$38M On the Table - A beefy plan for 2024

Sep 12, 2023

The Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB) has some beefy news for you. They're thinking of pouring $38 million into some exciting projects in 2024. Just a thumbs-up from the USDA, and they're good to go.

At their recent meeting in Denver, the Beef Promotion Operating Committee (BPOC) was buzzing with decisions. They’re planning to back twelve grant proposals starting October 1, 2023. But here's the tricky part, with inflation and changing dollars, planning isn't easy, says Jimmy Taylor, the chief of both CBB and BPOC.

Now, for the highlight reel. Out of many hopefuls, eight beef organizations are going to see some funding. The big players:

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association is pocketing $25,405,000.
United States Meat Export Federation isn't far behind with $8,150,000.
Oh, and CBB? They're reserving $1,800,000 for themselves.

So, where's all this cash going? A chunky $9,275,000 is all for promoting the yumminess and health benefits of beef. Another $8,300,000 will fuel research, while $7,600,550 is marked for sharing info with us, the consumers. And let's not forget the global scene, with $8,150,000 set for international marketing.

They're also sending a shoutout to producers with $1,800,000 meant for communications and outreach. The whole deal for 2024 totals a staggering $42 million.

Source : wisconsinagconnection

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.