 2009 Beef Ambassadors are ready to take action. Understanding the role of a beef ambassador is quite simple: increase the demand for beef. And, there is nothing that will stop the ambassadors from doing just that. I truly believe NBAP is an amazing marketing tool for the industry, which is why it is vital for producers to continue to support the program.

For now, due to financial restraints, the ambassadors will focus on areas of promotion that can be done for little cost—classroom presentations and online interaction. Reaching out to the youth with classroom presentations will be a top priority for the ambassadors.

Of course, the young ambassadors are well versed online, and they will be aggressively writing on blogs, facebook and editorial conversations on behalf of the beef industry. Currently, past ambassadors host three blog sites where they comment on industry issues and talk to consumers about their concerns. The blogs can be checked out at www.raisingthesteaks.com, www.chewingthecud.org and www.beefmatters.com.

The NBAP will be looking to receive corporate sponsorships in the future. For now, Carol Abrahamzon and the ambassador team are asking for support in the upcoming year. They are working on starting another letter campaign to be sent to members of CBB along with monetary donations to help the ambassadors travel.

The job of each beef ambassador is to help explain the value of beef products to consumers. There are many people that do not fully understand all that the beef industry has to offer in terms of nutritional value, as well as the many ways that producers are helping to preserve the environment. The beef ambassador program is truly an amazing marketing tool for the industry, which is why it is so vital for producers to support this program. This youth program is certainly a unique opportunity for cattlemen to invest their dollars to put money back in their own operations.

Well, it looks like we have a mini-Michael Pollan on the loose, and that’s not good news for agriculture. In an article that ran in the Minneapolis Star Tribune and the New York Times, Mr. Nicholas D. Kristof urges the Department of Agriculture to switch its name to the Department of Food in order to meet the needs of the 300 million people that eat food versus the 2% of people that participate in agriculture. The article goes on to blame agriculture for such atrocities as the obesity epidemic, diabetes, greenhouse gasses, excessive waste, an end to small town traditions, using grain for livestock production, antibiotic resistant infections, and who knows what else—Carpal tunnel? Insomnia? Road Rage?

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